The Tralfamadorians look like plungers with a hand on top with an eye in the palm of the hand. Also, they basically define fatalism. They see the fourth dimension, which allows them to travel to different points in their lives, much like Billy Pilgrim. The one difference is that they can control where and when they go, Billy cannot. Their lives are mapped out in front of them like a mountain range. They can see the future, past, and present at all times and have no control over how their lives unfold. They teach Billy how this is true for humans as well. After being asked "Why me?" by Billy, one Tralfamadorian replies:.
"That is a very Earthling question to ask, Mr. Pilgrim. Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber? Well, .
here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why" (Vonnegut 77).
Humans are not lucky enough, though, to be able to see the fourth dimension. This doctrine of fatalism is incorporated into the story to further help express the main point: be kind, don't hurt. If people are all going to die anyway, and it cannot be helped, then people should simply be kind. Don't hurt.
Vonnegut also takes a much more straight forward approach towards his expression of "be kind, don't hurt." And that is with the parts of the novel that talk about World War II. First of all, Vonnegut subtitles the book "The Children's Crusade" to show how the violent crusades we fight are fought by children, and that all crusades are childish (Hartshorne 444). "Man, according to Vonnegut, makes a wasteland of his life by looking for some meaningful absolute purpose instead of simply living" (Olderman 505). This form of fatalism shows how man refuses to simply enjoy his life, he must try to make a reason for living, and in this search for reason he becomes brutal. Vonnegut shows this brutality with stories set during the war of prison camps and prison trains, incredible hatred between men - allies and enemies both - and ultimately the fire bombing of Dresden (Olderman 506).
