chapter five: deprivation of human dignity

The recurring theme throughout this chapter is the deprivation of human dignity.  It begins when Billy take the coat that is way to small to fit him correctly.  The coat tears and the guards make fun of his situation.  The Englishman explains that this is one of the ways "Jerry", the Germans, strip someone of their dignity.  The theme continues in the Tralfamadorian zoo where he is forced to parade around naked for the visitors to this zoo.  The humiliation begins to become less and less of a factor in Billy's life when he decides that he can do nothing to stop this.  This situation and Billy's coat are two prime examples of how a human's dignity can be stripped away very easily especially in tough times of war or entrapment in an extra terrestrial zoo.