Bugs Trapped in Amber

“Where am I?” said Billy Pilgrim.

“Trapped in another blob of amber, Mr. Pilgrim. We are where we have to be just now…”

“How--how did I get here?”

“It would take another Earthling to explain it to you. Earthlings are great explainers, explaining why this event is structured as it is, telling how other events may be achieved or avoided. I am a Tralfamadorian, seeing all time as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains. All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I’ve said before, bugs in amber.”

“You sound to me as though you don’t believe in free will, “ said Billy Pilgrim.

(pg 85) End of chapter 4

Billy’s conversation with the Tralfamadorians here reinforces the Tralfamadorians’ concept of time—instead of viewing life as linear, they believe it to be a collection of moments, emphasizing once again that people are just like bugs trapped in amber. There is nothing they can do about what is to happen to them; they can only learn to accept it. This Tralfamadorian concept of time reflects Billy’s own concept of time, and helps to explain why Billy has become “unstuck” in time. Since time, to Tralfamadorians, is merely a collenction of moments, Billy is able to move around in these moments throughout his life and transport himself to another time and place.

This new view of time draws light on the difficulty or recounting traumatic experiences, and serves as an outlet for Billy to make sense of all he has experienced in the war. It reflects his belief that we cannot control our fate; we must learn to simply move on when experiencing something such as death. It also explains the Tralfamadorians’ notion of free will—they reject it completely, believing that everyone’s fate is predetermined and there is no use asking questions. We are all bugs trapped in amber, and a moment in time simply is. This idea helps Billy recount his time at war, as it leads him to believe that all that has experienced was meant to happen the way it happened.

Q: How does the Tralfamadorian view of time help us make sense of the events of the novel? Would we have a different understanding of the story if it were all told in order?