Billy had a framed prayer on his office wall which expressed his method for keeping going:
May God grant me
The serenity to accept
The things I cannot change,
The courage
To change the things I can,
And the wisdom
To know the different
Among the things Billy Pilgrim could not change were the past, the present, and the future.
I chose this passage to think about because I thought it was kind of ironic. Billy often times relates things to death in some way, if you haven't noticed it you should think about it while reading later. Billy claims that this passage helps him get through life when in reality he wants to stop living it? And also it is for some reason vitally important to add a poem to the book pages for our viewing pleasure a poem about change. A poem encouraging to have change in general and the next line he says there is no change. I found it ironic, loved the line, but still think this guy's a crazy nut.
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3 comments:
I feel this passage in the book really helps to get across the point that Billy has no control over the crazy stuff that he has gone through and is going through again in his life. It also makes the statement that the attempt to change anything in life is futile and a waste of time. It is a very strong and meaningful passage in the book and I think it made an amazing free write journal entry.
I was intrigued by this passage as well. I wonder why he would hang this in his office if he believed that there was nothing he could change. If he can't change "the past, the present, and the future," then what can he change? Even if he succeeds in changing someone or something else (for the better or the worse), wouldn't he already know they were going to change. And because every moment in time is set, is he really the one changing it/them or was it just destiny? It's interesting how one passage can bring up so many questions and so much confusion.
i real life there are certain things that help you move along. billy is in dispair and (i think) is shocked by PTSD. but the only thing he can hold on to is this little piece of text.
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