Slaughterhouse-Five Group at eNotes

In chapter 5 there is a passage that begins "under morphine, billy had a...

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:38:28 PST

In chapter 5 there is a passage that begins "under morphine, billy had a dream of giraffes" How does this passage connect to the theme of the book?

One of the main points of irony is that the men stay safe in a...

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:17:12 PST

One of the main points of irony is that the men stay safe in a slaughterhouse, which is usually seen as a place of violent death. The usual place of death is like a womb or a tomb (underground) that keeps the men safe from the destruction that is happening above them. When the men emerge from the slaughterhouse, Vonnegut describes the landscape as barren, calm and quiet, like the moon. These are descriptions that one wouldn't normally...

What role does irony play in Vonnegut's portrayal of the Dresden bombing?

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:29:14 PST

What role does irony play in Vonnegut's portrayal of the Dresden bombing?

I think the issue might better be approached by looking at Vonnegut's...

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:47:46 PST

I think the issue might better be approached by looking at Vonnegut's intentions, and asking whether the work is successful in what it sets out to do. To suggest Vonnegut is unconcerned with character development is to suggest he isn't a skilled novelist, or doesn't have the aptitude to understand the implications of his (admittedly often experimental) stylistic choices. On some level Billy Pilgrim can't effectively be held up as an example of...

Is Vonnegut unconcerned with character development? Please explain using...

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:38:25 PST

Is Vonnegut unconcerned with character development? Please explain using the characters Edward Derby and Billy Pilgrim as examples.

Not all members of the Soviet Union loved Joseph Stalin or...

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 07:16:28 PST

Not all members of the Soviet Union loved Joseph Stalin or communism. Note that with the end of communism there, the Soviet Empire broke up into many nation states. When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, they were greeted as liberators by many of the smaller nations, especially the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) and the Ukraine. Many of those peoples willingly joined the Nazis and fought against Stalin, so they became...

In "Slaughterhouse-Five," chapter one, why are the Ally prisoners being...

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:13:09 PST

In "Slaughterhouse-Five," chapter one, why are the Ally prisoners being guarded by Russians --the Allies?

what are seven critical events from the book in order from first to last?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:43:01 PST

what are seven critical events from the book in order from first to last?

You can do a comparison on a couple of different topics: Historical...

Fri, 5 Jun 2009 09:34:21 PST

You can do a comparison on a couple of different topics: Historical Angle - You could look at other literature depicting World War II or the effects of this war - Elie Wiesel's Night, The Diary of Anne Frank Stylistic Angle - Vonnegut uses a great deal of black humor to make social comments - Some call him a modern - day Mark Twain, so any of Mark Twain's works - particularly his satire, like "The Lowest Animal" would be appropriate. Science...

"Slaughterhouse Five" can be compared to any Modern piece of literature...

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 20:03:04 PST

"Slaughterhouse Five" can be compared to any Modern piece of literature insofar as its structure is concerned. The novel is fragmented. It skips from the past to the future. It alternates points of view. This style is mimetic of many novels written shortly after WWI. You could compare the structure of "Slaughterhouse Five" to any novel by Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, and especially James Joyce.

What if you compared the work to either an earlier work or later work by...

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 22:39:21 PST

What if you compared the work to either an earlier work or later work by Vonnegut and then write about how he developed his diction, tone, style, etc.

Slaughterhouse Five can be compared to Huck Finn -- people have called...

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 13:50:34 PST

Slaughterhouse Five can be compared to Huck Finn -- people have called Vonnegut a "modern day Mark Twain." You could also compare it to Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, which is another darkly humorous war novel with a nonlinear plot. If you want to compare books with non-linear plot lines, you could talk more about structure of the novels -- some other nonlinear novels are Wuthering Heights by Bronte, Ulysses by Joyce, or Trainspotting by Welsh...

What can I compare Slaughterhose-Five to in an essay?

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 13:26:34 PST

I would like many different choices because i have to compare it to something i have read. Ps this is due fri

In Slaugherhouse 5, what is the impact/significance of the character...

Thu, 14 May 2009 06:50:36 PST

In Slaugherhouse 5, what is the impact/significance of the character names (other than Billy Pilgram)?

What is the role of free will and fate in the novel

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 22:53:52 PST

What is the role of free will and fate in the novel

In 'Slaughterhouse 5' by Kurt Vonnegut, what evidence is there that...

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:23:37 PST

In 'Slaughterhouse 5' by Kurt Vonnegut, what evidence is there that Tralfamadore is a product of post-traumatic stress disorder?

Also, watching a war movie backwards changes the "story" of the movie,...

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:43:55 PST

Also, watching a war movie backwards changes the "story" of the movie, which would be a story of destruction, if watched in normal chronological order. As it is shown backwards, the movie shows chaos to creation. Rather than everything being destroyed, killed, and pulled apart, it is made whole and born anew.

There are many examples of satire and social criticism in Slaughterhouse...

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:28:13 PST

There are many examples of satire and social criticism in Slaughterhouse Five. The first, and most obvious, topic that Vonnegut satirizes is war. While Billy is trying to come to grips with his war experiences, Vonnegut makes the statements that soldiers are merely babies when they go to war, that soldiers are ill-equipped to handle war (like Billy Pilgrim) and even if they are equipped, it doesn't help (Roland Weary). Sending these boys...

What are some examples of satire and social criticism in the book...

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:27:09 PST

What are some examples of satire and social criticism in the book "Slaughterhouse Five"?

The exposition of the novel begins in Chapter One, in which the author...

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 13:00:34 PST

The exposition of the novel begins in Chapter One, in which the author addresses the audience directly. Vonnegut describes his own experiences in World War II, especially the firebombing of Dresden, Germany near the end of the war, This sets up the story of Billy Pilgrim, who gets lost in that time. Billy goes back and forth between modern times and his service in the army and time as prisoner of war in Dresden. The exposition continues into...