billy describes them as friends or companions

move freely within time

"it can only be experienced of you see time of the moment"

coping mechanism for billy and his trauma

alien represents attitude towards fatalism for both billy and vonnegut

"so it goes" recognize that death is not a bad things and one moment doesnt describe the entire spectrum

novel not structured in cause and effect, jumping from time to time, place to place

"always goes back to dresden"

effects of war are permenant and make their wat into billy's mind through everything he is experiencing post war

Provides him with sleep he may not have gotten.

Feeling a sense of safety and security.

Escape from trauma.

Billy is exhausted by never knowing when he will be.

Take him away from reality.

Safe space to process his past.

Needs to heal for Dresden.

Might have dementia.

The war consumes him, it is always on his mind.

Naps allow to be vulnerable.

Billy needs help to sleep.

Wife & daughter would not understand.

Downplays some things to keep him from thinking of the war.

Disassociate from what is really happening.

Not considering what the son could be going through.

Healthy way to cope.

He no longer cares.

The doctor suggested sleep as a way to deal with his PTSD.

Billy is likely exhausted from being unstuck in time, so sleeping gives him a break from the flashbacks.

His trauma enters every aspect of his life, like how just driving around his neighborhood reminds him of the war.

Billy may not grow throughout the book, but get weaker.

He feels very alone, because his house is empty. His wife and daughter don't understand.

He thinks he cannot change the past, present, or future. He is trying to deal with his PTSD by just pushing through it.

He doesn't see life as vibrant anymore, and became pessimistic.

He sees Dresden in the destruction of a much less harsh landscape.

The doctor's suggestion alludes to the war and sleep he missed, he's getting the rest he couldn't get with violence constantly around him

Sleep is the trauma catching up to him, which allows him to feel his trauma and possibly heal it - "...would find himself weeping"

Shows loneliness as a characterization

"naps take him away from reality"

Naps = safe space - Ellie

Trauma is in every aspect of his life

Billy is a dynamic character, but rather than building up his character, Vonnegut is tearing him down to further support the theme of the book: war can't be encouraged - Truc

Stereotypes reveal vulnerability

uses imagination to downplay everything to avoid his trauma

Trauma = deadness, no vibrancy, shows the effect psychologically through imagery

Even the escape is guaranteed - lily s

He can try to make light of a situation but he'll never get past it fully, which connects to my discussion point of the permanence of war shown through the aliens.

Sleep is reassurance, another form of coping, allowing a break from his trauma

Shows how lonely he is, he is the sole person experiencing this

The flashbacks are the processing, the naps are a safer form of processing

The war is dark, the effects are permanently affecting Billy

He is not a typical character, rather than growing he's deteriorating. He doesn't do much for himself.

Recovery from the war - create a sense of comfort and escapism

Reflects the loneliness that he is experiencing

The reason to nap is that they take him away from reality and gives him a space where he is given a safe space to process those events instead of being thrust violently back into them

Sleep represents a state of healing, and the repetition of the naps represents the long road Billy has to walk down in order to process such a big traumatic event

Trauma is a huge part of his life, and has effects on every part of his life

Naps allow him to be vulnerable

What the doctor prescribes to him is the escape he uses

He uses his imagination to downplay his trauma and escape from the realities of the war

Trauma robs people of their autonomy and comfort in their lives.

He is trying to push through his trauma

People are trying to justify it or celebrate their contributions, but Billy is not able to escape his trauma or experiences.

Sleep is an escape from trauma.

Lonely in the experience of time

Everyday life brings him back to war always.

Naps are vulnerable

Sleep is the safest coping option.

Sleep may worsen his trauma

(forget to hit post...)