Monday, April 30, 2012
Slaughter House 5 blog entry 7
"Billy and Lazzaro and poor old Edgar Derby crossed the prison yard to the theater now." page 143
I notices the epithet used when speaking of Derby. He is poor old Edgar derby. Why? He is an old
Man. Primarily, though, the title reminds the reader of his death. We know that he will doe in Dresden, and the "poor" adjective invokes sorrow. It makes Derby innocent. This is also a bit of dramatic irony. We know a major part of his life, his death. We know where and when it occurs. Derby of course is unaware. Perhaps it makes us more sympathetic towards him because he is blindsided by death.
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"Crossing the prison yard" can also be a metaphor for being abducted by aliens. They're going to a place unknown to them, the theatre, which is similar to the aliens' planet, which is also unknown to us. Billy is abducted by the tralfadorians (sp?) and taken to this new, strange place, just like him, Lazarro, and Edgar are going to a place they haven't been before.
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