Chapter 7

"The spoon was a tablespoon. Billy thrust it into the vat, turned it around and around, making a gooey lollipop. He thrust it into his mouth. A moment went by, and then every cell in Billy's body shook him with ravenous gratitude and applause" (Vonnegut 160).

The image I used is that of a tablespoon full of syrup, which corresponds to my quote. In the quote I chose, Billy and the other prisoners-of-war keep sneaking spoonfuls of malt syrup meant for pregnant women from the factory, and Billy eats a spoonful of the syrup.

Something about this quote intrigued me in regards to the description Vonnegut provides of Billy's reaction to the syrup. The fact that Billy and the other men are so deprived of nutrients that they are willing to eat the syrup meant for pregnant women shows what a terrible condition they are in, and the fact that Billy's body shakes with "gratitude and applause" shows just how important those nutrients are. The entire scene also exemplifies the state of mind that the prisoners-of-ware were in, and how they put their own needs above the rules ("Spooning was a crime").