In this chapter, Vonnegut really displays the stream of consciousness style to probe and explain Billy Pilgrim's mind. Vonnegut uses the stream of consciousness to open the workings of Pilgrim's mind and his time jumping problem. Vonnegut depicts him fading in and out of events in his life, and sometimes almost simultaneously in transition. At one point, "he was simultaneously on foot in Germany in 1944 and riding his Cadillac in 1967," (Vonnegut, 58). These sometimes difficult transitions to follow for a reader are perfectly explained by Pilgrim's stream of consciousness written by Vonnegut.
The inner workings of Billy's mind are quite complex and somewhat mysterious this early in the novel. However, the time jumping qualities are better explained by Vonnegut using this tool. By Vonnegut walking the reader through each jump, by even giving a date, helps the stream to be followed. The magnificent travel of Pilgrim occurs very 'spur of the moment', "He closed his eyes, and opened them again. He was still weeping, but he was back in Luxembourg again," (Vonnegut, 58). Vonnegut using the stream of consciousness is crucial to Slaughterhouse-Five.
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