The use of symbolism helps Vonnegut further convey his ideas on death and war. Vonnegut uses a bird to symbolize his speechless silence towards war. For example, Vonnegut says “everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like ‘Poo-tee-weet?’” (Vonnegut 19). Vonnegut uses birds to show that animals cannot even make sense of the massacres and devastations of war. There are no human words or bird chirps that can describe the feelings and terrific events that happen during a war. Vonnegut leaves the reader with the idea that war is not necessary. On the last line of the book, Pilgrim is outdoors when
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Blue and ivory are two main colors that appear throughout the book to create a symbolic connection between life and death. An example of Vonnegut using these colors is when Billy Pilgrim is an older gentleman in the basement of his home where temperatures were “down to fifty degrees…” (Vonnegut 27) and “his bare feet were blue and ivory” (Vonnegut 28). After sitting down in the basement typing a story for hours “barefoot, and still in his pajamas and a bathrobe…” (Vonnegut 28), Pilgrim is on the thin line between life and death. His feet have turned blue and ivory as if he has already started dying as he types away without any notice. Vonnegut uses this example to illustrate how easily life can be taken without notice or care. Although Vonnegut uses the colors to represent life dying, he also uses it to represent death. An example of Vonnegut using blue and ivory to represent death is when Pilgrim is being loaded onto a boxcar to be transported to a camp full of Prisoners of War. Pilgrim describes a scene where “corpses with bare feet that were blue and ivory” (Vonnegut 65) were lying on the floor. Vonnegut uses the colors blue and ivory to symbolize the line between life and death and to convey his ideas of always living close with death. Whether it was at his home in his basement, or in war, Pilgrim was always close to the “blue and ivory” colors where death had a
Blue and ivory are two main colors that appear throughout the book to create a symbolic connection between life and death. An example of Vonnegut using these colors is when Billy Pilgrim is an older gentleman in the basement of his home where temperatures were “down to fifty degrees…” (Vonnegut 27) and “his bare feet were blue and ivory” (Vonnegut 28). After sitting down in the basement typing a story for hours “barefoot, and still in his pajamas and a bathrobe…” (Vonnegut 28), Pilgrim is on the thin line between life and death. His feet have turned blue and ivory as if he has already started dying as he types away without any notice. Vonnegut uses this example to illustrate how easily life can be taken without notice or care. Although Vonnegut uses the colors to represent life dying, he also uses it to represent death. An example of Vonnegut using blue and ivory to represent death is when Pilgrim is being loaded onto a boxcar to be transported to a camp full of Prisoners of War. Pilgrim describes a scene where “corpses with bare feet that were blue and ivory” (Vonnegut 65) were lying on the floor. Vonnegut uses the colors blue and ivory to symbolize the line between life and death and to convey his ideas of always living close with death. Whether it was at his home in his basement, or in war, Pilgrim was always close to the “blue and ivory” colors where death had a