"When he was young, Vonnegut's mother committed suicide and the lack of maternal figure probably influenced how Billy acts with his own mother in the novel." -Lina Merizalde
Not long ago I read Lina Merizalde's blog Vonnegut: On the Verge of Losing his Mind. She examines the relationship between Billy and his mother and why he treats her like he does. She seems to believe that it is because of the anger Vonnegut has towards his mommy.
I completely agree with her because Billy is very cold with Mrs. Pilgrim. No matter the kindness she shows towards him, he just brushes it off. When she goes to see him in the hospital, he pulls the covers over his face until she leaves. He would do this because: "He always got much sicker until she went away. She upset Billy simply by being his mother. She made him feel embarrassed and ungrateful and weak because she had gone to so much trouble to give him life, and to keep that life going, and Billy didn't really like life at all." (p.102)
It seems like Billy's actions are related to Vonnegut's mother's actions. They both have a negative outlook on life and just want to end their lives. Something else said in her blog is, "Children who lose a parent tend to have three times the risk of depression then those with two living parents..." Could Billy's feelings also be related to Vonnegut's? He lost his mother and survived a war which must have led him to depression.
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and physical well being. It pushes away family, friends, and other people who care about you. It destroys relationships and our process in growing as a happy and healthy human being. It may even take the life of a person if he/she does not get help. Once the person gets help for this terrible disease, he/she can live a happy and full life. He/she can go from a path of being forever alone to a happy one full of rainbows, sunshine, smiles, and things that make the person happy. Try to live your life as happy as possible and you will see that there are positive things worth living for.
I completely agree with her because Billy is very cold with Mrs. Pilgrim. No matter the kindness she shows towards him, he just brushes it off. When she goes to see him in the hospital, he pulls the covers over his face until she leaves. He would do this because: "He always got much sicker until she went away. She upset Billy simply by being his mother. She made him feel embarrassed and ungrateful and weak because she had gone to so much trouble to give him life, and to keep that life going, and Billy didn't really like life at all." (p.102)
It seems like Billy's actions are related to Vonnegut's mother's actions. They both have a negative outlook on life and just want to end their lives. Something else said in her blog is, "Children who lose a parent tend to have three times the risk of depression then those with two living parents..." Could Billy's feelings also be related to Vonnegut's? He lost his mother and survived a war which must have led him to depression.
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and physical well being. It pushes away family, friends, and other people who care about you. It destroys relationships and our process in growing as a happy and healthy human being. It may even take the life of a person if he/she does not get help. Once the person gets help for this terrible disease, he/she can live a happy and full life. He/she can go from a path of being forever alone to a happy one full of rainbows, sunshine, smiles, and things that make the person happy. Try to live your life as happy as possible and you will see that there are positive things worth living for.
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