Slaughterhouse-Five Topics for Further Study

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Topics for Further Study

(Novels for Students)

Research the Dresden, Germany, firebombing of World War II and compare Vonnegut’s account of the event with the historical record.

Research the history of UFO sightings in the United States and compare Billy Pilgrim’s experience with the Tralfamadorians to actual reported sightings and ‘‘abductions.’’

Compare and contrast Slaughterhouse-Five with another well-known novel of war, such as The Red Badge of Courage or All Quiet on the Western Front.

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

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...
What is the moral or message of Slaughterhouse Five?

In Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse Five, his main moral messages are connected to the death of individualism in the midst of the mass suffering and destruction of war. First, Vonnegut says...
What does Kurt Vonnegut achieve by placing himself as a character in his novel...

Kurt Vonnegut, in writing Slaughterhouse-Five, looked upon the task as a cathartic experience. The key to understanding this novel is in the preface, which is entirely autobiographical, and in...
What are some examples of satire and social criticism in the book Slaughterhouse Five?

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...
In Slaughterhouse-Five, why is Cinderella referred to as "the most popular story ever told"?

Slaughterhouse-Five is a very pessimistic book, and also a satire; the tone of the book is almost unrelentingly dark (or funny, depending on the reader's sense of humor), and so its reference to...