Chapter 10 Summary

The narrative shifts to Kurt Vonnegut in 1968. He discusses the general state of affairs around the world. Vonnegut informs the readers about the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. The body count in the Vietnam War increases and fills the evening news. Vonnegut’s guns remain untouched and rusted.

Vonnegut narrates that Billy believes that the Tralfamadorians are more interested in the evolutionary theory of Darwin than religion. Trout has also written a book about the abduction of a human being by aliens to churn out more information on Darwin. Vonnegut feels grateful to have been a part of many nice moments given Billy is right about the inevitability of time and action and the lack of free will. Vonnegut mentions a nice time in his life when he undertook a trip to Dresden after almost twenty years of war with his war buddy, Bernard O’Hare. Vonnegut recalls what a wonderful time he had spent with O’Hare on the plane, drinking white wine and eating salami sandwiches. O’Hare shows his friend a book that claims that the Earth will have a population of over seven billion by the year 2000 to which Vonnegut exclaims, “I suppose they will all want dignity.”Billy believes that the Tralfamadorians are more interested in the evolutionary theory of Darwin than religion. Trout has also written a book about the abduction of a human being by aliens to churn out more information on Darwin. Vonnegut feels grateful to have been a part of many nice moments given Billy is right about the inevitability of time and action and the lack of free will. Vonnegut mentions a nice time in his life when he undertook a trip to Dresden after almost twenty years of war with his war buddy, Bernard O’Hare. Vonnegut recalls what a wonderful time he had spent with O’Hare on the plane, drinking white wine and eating salami sandwiches. O’Hare shows his friend a book that claims that the Earth will have a population of over seven billion by the year 2000 to which Vonnegut exclaims, “I suppose they will all want dignity.”

Vonnegut informs that Billy is in 1945 and is traveling back to Dresden after two days of the bombing. Vonnegut and O’Hare are present there too. The American prisoners, after staying in stables for two days, are put to work to excavate “corpse mines.” The dead bodies need to be pulled out and disposed of. Since there are so many dead bodies, it feels like a mine. A Maori prisoner dies of vomiting himself to death. The Germans finally understand the problem associated with this exercise and decide to cremate the bodies at the same spot where they have died.

During this time, Edgar Derby is executed by the firing squad for stealing a teapot from the rubble. When spring arrives, the Germans leave to fight against the Russians. The American prisoners are locked in the stables of the inn until the war ends. Finally when they are released, Billy finds nothing outside, except a horse-drawn, coffin-shaped wagon. A bird sings to Billy: “Poo-tee-weet?”

Chapter 10 Analysis

In the last chapter, Vonnegut closes the loose ends of the novel. It ends in real time, when two powerful peace advocates are assassinated and the death count in Vietnam is rising. The narrative comes back to the point in which the novel first appeared. It is no coincidence that Vonnegut decides to publish an anti-war novel at this particular time.

Since there are innumerable horrid things that happen in the world, Vonnegut comments on the Tralfamadorians’ belief of focusing on only the good things that happen. Vonnegut, after commenting on the pitiful plight of the world with the death of world leaders advocating for peace, focuses on a pleasant moment in his life when he undertook a trip to the city of Dresden with O’Hare. Ironically, that same city is full of memories that haunt Billy for the rest of his life. Vonnegut and O’Hare have also experienced the trauma. In sharp contrast, Vonnegut also has the memory of the horrific bombing and the exercise of mining for corpses. Hence, human emotions cannot only focus on pleasant memories, although ideally it should. For Vonnegut, a mix of good and bad memories are associated with the city of Dresden.

The anti-climax of the novel is the death of Edgar Derby. Readers are aware of the execution from the very first chapter. However, the message of absurdity and unjustified deaths is stark here. Derby’s death acts as a strong symbolism of the uncertainty of death. This meaningless death deals a more serious impact. It forces the reader to introspect and realize the futility of the thousands of lives lost in the war, especially the bombing. Vonnegut asserts that there is no justifiable reason for such deaths, thus making a full circle from where he started the novel by saying “nothing intelligent to say.” This sense of futile endeavor is reasserted by the repetitive, nonsensical chirping of birds: “Poo-tee-weet?”