Slaughter House Five
For whatever reason, Billy cannot tell his wife, Valencia, about his Dresden experiences but fluidly recounts minute derails to Montana Wild hack. Why is this? Is she form of earth mother? A fantasy for bored, middle-aged married men?
In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist and a World War II soldier, experiences a significant event in the city of Dresden. However, he is unable to share these experiences with his wife, Valencia, while he easily recounts detailed information to Montana Wildhack, a fictional character from his imagination.
The reason for this lies in the nature of Billy's relationship with these two characters. Valencia portrays the typical middle-aged married woman who is concerned with domestic matters and the everyday aspects of life. She is not depicted as having a deep understanding or interest in the traumas of war. Therefore, Billy believes that sharing his harrowing experiences in Dresden would not be something she could comprehend or relate to. He may also fear that discussing such horrifying events would cause undue distress to his wife.
On the other hand, Montana Wildhack represents an idealized woman who is a product of Billy's imagination. She symbolizes an escape from the realities of his life, a fantasy figure that allows Billy to deal with his traumatic experiences in an imaginary setting. Since Montana is not bound by the constraints of reality, Billy feels at ease sharing his experiences with her.
So, the reason why Billy cannot tell his wife about his Dresden experiences is due to a combination of her being an earth-bound woman focused on everyday matters, while his imaginary companion, Montana, serves as a fantasy figure who offers catharsis from his war-related trauma.