Slaughterhouse

"'I suppose they'll all want dignity,' I sad" (212). This last chapter is when the narrator puts himself back into the story. It seems as though he too was in the war. Also, he seems to know Billy pretty well too. I don't know why exactly he only shows up in this last chapter and the first. I don't think that he is Billy, however. However, based on what he said : "If you're ever in Wyoming, just ask for coyote bob" makes me think that they could very possibly be the same person. Or maybe he was just with Billy and knows this Bob person too. In any case, overall, a very good book.

Slaughterhouse

"He was a gun nut. He left me his guns. They rust" (210). The author's style is very blunt. Sentences are short and choppy. This illustrates how Billy thinks. He can't have fully coherent thoughts anymore since the plane crash. Also when he says "they rust" I think that it goes to show what war can do to a person. He wants nothing to do with the guns or violence anymore. So he no longer goes near them. He seems to also be the opposite of his father. However, both men seem to have their thoughts and opinions and stick to them.

Slaughterhouse

"He's not a human being anymore. Doctors are for human beings." (190). I think that Billy hasn't really been alive for a while now. He is characterized as being so imaginative, that he can be considered crazy. He no longer knows what is true and what is not. He's been this way since the war. It was only worse after the plane crash. But what really defines a human being? Is it one that is alive and understanding? Or through his craziness, can he really still be a human?

slaughterhouse

"An hour later she was dead. So it goes." (183). He has just told the story of how his wife died. But he still is completely unemotional about it. The entire marriage was sort of fake to him. He proposed because he knew it was right. He didn't really love her. And now when she's dead he doesn't care either. The only person it seems he has ever cared for would be Montana. He actually loved her. But what happened to her isn't ever fully disclosed. He says she's still on the planet. But most people think she was killed.

Slaughterhouse

"Don't worry, it will never be bombed" (147). This is from a fake letter from Derby that he wrote in his head. I think that this is the writer's way of foreshadowing what will happen, but to the characters. The readers already know what will happen. But the characters who are going there are still clueless. In this letter, he is confident that this city will be kept safe. However, in just a few days he will be dead and the city will be gone.

slaughterhouse

"Weary was filled with a tragic wrath" (50). Weary is the bad sort of crazy. Part of me seems to want to sympathize with him, however. I honestly begin to have a sort of pity for him because he's never had a real friend. But then, he doesn't have friends because he is so mean. He has all of the makings to be a serial killer-killing animals, studying torture methods, beating people, ect. He is so sad because he is always being left behind and forgotten. It's like the bully circle-people bully because they've been ullied and then those people go and hurt more people. Weary is just a bully towards all.

Slaughterhouse

"There was a lot that Billy said was gibberish to the Tralfamadorians, too" (114). The only thing that I have yet to understand is if he actually has gone crazy. Part of me really thinks that Billy has. However, it's not the PSTD sort of crazy, but the in a weird way cool crazy. The reasons that I think he's lost it are because he says he's died of being shot in the head by a laser gun, which is not invented even in our time yet. But I really don't think that he's going to harm himself or others due to his being crazy. He seems to just better understand what he can do to help humanity as a whole. These aliens have ideals that are so radical to even us, but Billy understands and accepts them

Slaughterhouse

"only earth is there any talk of free will" (86). I feel as though the little aliens represent the opposite of America. It's almost as though they are the foil characters to all of the American soldiers. These soldiers are representative of free will, democracy, and all these other ideals. Whereas the aliens are more into moments, they're just much more philosophical than the Americans are portrayed as. In the end, Billy almost becomes one because he too can see his past and future. He realizes that these moments are only that, and that he cannot change them. They're just the complete opposite from all the other characters in the book.

Slaughterhouse

"only earth is there any talk of free will" (86). I feel as though the little aliens represent the opposite of America. It's almost as though they are the foil characters to all of the American soldiers. These soldiers are representative of free will, democracy, and all these other ideals. Whereas the aliens are more into moments, they're just much more philosophical than the Americans are portrayed as. In the end, Billy almost becomes one because he too can see his past and future. He realizes that these moments are only that, and that he cannot change them. They're just the complete opposite from all the other characters in the book.

slaughterhouse

"I know, I know, I know" (10). This line is the saddest part of the book thus far. I'm not quite sure why I think this is so sad, but to me it is. It reminds me of how many times we have heard about things, but never experienced them. For Billy, he was actually there. He saw everything happen, so he doesn't need to hear stories that others have heard. There's just such a difference between hearing about what happened, and actually being there.

"Mr. Kirwin had shown me extreme kindness" (131). I think that Mr. Kirwin is a foil character to both Victor and the Creature. Victor and the creature both seem to say that they care about humanity. However, they don't seem to act on it much. Victor made the creature to help human nature. The creature was nice and caring at first, but then began to kill. Kirwin seems genuinely nice. He seems to actually want to help Victor.

"I will be with you on your wedding night" (123). This is an example of more foreshadowing. Victor thinks that what will happen is that he will be killed on his wedding night. What is most odd about this is that he's not sad. He's not even scared of death. However, he begins to cry only when he thinks of the pain he'll be putting Elizabeth through. I find this odd because he's beginning to show more care for others, or at least more than what he was showing earlier this novel. I think that he's wrong that the monster will kill him. I think that he's going to kill Elizabeth

"A ghastly grin wrinkled his lips..." (121). I feel like the creature brought this upon himself. The way that the tone and descriptive words make it seem as though the creature was being evil. He may have, in fact, just really been smiling because he was happy again. However, I think that he was glad that he was able to threaten someone into doing something. I don't really blame Victor for reacting this way. I would have probably done the same thing. However, I can also understand why the creature is so mad now and plans revenge.

"I quited the college, and in the great tumult escaped unperceived to my hovel" (94). The family's reaction to the creature is one to be expected. Based on how everyone else perceived him, and refused to listen to him, I'm not surprised. This is one example of foreshadowing in the book. I think that also since he killed William, he will do more killing later on in the book. Even though it was expected, I still felt bad for him. It was his last chance to really be accepted, but he was still rejected. However, based on how it began with the old man, if people had not seen him and only heard him, I feel like they would better accept him.

"My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature..." (81). I find it very interesting that the creature and Victor share this common trait. It makes me wonder what else it is that they share. The creature seems to really care for all of humanity (to being with). Which is what Victor hoped to do with this reanimation process as well. He wanted to bring hope to people that he could bring back their loved ones. But now he regrets it very much. They both are very stubborn and strong willed as well. I wonder how they got to be so much alike.

"I am thy Adam..." I am Extremely confused with as to how the creature in any way knows about the Bible. I'm assuming that Shelleby put it in the novel because people of that time were very religious. However, where he came to find this knowledge puzzles me. Did he find out from the people in the cottage? Or did he steal it like he stole food? If he's able to quote the bible, then what other major works has he read? Speaking of religion, in class Lauren brought up the idea of a soul. Based on what I've read about him, I can only assume that he does in fact have one. His care for others makes me think he does. I just can't stand the idea of anyone or anything not having one, so I guess that's where my theory comes from as well.

"What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people" (77). This line from the monster struck me because I found it interesting that he understood beauty and eloquence. He obviously cares for these people and feels bad for them. I think that he just really wants them to be happy, and in doing so, he will be happy too. The writing style used gives the monster better language than what I would have expected. I think that the monster will really learn much more, and in doing so, become happier as well. In my earlier blog, I talked about feeling lonely, which the monster is at this point. But I think that he will be better soon after he meets people that accept him. He needs friends right now, and I think he'll get some soon.

"I rushed out of the room..."(35). His reaction to the monster is a bit interesting. He spent forever working on this thing, but now wants nothing to do with it. I think that he was surprised himself that it actually worked. I also think that he was worried about what exactly he was going to do. It seemed to me that he didn't fully think through this whole experiment process. The monster's reaction was what I had expected. It was one of a child, which could pretty much have been expected.

"my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed in the prospect of your union" (24). The whole family situation is very interesting I felt. When I was analyzing the characters, I thought it was interesting how the mother, though caring, also was fine with her two children being married. She seems to love helping people who need it, but still does not care about herself enough, and instead she ends up dying because of her helping the sick. Victor's sister seems to follow the mother's footstep very well. She too loves to help others, but she seems sort of out of touch with reality. That's just what I got from her character at least. His father seems to be the quintessential family man, and loves his family. The entire family just really interests me.

"My affection for my guest increases every day" (11). One of the main themes in this novel is of loneliness. Walton is very lonely on the boat by himself, even his shipmates he cannot seem to find companionship with. However, when Victor arrives, he is then with a friend. Victor too wants a friend because he was lonely enough to create the monster. Walton found himself lonely, however, because he is away from his family and by his lonesome in the arctic. The monster, too, at first is lonely because Victor will not have anything to do with him. However, they all in the end seem to find some sort of companion.