Slaughter House Five: Chapter 5

Firstly, in relation to our discussion in class today about who is the narrator in the story, I found who is the narrator. "An American near Billy wailed that he had just excreted everything but his brains. Moments later he said, "There they go, there they go." He meant his brains. That was I. That was me. That was the author of this book. (Vonnegut 125) We don't get a name, but it becomes clear that it is not Billy, as I previously thought, narrating his own life. I assume we will later know who this guy is.
I also want to make reference to a passage I found interesting. " 'A Tralfamadorian test pilot presses a starter button, and the whole Universe dissapears.' So it goes. 'If you knew this,' said Billy, 'isn't there some way you can prevent it? Can't you keep the pilot from pressing the button?' 'He has always pressed it, and he always will. We always let him and we always will let him. The moment is structured that way.' " (Vonnegut 117)
I go back to what I said in my previous blog about the Tralfamadorians being stuck in moments. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: It is as if the Tralfamadorians are characters in a book which was prewritten. They have no control over any specific action of theirs, but believe that everything is related to the specific moment they are supposed to be living. Everything is pre-written for them. Destiny for the Tralfamadorians is an absolute fact. They accept it though. They seem to have no frustration with the way they see the world.
In a sense I think Vonnegut is being satirical in the way the Tralfamadorians express their views on life. He presents a civilization which is stuck with an even bigger problem than that of time. No free will. To me, free will, the act of living, is the sole purpose for which we live. Without that, it is not worth living at all. The Tralfamadorians however, are fine with it. They accept the limitations they have been handed. Humans on the other hand, refuse to really accept the limitations of life, even though they are not as bad as what the Tralfamadorians are faced with.