The narrator makes it very clear that man 's misdeeds are human, and it is of that nature to act accordingly. However Roland Weary is as close as they come. Roland Weary is the man Billy finds himself with behind enemy lines at The Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg. He is equipped for battle having every piece of equipment he had ever been issued.”(p.39) He talks a great deal to Billy about his fathers torture device collection, and likes to fantasize about how great of a soldier he is. The reality is he is a delusional, and reckless madman that shoots his gun crews machine gun which “made a ripping sound like the opening of a zipper...showing the germans exactly where it (the gun) was hidden.”(p.34) This results in the death of everyone in his crew but himself. He constantly saves Billy’s life, and constantly reminds him of that fact saying things like. “Saved your life again, you dumb bastard.”(p.34) He doesn 't do it out of compassion, but instead saves Billy to maintain his delusional fantasy about bringing Billy home and being regarded as a war hero along with the two other scouts that he finds himself with. In his over idealized fantasy he calls him and the two scouts “the three musketeers”(p.43) The scouts find him creepy, and eventually decide that Roland and Billy will only get them killed so they leave them behind. In a fit of rage Weary tries to shoot Billy just as some German troops discover them, and watch on in wonder, because they can figure out “why one American would try to murder another on so far from home.”(p.51) This situation is ironic because of the unnecessary violence in the midst of such monumental historical events taking place. Weary is as inexperienced a soldier as Billy, but he foolishly glorifies war, and thrives off of violence. He is the embodiment of everything thats wrong with the way society looks at war. Vonnegut is trying to say that those who glorify war are delusional
The narrator makes it very clear that man 's misdeeds are human, and it is of that nature to act accordingly. However Roland Weary is as close as they come. Roland Weary is the man Billy finds himself with behind enemy lines at The Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg. He is equipped for battle having every piece of equipment he had ever been issued.”(p.39) He talks a great deal to Billy about his fathers torture device collection, and likes to fantasize about how great of a soldier he is. The reality is he is a delusional, and reckless madman that shoots his gun crews machine gun which “made a ripping sound like the opening of a zipper...showing the germans exactly where it (the gun) was hidden.”(p.34) This results in the death of everyone in his crew but himself. He constantly saves Billy’s life, and constantly reminds him of that fact saying things like. “Saved your life again, you dumb bastard.”(p.34) He doesn 't do it out of compassion, but instead saves Billy to maintain his delusional fantasy about bringing Billy home and being regarded as a war hero along with the two other scouts that he finds himself with. In his over idealized fantasy he calls him and the two scouts “the three musketeers”(p.43) The scouts find him creepy, and eventually decide that Roland and Billy will only get them killed so they leave them behind. In a fit of rage Weary tries to shoot Billy just as some German troops discover them, and watch on in wonder, because they can figure out “why one American would try to murder another on so far from home.”(p.51) This situation is ironic because of the unnecessary violence in the midst of such monumental historical events taking place. Weary is as inexperienced a soldier as Billy, but he foolishly glorifies war, and thrives off of violence. He is the embodiment of everything thats wrong with the way society looks at war. Vonnegut is trying to say that those who glorify war are delusional