As Peter looked around he wasn't in the cellar like he was before, instead he was standing by a river watching a group of children playing on the other side. Across the river he noticed a peculiar child, who sat away beside a tree holding and look down at the book in his hand. He looked like a peculiar child, short for his age and very pale for someone with dark auburn hair, but as Peter looked at him the child seemed different. Peter waded through the water and began to walk to the other side but something stopped him. As he looked the herd of children began to crowd around the loner. He heard screaming and shouting and nasty names being called and shouted but eventually the crowd died down. Eventually the mother of the peculiar child walked in and out of no where swatted away the group of children. The boy looked hurt as he cried and rocked back and forth holding tight to the remnants of his book: the book was torn. As Peter watched, a flood of memories flooded his mind and tears slid down his cheeks. He remembered as a child watching his best friend being picked on because he was different. It never occurred to people that this child was normal and had ideas, hopes and dreams that were similar to those that most children at the age of 5 would have. But people never took the time to get to know this child, they were too quick to judge him and put labels on him. No one put themselves in the shoes of this child.
As Peter looked back to the child across the river, he noticed that same problem, people didn't take the time to put themselves in the perspective of the child. No one took the time to even get to know him. Peter was frustrated, how could people be so ignorant! How could readers of Slaughter House 5 call Billy Pilgrim "pathetic" or "weak". How could Barbara Pilgrim even think that her father is childish and disregard what he says. How could people think that Billy was a pathetic soldier who was even lucky to have lived. Has anyone taken the time to consider things from Billy's perspective? NO! Has anyone considered that Billy had lived through a gruesome war, watched the carnage of Dresden and had the people so dear to him pass away? NO!
As Peter thought about Slaughter House 5 he noticed he had warped again.....
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