Slaughter House Five Essay, Research Paper

Kurt Vonnegut wrote Slaughterhouse Five as well as many other novels.

Slaughterhouse Five is the story of Billy Pilgrim. Pilgrim is a time traveling

war veteran who is "unstuck" in time. The entire novel is a journey

through this universe. He visits strange planets and the bombing of Dresden in

Germany. Human cruelty is the overall theme of the novel. It is the behavior of

men that they will harm anything weak. There is always a bully in every

community. Weary’s attitude as a bully is apparent in all sections of human

kind. The bombing in Germany is an example of human cruelty. It shows our blind

vengeance and little ability to reason. The mop-up after a battle also proves

this. The complicating incidents are his continuing adventures during his

imprisonment in the war. The climax is the bombing of Dresden. The setting

varies in time and place in many instances but is mainly in Germany toward the

end of the war. Pilgrim even travels to distant galaxies, such as Tralfamadore.

The major characters are Billy Pilgrim and Kilgore Trout. Billy Pilgrim tries to

survive the ordeals he is thrown into and is a true adventurer. Trout is also

stuck in the fray. The style of the novel is light and even pretty funny. The

language reflects the story and is wordy, and little complicated . The book uses

its comedy to help get the reader through the complex plot. This book makes you

think. All the sci-fi incidents capture your imagination.