Chapter eight serves as the awakening of Billy Pilgrim. In this chapter, Billy Pilgrim is in the peak of his sanity. Pilgrim is able to recall and remember events, as well as let them flow back into his mind, without the need for time travel. Another interesting detail is how Billy is constantly trying to help humanity understand and help with his out publicity on teachings from Tralfamadorians and such. However, in chapter eight Vonnegut allows Pilgrim to really get something going on the right track for once. Pilgrim really discovers that he had been restraining and keeping himself a secret from himself. Billy now can explore, not another facet of time, but a facet of his own person. In addition, he is able to make relationships. Walking in on his son playing a guitar in the bathroom, "Billy liked him [Robert], but didn't know him very well...Billy flicked on the light...He was wearing an electric guitar, slung around his neck," (Vonnegut, 176). This shows that for the first time, he was learning about his son and developing relationships.
This "awakening" of Billy Pilgrim is applicable to people in the world today. Many people, extremely career oriented or lusting after financial surplus, can and will get lost in their jobs and forget the ability to sustain relationships. Even in Billy's case, one can lose themselves or hide themselves from the true them. The unforgiving, fast-paced world can make these problems occur very rapidly. Billy Pilgrim is able to finally snap out of this stream in this chapter and at this moment in his life.
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