On Tralfamadore, Billy Pilgrim experienced the Tralfamadorian view of death which was that no one truly dies, for they are always alive somewhere else. Billy Pilgrim traveled to New York in order to share this lesson from the Tralfamadorians among others. While in the city, he checked into a hotel room that had previously belonged George Nathan Jean who was now deceased. Billy Pilgrim was reminded of Tralfamadore upon learning this and mused, "According to the Tralfamadorian concept, of course, Nathan was still alive somewhere and always would be." (199). In my mind, this triggered images of Heaven and Hell, and I was reminded of the television show called, I Survived: Beyond and Back. In this program, actual people recapitulate their stories of coming back to life after their hearts had stopped. One man told simply of being surrounded by warmth and a feeling of love so powerful that he did not want to leave; therefore, returning to life was bittersweet. Through these short glimpses of a possible afterlife, humans are given hope that an extraordinary afterlife exists just as the Tralfamadorians believe.
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