"He said, too, that he had been kidnapped by a flying saucer in 1967." Page 25
The foreshadowing in this story is not quite normal. In chapter two, in the first two pages, every significant event that happens to Billy throughout the story is listed in a very matter-of-fact manner. This type of foreshadowing tells the reader what the book is about exactly. However, this is an effective tool used by Vonnegut. Because the audience knows what will happen throughout the book, they anticipate and wait to see how certain events will play out. Additionally, because chronological order plays no significant role in the story, the audience has no idea when an event will occur. This direct foreshadowing is unusual though very effective in keeping the reader engaged in the story.
I agree completely. Not only does he randomly do it here, he does it like right after he tells the reader at the end of chapter one the first lines of the story and the last lines of the story. It makes me feel as though Vonnegut honestly could care less about "keeping us on the edge of our seats". Then again, it might be reverse psychology. By telling us what we should expect, it makes us want to keep reading to find out what lead to the end result. This was really long....I'm gonna stop now.
ReplyDeleteI also agree. I think it kind of plays into the idea introduced that our lives are not about the time in which it took place, but the events and the moments that actually took place. I think by telling the story in this messed up order and by having the aliens discus this concept it diminishes the role of time in the story.
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ReplyDeleteI think the way in which the story is not in chronological order speaks to the nature of Billy himself. He is free from the restraints of time. It is logical, especially in his current state of mind, that he would be spastic in his remembering of events. It is true characterization: the author doesn't just speak about Billy; he instead shows the reader tangible proof of his mental processes and his being.
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