Slaughterhouse 5 - post II

There is a real method in the madness here with Billy Pilgrim going from an alien zoo to a prisoner of war camp in such a seamless manner that the whole idea of time travel back and forwards suddenly seems very familiar. It almost doesn’t matter if you don’t believe it because the point here is to investigate the impact war makes on individuals and Pilgrim’s problems are not designed to be an advert for war.

Bullet points between pages 86 – 124

* The prisoners are moved to Dresden to an old abattoir and are told that if they ever get lost and need to get back they should give their address, which is Slaughterhouse Five, and they will et sent back to the makeshift camp for 100 American soldiers

* In his time travelling Billy recalls more episodes in the alien zoo and the moment when they brought him a mate who was the opposite of his large and ugly wife who every time she appears in the narrative is chewing a different branded candy bar

* He also knows that when he boards the plane to an optometrists conference with his father-in-law that everyone except him and the co-pilot will die when the plane hits a mountain

* He also knows that he will be shot by a nutter he meets in the war who promises to avenge his friend Roland, who blames Billy for his death, and he finally gets Billy in 1976 as he comes off stage speaking at an alien abduction event

* Back in Dresden the Americans are trying to be convinced that they should sign up for a Nazi fighting corp on the Eastern front but no one is interested and as Billy alone knows the next night the bombers will come and will destroy most of the city

More maybe tomorrow…