Chapter 4: Foreshadowing

         Foreshadowing is a term that can be difficult to find in Slaughterhouse-Five, but I believe that I have found an example of it. During chapter 4, conditions for the American prisoners started to become worse with each passing day. Sadly, on the ninth day of imprisonment, Roland Weary passes away from gangrene that started in his foot. With his last moments, he asked to be avenged for his death, caused by Billy.

          Shortly after this, Vonnegut "randomly" describes a car thief from Cicero, Illinois, named Paul Lazzaro. The passage, "Lazzaro, too, had been on Roland Weary's boxcar, and had given his word of honor to Weary that he would find some way to make Billy Pilgrim pay for Weary's death. He was looking around now, wondering which naked human being was Billy" shows that Paul Lazzaro is truly devoted to avenging Weary.

          This passage made me believe that Vonnegut was trying to foreshadow the reader something. The audience already knows that Billy lives to be a middle-aged man, which means he survived the war. But Vonnegut never describes how Billy dies... Could it be that Lazzaro sticks to his promise to Weary and attempts to avenge him by killing Billy even after all this time? I believe that this could be a possibility, but I'm not entirely sure.

          All in all, when I read this passage, it made me believe that it was an example of foreshadowing. I'm honestly not sure if this is an example of foreshadowing, but I think it could possibly be one. Well, I guess I'll have to wait and find out.