"Billy Pilgrim was Cinderella, and Cinderella was Billy Pilgrim.
While in the banquet hall as a POW, Billy Pilgrim watches the play, put on by the Englishmen, "
Cinderella, the most popular story ever told." Vonnegut uses the allusion of
Cinderella to parallel the character of Billy Pilgrim. Needing a good pair of boots, Billy takes the ones used in
Cinderella, and they fit perfectly. The reader is left to make the connection from
Cinderella when she tried on the glass slipper and it too fit. This comparison is used for foreshadowing Billy's later life. Cinderella had a sad life, always conforming to the demands of her stepmother. She was later transformed into a beautiful, respected person, with the help of her fairy god mother, and her life had a happy ending. Billy had always been disrespected, and was especially ridiculed in war. He will later be transformed into a powerful, respected doctor with the help of the tralfamidorians. It seems to be implied with the comparison of
Cinderella that his story will also have a happy ending.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with your connection between the life of Billy Pilgrim and the life of Cinderella. Both characters started out as disrespected, but they worked their way to become successful and respected people. I also agree that Vonnegut left the reader to make the connection between Billy’s boots and Cinderella’s glass slipper.
ReplyDeleteWell done, very well done
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