Horse Pitiers

“Billy asked them in English what it was they wanted, and they at once scolded him in English for the condition of the horse. They made Billy get out of the wagon and come look at the horses. When Billy saw the condition of his means of transportation, he burst into tear. He hadn’t cried about anything else in the war” (197-small book)

While reminiscing on his life, Billy considers that if given the optimistically selective mentality of the Tralfamadorians, he would choose the moment while snoozing in the back of a wagon, as the happiest moment of his life. His musing is soon interrupted by concerned voices. Billy then notices a couple pitying the state of the neglected horses of his wagon. They force Billy to observe the horse’s pathetic condition. When suddenly exposed to the miserable horses he bursts into tears, and claims “he hadn’t cried about anything else in the war”.

This sudden, unexpected, impulsive response made me wonder what triggered such contrasting emotional states inside Billy’s mind. Seemingly minutes before, he was relishing in blissful thought, all to be abruptly replaced by a surge of tears. This response reveals just how confused and abnormal Billy’s emotional state of mind has fallen victim to. He fails to notice the obvious death and misery of his surroundings. This enforces Billy’s inadequate credibility as a factual narrator. As the war lingers around him, Billy becomes oblivious and uncomprehending to just exactly what he is experiencing. I think the author uses this instance as example for how emotional the war is for these soldiers without glorifying or justifying war. Throughout the novel, Billy is presented as a passive, inexpressive, and detached character. He seems to go through moments as an observer of his own life and never really attaches his emotions to what should be a traumatizing experience. In this moment, his character is allowed to evoke feelings of sympathy and pity. Vonnegut strategically makes one of the few emotional events in this book circa horses and a random couple, rather then perhaps the bombing of Dresden. Thus the reader may not be swayed emotionally to sympathize with killings of war, but still can recognize sympathy towards the individuals involved.

Q: Why do you think Billy claims this moment to be his first moment he cries about the war?