"I See," Said the Blind Man
This is the name of Billy Pilgrim’s dog, who is presumably much better at staying in the present than his owner.
Who is Spot?
This is what the Tralfamadorians ultimately do with Billy after snatching him from Earth in a flying saucer.
What is put him on display in a zoo?
This character was a high school teacher before the war; he is arguably the most "civilized" person in the group.
Who is Edgar Derby?
While trapped in a cramped railroad boxcar, an optimistic hobo keeps telling Billy this comforting (yet objectively false) lie.
What is "I've been in worse situations than this"?
The narrator (Vonnegut) says he told his sons not to take part in massacres or work for companies that manufacture these.
What are weapons (or machinery of destruction)?
While most people are sleeping or worrying about the catering, Billy does this on the night before his daughter's wedding.
What is wait for the aliens (Tralfamadorians) to kidnap him?
According to the Tralfamadorians, this is a bizarre concept that only exists on Earth; everywhere else in the universe knows better.
What is free will?
This man is a professional thief and a grade-A jerk who eventually promises to have Billy killed over a perceived slight.
Who is Paul Lazzaro?
This is the German name for the meat-packing facility in Dresden where the prisoners are kept.
What is Slaughterhouse-Five (Schlachthof-fünf)?
This is the title of the book the narrator is trying to write, which he promises Mary O'Hare will not glamorize war.
What is The Children's Crusade?
This woman is Billy’s daughter; she is frequently "bothered" by her father’s claims of time travel and alien zoos.
Who is Barbara Pilgrim?
This is the repeated, three-word phrase used by the narrator whenever death is mentioned, which is... quite often.
What is "So it goes"?
This "Three Musketeer" enthusiast dies of gangrene in the back of a railcar, blaming Billy for his misery.
Who is Roland Weary?
The American POWs are disgusted to find that this group of prisoners is healthy, well-fed, and disturbingly cheerful.
Who are the British officers?
The narrator compares himself to this biblical figure, who was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at the destruction of her home.
Who is Lot's wife?
During a production of Cinderella, Billy is taken to the hospital for this reason, which is actually just a very intense reaction to the absurdity of life.
What is he starts laughing and cannot stop?
The Tralfamadorians compare Billy’s view of time to a person looking through one of these, seeing only a tiny bit of the "track" at once.
What is a drinking straw (or a hole in a copper pipe)?
This is Billy's official, non-combatant position in the Army, which involves carrying an organ and helping a man of God.
What is a Chaplain's assistant?
Billy watches a movie about this type of event "backwards," seeing the destruction turn into creation as bombs are sucked back into planes.
What is a bombing raid (or a war movie)?
This is the fictional city in New York where Billy lives, works, and is eventually kidnapped by aliens.
What is Ilium?
In 1968, Billy is the sole survivor (mostly) of this disaster, an event his wife Valencia famously dies trying to reach him after.
What is a plane crash?
This movie star is brought to Tralfamadore to keep Billy company, though she is still wearing a locket that says "No Touching."
Who is Montana Wildhack?
In an ironic twist of fate, these people are the ones who actually stop Roland Weary from beating Billy to a pulp in the woods.
Who are German soldiers?
Because he has no proper boots, Billy is forced to wear these ridiculous items of footwear provided by the Germans.
What are silver boots (left over from the play)?
This science fiction author, who appears in Eliot Rosewater’s books, is the clear inspiration for many of Billy’s ideas about time.
Who is Kilgore Trout?