Fact or Fiction?!

In order to answer this question, I must refer back near the beginning of the novel when Vonnegut introduces the event resulting in the plane crash. Now, Vonnegut makes it seem as though Billy Pilgram survives, however the aftermath of the crash causes Billy's physical state to transfer himself between time frames in the past, future...... and present. Some might say that the idea is that Billy is actually unstuck in time, aka fact. Codswallop, in my opinion! This plot is as fictional, yet creative, as Harry Potter.

There are many beliefs that pop into my mind as to why Billy "believes" he is unstuck in time. Major mental brain damage is a definite solution. It is very possible that he could have resulted in a tumor, causing hallucinations which overpower his whole mental image of life, just like Izzie Stevens and her struggle with brain cancer in Grey's Anatomy. That's right, I watch Grey's Anatomy! It's a great show! Anyhoo.....she had recently suffered the death of her love and believed her hallucinations of him were just her brain's way of saying that she couldn't let him go. As her life went on, her hallucinations became physical, so physical that her hallucinations of her love became her reality. She could touch him, kiss him and make love to him. It was all real to her, except her roommates were wondering what she was doing with herself in her room...alone. And then, BAM, she finds out she has cancer.

Another way to look at this fictionally is that he never woke up from the plane crash. He can be just dreaming or this is his heaven (not so much a heaven though, is it?). He could have died and this is just a revamp of his past and his belief in what would become of his future from his choices or happenings in the past. These happenings in the past could be Roland Weary's death wish to have someone avenge his death by killing Billy. Billy's mental output of this event could have resulted in his assassination. Or even the Tralfamadorian fantasy. This peaceful world could be the result to Billy's outlook on war. Maybe, maybe not. There might be enough information to justify, there might not. Vonnegut doesn't really define Billy's outlook on war upfront. It's either not there or subliminally hidden.

Without a doubt I believe this plot is fictional to the character. I've described how, but now, why? Personally, I believe Vonnegut to be realist. If he meant this, he meant it fictionally. He went through the realistic horrors of this novel. But was that enough to create a novel. The time travel introduces perplexity and confusement of a reality, causing many twists and dog legs in the plot of this novel. If this was fact, how is it that when in the same cage on Tralfamadore does Wildhack notice when Billy time travels. He is still physically there, its his mental picture within a mental picture. Confusing topic but it works.

And this post is done.
So it goes.