CHAPTER SEVEN- METAPHORS

In Chapter seven, Billy Pilgrim is boarding the plane that ends up killing his father in law. He knows all that is going to happen before he even boards the plane. He plans on heading to an optometrist convention in Montreal. While Pilgrim is boarding the plane, Vonnegut mentions Billy's wife is eating a candy bar. This is a common thread throughout the book. Kurt Vonnegut wants to make the message clear that his wife is very large and eats quite badly. Everytime she is mentioned, she is eating. Now her father comes into the story, Lionel Merble. One word used to describe him is "machine". This is the metaphor. Lionel is described as a machine because he is large. Valencia took a eating habit like his. They are both very large and referred to as machines by the Tralfamadorians. In their eyes, the humans are huge. In previous chapters, the Tralfamadorians are described as small, green creatures. When they view most humans, they are much larger. All the creatures in the Universe were bigger than the Tralfamadorians. Therefore, they are all machines. "Tralfamadorians, of course, say that every creature and plant in the Universe is a machine. It amuses them that so many Earthlings are offended by the idea of being machines" (p 154).