Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut - Flashback

"This was when Billy first came unstuck in time. His attention began to swing grandly through the full arc of his life, passing into death, which was violet light. There wasn't anybody else there, or any thing. There was just violet light- and a hum. And then Billy sung into life again, going backwards until he was in pre-birth, which was red light and bubbling sounds. And then he swung into life again and stopped. He was a little boy taking a shower with his hairy father at Ilium Y.M.C.A." pg. 43
This could be called a flashback, even though it includes a flashforward (?). I guess that's what I'd call it. Vonnegut bases much of his storyline through the use of twisted flashbacks. It's not the standard flashbacks used by authors, but rather one that stems from Billy's alleged coming unstuck in time. It is an incredible way for Vonnegut to show many different periods of Billy's life. It helps him show how Billy connected events in his life, and how he changed from situation to situation. It initially causes the reader confusion, but it clears up as the reader gathers more of the story. It helps give Billy's background in light of his actions done during and after the war. The reader can see where Billy gets his ideas, and why he thinks the way he does.