"There wasn't a sound inside the emaciated chest cavity. The Son of God was dead as a doornail. So it goes." (pg.203)
Probably the biggest example of repetition in this book is "So it goes." This phrase, inspired by the Tralfamadorians, sums up Billy's adopted view that since there is no time, death is only a momentary instance. And since this is the case, death is rendered powerless in this book. I'm not sure if that adds or detracts from the anti-war theme. On one hand, it shows that people today often lessen the impact of death with the argument that it occurs so often. On the other hand, it is saying that death is not a big deal, so this could work for both sides of the war argument.
Anyhoo, I picked this quote because it's a really interesting thought. When reading the book and seeing all of the "so it goes" basically every other page, I could see how death was desensitizing people, the exact point of the author. However, this scenario from Trout's book puts into perspective just how bluntk, redundant, and plain Vonnegut portrays death. So the author makes his argument doubly effective when he gives the ultimate example of decency and kindness dying as well as using these phrases to reinforce war's causing death to be mundane.
Probably the biggest example of repetition in this book is "So it goes." This phrase, inspired by the Tralfamadorians, sums up Billy's adopted view that since there is no time, death is only a momentary instance. And since this is the case, death is rendered powerless in this book. I'm not sure if that adds or detracts from the anti-war theme. On one hand, it shows that people today often lessen the impact of death with the argument that it occurs so often. On the other hand, it is saying that death is not a big deal, so this could work for both sides of the war argument.
Anyhoo, I picked this quote because it's a really interesting thought. When reading the book and seeing all of the "so it goes" basically every other page, I could see how death was desensitizing people, the exact point of the author. However, this scenario from Trout's book puts into perspective just how bluntk, redundant, and plain Vonnegut portrays death. So the author makes his argument doubly effective when he gives the ultimate example of decency and kindness dying as well as using these phrases to reinforce war's causing death to be mundane.
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