Chapter 3

"Among the things Billy Pilgrim could not change were the past, the present, and the future" (Vonnegut 60).

The picture echoes the idea expressed in the quote that life is set in stone.  In Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut seems to stress the idea that there is no such thing as free will, and that fate determines people's lives.  People's lives follow paths that were predetermined, and choices are only illusions.

I think that this is an interesting debate.  It can be argued that free will does exist, and that people can choose to make their own decisions and control what happens in their lives.  But Vonnegut seems to support the idea that we aren't really changing our futures.  Perhaps it is within our personalities that we are predetermined to make the choices that we make, even if we think we are making them out of our free will.  It can also be argued that much of our lives are shaped by outside forces.  Personally, I think that there is some truth to both views.  Outside forces do have a strong role in our lives, but we chose how to react to them.  And while our personalities impact the choices that we make, they are not the only factor.  Our lives are influenced by both fate and free will, and we have the ability to shape our own futures.