Slaughterhouse-Five: 10

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom always to tell the difference." (209)

This quote appears a few times throughout the novel.  Not to mention the fact that I have heard it more times than I can count after going to a Catholic School for thirteen years.  However, this quote is especially applicable to Billy.  In this instance, it is on a locket on Montana's neck.  Earlier in the book it was on the wall of his office.  I think that this is probably a flashback and possibly the first time he read it.  I think that when he saw it there, he realized that it made sense.  It applied to him, so he never wanted to forget it.  There is also the possibility that this was just a subtle reminder of what he already had hanging in his office.  I am a little unsure of where he is in time at this moment.  Anyways, this quote applies to all of us, but now I will describe how it pertains to Billy.  Billy cannot change that he was in war.  He cannot change that he has watched his friends and countless other victims die.  He can change the way he lives his own life when he is home.  He can serve his country and community to the best of his ability.  He can be an example of kindness in a world full of hatred and violence.  He needs to realize the difference.  He needs to focus on what he can change rather than reflecting and despising a past that will never change.  He needs to have the courage to live a good life and wisdom to understand that the past is the past so that he can move on and live the present.