Simultaneously living.

Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

The greatest proof of Billy's abduction being totally fabricated through his warped mind comes from the early on in chapter 4. Although the book keeps a consistency in being very inconsistant, it does form somewhat a pattern when referencing the beginnings of his abduction. As he is taken from earth and lead through the process of being captive to the Tralfamadore, a parallel scene is developed as Billy is also run through the process of being captive to the Germans. As he traveled through space being enlightened by the speak box, he simultaneously is being hauled across the whole of Germany as a prisoner of war. As he is stripped of his clothes by the Germans, he also is presented naked in an exhibit to the rest of the Tralfamadore. He is studied and looked down upon as stupid, as seen from the questions asked through the talking box and the pamphlet on American's as prisoners. The fact that both events are so similar posses the idea that Billy fabricated the future scenario in his head to make life easier. In order to produce such vivid events his mind just coupled the ideas he had learned from his science fiction books with events of his real life. One line that seems to sum up this whole idea is, "So they were trying to reinvent themselves and their universe. Science fiction was a big help" (Vonnegut 101).