Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922 April 11, 2007) was a prolifi an! genre"
ben!ing Amerian novelist #nown for wor#s blen!ing satire, bla# ome!$ an! siene
fition, su% as Slaughterhouse-Five (19&9), Cat's Cradle (19&'), an! Breakfast of
Champions (197')

()
*laug%ter%ouse"+ive
Slaughterhouse-Five; or, The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance With Death is a
19&9 novel b$ Kurt Vonnegut( ,ne of %is most popular wor#s an! wi!el$ regar!e! as a
lassi, it ombines siene fition elements wit% an anal$sis of t%e %uman on!ition from an
unommon perspetive, using time travel as a plot !evie( -%e bombing of .res!en in /orl!
/ar 00, t%e aftermat% of w%i% Vonnegut witnesse!, is t%e starting point
1lot intro!ution
Slaughterhouse-Five spans t%e life of a man w%o %as )ome unstu# in time() 0t is t%e
stor$ of 2ill$ 1ilgrim e3periening !ifferent time perio!s of %is life, most notabl$ %is
e3periene in /orl! /ar 00 an! %is relations%ip wit% %is famil$( -%e boo# is a series of
seemingl$ ran!om %appenings t%at, in ombination, present t%e t%emati elements of t%e
novel in an unraveling or!er(
Explanation of the novel's title
-%e title page of Vonnegut4s novel ontains t%e title an! a brief aut%or biograp%$, w%i%
presages man$ of t%e t%emes of t%e novel5
Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance ith Death b$ Kurt Vonnegut, a
fourt%"generation 6erman"Amerian now living in 7ape 7o!, w%o, as an Amerian infantr$ sout %ors
!e ombat, as a prisoner of war, witnesse! t%e fire"bombing of .res!en, 6erman$, )-%e +lorene of
t%e 8lbe,) a long time ago, an! survive! to tell t%e tale(
-%e s%ort title, )*laug%ter%ouse"+ive,) refers to t%e slaug%ter%ouse (Schlachthof-F!nf in
6erman) in w%i% t%e main %arater, 2ill$ 1ilgrim, sta$s as a prisoner of war in .res!en
!uring t%e firebombing( (2ill$4s fitional e3periene of t%e slaug%ter%ouse parallels Vonnegut4s
own e3periene as a prisoner of war in .res!en() Vonnegut, as %e !oes in some of %is ot%er
wor#s su% as Breakfast of Champions, offers an alternative title for t%is boo#5 The Children's
Crusade: A Duty-Dance ith Death" -%e narrator e3plains t%at t%e first part of t%e subtitle in
t%e first %apter is a referene to t%e 7%il!ren4s 7rusa!e of t%e 1't% entur$, in w%i% %il!ren
were sol! as slaves (some people !ispute t%e fats of t%e atual %istorial event, but for
literar$ purposes, t%e purposeful selling of %il!ren into slaver$ is t%e inten!e! meaning)(
0n t%e first %apter of t%e novel, t%e narrator relates %ow %e visite! a former Arm$
bu!!$
91:
to !isuss ini!ents %e mig%t use in t%e novel( ;is frien!4s wife gave %im a ol!
reeption an! finall$ !enoune! %im for wanting to write a novel in w%i% %e an! %is frien!s
woul! be %eroes instea! of simpl$ sare! $oung men, an! t%at woul! enourage more wars
in w%i% %il!ren woul! be sent to !ie( -%e narrator agrees t%at %e an! %is frien!s were
not%ing more t%an %il!ren on t%e brin# of a!ult%oo!( ,n t%e spot, %e promise! to all t%e
novel )-%e 7%il!ren4s 7rusa!e)( ;e writes, )*%e was m$ frien! after t%at)(
,t%er portions of t%e title are e3plaine! in t%e narrative( +or instane t%e ).ut$".ane
wit% .eat%) refers to t%e writings of <ouis"+er!inan! 7=line, w%i% are !isusse! in t%e
preamble(
>a?or t%emes
-%is novel e3plores t%e i!eas of fate, free will, an! t%e illogial nature of %umans( -%e
main %arater is )unstu# in time,) meaning t%at %e e3perienes t%e events of %is life in a
seemingl$ ran!om or!er, wit% no i!ea w%i% part of life %e will )visit) ne3t( As a result, %is life
!oes not en! wit% !eat%@ rat%er, %e repeate!l$ e3perienes %is own !eat% before its time an!
t%is e3periene is often intermingle! wit% ot%er e3perienes(
-%e onept of free will is Auestione! in t%is novel b$ 2ill$ 1ilgrim( ;is assertions t%at
t%ere is no free will is onfirme! b$ a -ralfama!orian, w%o sa$s, )04ve visite! t%irt$"one
in%abite! planets in t%e universe((( ,nl$ on 8art% is t%ere an$ tal# of free will)( -%is !evie is
entral to Vonnegut4s belief t%at t%e vast ma?orit$ of %umanit$ is ompletel$ inonseAuential@
t%at is, t%e$ !o w%at t%e$ !o beause t%e$ must(
-o t%e -ralfama!orians, ever$t%ing alwa$s e3ists at t%e same time, an! for t%em
ever$one is t%erefore alwa$s alive( -%e$ too %ave wars an! tragi events (t%e$ !estro$ t%e
universe testing spaes%ip fuels), but w%en as#e! b$ 2ill$ w%at t%e$ !o about wars, t%e
-ralfama!orians repl$ t%at t%e$ simpl$ ignore t%em( Vonnegut uses t%e -ralfama!orians to
onflit wit% t%e t%eme %e atuall$ presents@ life, as a %uman, is onl$ en?o$able wit% t%e
un#nown( -ralfama!orians !o not atuall$ ma#e an$ %oies about w%at t%e$ !o, but %ave
power onl$ over w%at t%e$ t%in# (t%is t%eme is also e3plore! in Time#uake)( Vonnegut (as t%e
narrator) seems to believe t%is t%eor$ in t%e wa$ %e states in %apter one, )t%at writing an
anti"war boo# is li#e writing an anti"glaier boo#,) sine bot% will alwa$s e3ist an! are bot%
eAuall$ !iffiult to stop( -%is onept is !iffiult for 2ill$ to aept at first(
;owever, Vonnegut4s writings elsew%ere (for e3ample, see The Sirens of Titan) suggest
t%at t%e -ralfama!orians in Slaughterhouse-Five are inten!e! to satiriBe t%e i!ea of fatalism(
0n t%e main bo!$ of t%e boo#, t%e -ralfama!orians represent t%e belief t%at war is inevitable(
-%eir %apless !estrution of t%e universe suggests t%at Vonnegut !oes not s$mpat%iBe wit%
t%eir p%ilosop%$( -o %umans, Vonnegut seems to sa$, ignoring a war is not an aeptable
%oie w%en we atuall$ !o %ave free will(
-%is illogialit$ of %uman nature is broug%t up wit% t%e lima3 of t%e boo#( 0roniall$ t%e
lima3 ours not wit% t%e bombing of .res!en, but wit% t%e e3eution of a man w%o
ommitte! a pett$ t%eft( 0n all of t%is %orror, !eat%, an! !estrution, so mu% time is ta#en on
t%e punis%ment of one man( Cet, t%e time is still ta#en, an! Vonnegut seems to ta#e t%e
outsi!e opinion of t%e bir! as#ing, )1oo"tee"weetD)( -%e same bir!song en!s t%e novel $od
Bless %ou& 'r" (ose)ater, as t%e protagonist gives awa$ %is entire fortune to t%e plaintiffs of
%un!re!s of false paternit$ suits broug%t against %im( 0t seems to represent a .a!aist
omment on t%e absur!it$ of %umanit$(
9citation needed:
Literary techniques
-%e novel emplo$s t%e refrain )*o it goes) w%en !eat%, !$ing or mortalit$ appear in t%e
narrative, as a transitional p%rase to anot%er sub?et, as a remin!er, an! as omi relief( 0t is
also use! to e3plain t%e une3plaine!( -%ere are 10& )so it goes) ane!otes lae! t%roug%out
t%e novel(
As a representative postmo!ern te3t, t%e novel is metafitional( -%e first %apter of t%e
boo# is not about 2ill$ 1ilgrim, but a prefae about %ow Vonnegut ame to write
Slaughterhouse-Five( Vonnegut apologiBes for t%e fat t%at t%e novel is )so s%ort an! ?umble!
an! ?angle!) an! e3plains t%at t%is is beause )t%ere is not%ing intelligent to sa$ about a
massare() 0n a similar wa$ to 'other *ight, but mu% more e3tensivel$, Vonnegut pla$s wit%
i!eas of fition an! realit$( -%e opening %apter4s ver$ first sentene laims t%at )All t%is
%appene!, more or less,) an! !uring 2ill$ 1ilgrim4s war e3perienes Vonnegut %imself
appears briefl$, followe! b$ t%e narrator4s note5 )-%at was 0( -%at was me( -%at was t%e
aut%or of t%is boo#()
-%e novel also repeate!l$ refers to novels an! fition( 2ill$ rea!s -%e Valle$ of t%e
.olls, loo#s at a -ralfama!orian novel, an! also appears on a ra!io tal# s%ow wit% a panel of
e3perts to !isuss )t%e !eat% of t%e novel()
Form
Slaughterhouse-Five opens wit% t%e narrator offering a narrative of t%e novel4s genesis,
en!ing wit% a !isussion of t%e beginning an! en! of t%e novel( -%e )stor$ proper) t%us
begins wit% %apter two alt%oug% t%ere is no reason to assume t%at t%e opening %apter is
not also fitional(
-%is te%niAue ma$ seem unusual, but is ommon to postmo!ern meta"fition( -%e
stor$ itself purports to be a !is?ointe! an! !isontinuous narrative, following 2ill$4s point of
view )unstu# in time() /%ile Vonnegut4s wor# ommonl$ ontains su% !isor!er, it s%oul! be
note! t%at t%e narrative of t%is novel !oes follow t%e tra?etor$ set out in t%e opening %apter 5
0t begins li#e t%is5<isten5 2ill$ 1ilgrim %as ome unstu# in time(0t en!s li#e t%is51oo"tee"weetD
2ill$ 1ilgrim4s life is reporte! b$ t%e narrator to be e3periene! as a series of
!isontinuities b$ t%e %arater, in w%i% %is birt%, $out%, ol! age, an! !eat% are all
e3periene! out of normal, linear or!er( -%e novel %as two narratives( ,ne follows 2ill$4s war
e3periene, an! w%ile it is interrupte! b$ e3perienes from ot%er parts of %is life, t%e narrative
of %is war e3periene %as a fairl$ linear or!er( -%e ot%er narrative is t%e !isontinuous or!er
of %is life before an! after t%e war e3periene( 0t oul! be argue! t%at 2ill$4s perspetive %as
been ompromise! b$ %is witnessing t%e !estrution of .res!en, alt%oug% %e is )unstu# in
time) before %e arrives in .res!en(
Vonnegut4s prose st$le is omprise! of s%ort, !elarative sentenes, w%i% ontribute to
t%e sense t%at t%is narrative is t%e simple reporting of fat(
Point of vie an! setting
-%e stor$ opens wit% t%e narrator !esribing %is onnetions wit% t%e .res!en bombing,
an! %is reasons for writing t%e boo#( ;e !esribes %imself, %is boo#, an! t%e fat t%at %e
believes it to be a !esperate attempt at s%olarl$ wor#( ;e t%en flows t%is into 2ill$ 1ilgrim4s
stor$, as %e starts 2ill$4s stor$ as, )<isten5 2ill$ 1ilgrim %as ome unstu# in time() -%is serves
as a transition from Vonnegut4s point of view to t%e true t%ir! person(
0t is ommon misoneption t%at, as t%e aut%or, Vonnegut appears %ere an! t%ere in t%e
stor$( 0n t%e wartime seAuenes, 2ill$ 1ilgrim over%ears t%e narrators voie oasionall$( +or
instane, w%en t%e 1,/4s see .res!en for t%e first time, 2ill$ %ears someone !esribe it as
),B)( Vonnegut t%en writes, as %e !oes elsew%ere, )-%at was 0( -%at was me() .espite
popular belief, t%is %arater is not Vonnegut alt%oug% t%e$ s%are !istint %arateristis( -%e
first two %apters of t%e boo# are not t%e voie of Vonnegut as %imself an! s%oul! not be
seen as a prologue@ t%e boo# is meant to be rea! as a w%ole( /ritten as a post"mo!ernist
te3t, t%e point of t%e novel is to s%ow t%ere is not absolute trut% or point of view, rat%er, t%at
t%ere are multiple versions( Alt%oug% Vonnegut was a survivor of t%e .res!on bombings as a
1,/, et, t%e narrative la$er of t%e narrator is present to %ig%lig%t t%e onstrutive nature of
%istor$ an! !raw attention to t%e inevitabilit$ of multiple trut%s(
Alt%oug% t%e %arater Kilgore -rout, w%om 2ill$ 1ilgrim meets w%ile t%e former runs a
newspaper !eliver$ business, ma$ also be seen as a persona of t%e aut%or, in appearane
an! attitu!e %e %as little in ommon wit% Vonnegut( ;is %e#ere! areer as a novelist,
%eate! b$ publis%ers an! not even aware t%at %e %as a rea!ers%ip, !oes not reflet
Vonnegut4s own(
-%e struture of Slaughterhouse-Five resembles a -ralfama!orian novel, a !ifferent
#in! of literature 1ilgrim enounters en route to -ralfama!ore( -%e onl$ 8art% rea!ing material
available to 2ill$ is a op$ of Valle$ of t%e .olls( ;e as#s %is aptors w%at t%e$ rea!, an! is
given several t%in boo#lets fille! wit% s$mbols( -%e -ralfama!orians tell %im t%at t%e s$mbols
represent pleasing t%oug%ts an! events( /%en t%e$ are all rea! simultaneousl$, as t%e
-ralfama!orians an !o, t%e result is an emotion in t%e min! of t%e rea!er( 2ill$4s time
travelling ?u3taposes events from t%e war, %is we!!ing nig%t, an! %is trip to %is fat%er4s
funeral, mi3ing bla# %umor, trage!$ an! %appiness in a few paragrap%s(
"ontroversy
2eause of its realisti an! freAuent !epition of swearing b$ Amerian sol!iers, its
irreverent language (inlu!ing t%e sentene )-%e gun ma!e a ripping soun! li#e t%e opening
of t%e Bipper on t%e fl$ of 6o! Almig%t$,)) an! some se3uall$ e3pliit ontent,
Slaughterhouse-Five is among t%e most freAuentl$ banne! wor#s in Amerian literature, an!
in some ases is still remove! from s%ool libraries an! urriula(
910:
7onversel$, t%is boo#
%as also beome a part of t%e urriulum of ertain s%ools( -%e suitabilit$ of t%e wor# %as
even been onsi!ere! b$ t%e *upreme 7ourt of t%e Enite! *tates, w%ere it was one of t%e
wor#s at issue in +sland Trees School District v" ,ico,FG7 E(*( HG' (19H2)( -%e novel appears
on t%e Amerian <ibrar$ Assoiation list of t%e 100 >ost +reAuentl$ 7%allenge! 2oo#s of
1990"2000 at number si3t$"nine(
-%e bombing of .res!en in /orl! /ar 00, w%i% was !one t%roug% firebombing, pla$s a
large role in t%e novel@ Vonnegut state! in t%e novel t%at t%e firebombing #ille! 1'G,000
6erman ivilians, iting %istorian .avi! 0rving as t%e soure@ Vonnegut was referring to
0rving4s t%en"bestselling boo#, The Destruction of Dresden( -%e e3at number of asualties is
unertain, but most %istorians urrentl$ believe t%at t%e number was less t%an F0,000@ see
2ombing of .res!en in /orl! /ar 00(
-%e novel %as been ause! b$ various ritis of being )Auietist) beause 2ill$ believes
t%at )t%e notion of free will is a Auaint 8art%ling illusion()
911:
-%e problem, aor!ing to Iobert
>errill an! 1eter A( *%oll, is t%at5
Vonnegut4s ritis seem to t%in# t%at %e is sa$ing t%e same t%ing 9as t%e -ralfama!orians:( +or
Ant%on$ 2urgess, )*laug%ter%ouse is a #in! of evasion""in a sense li#e J( >( 2arrie4s 1eter 1an""in
w%i% we4re being tol! to arr$ t%e %orror of t%e .res!en bombing an! ever$t%ing it implies up to a
level of fantas$(((() +or 7%arles ;arris 9see e3erpt above:, )-%e main i!ea emerging from
*laug%ter%ouse"+ive seems to be t%at t%e proper response to life is one of resigne! aeptane() +or
Alfre! KaBin, )Vonnegut !epreates an$ attempt to see trage!$ t%at !a$ in .res!en(((( ;e li#es to sa$
wit% ar% fatalism, iting one %orror after anot%er, 4*o it goes(4) +or -anner, )Vonnegut %as (((total
s$mpat%$ wit% su% Auietisti impulses() An! t%e same notion is foun! t%roug%out The -onnegut
Statement, a boo# of original essa$s written an! ollete! b$ Vonnegut4s most lo$al aa!emi )fans()
#llusions to actual history, geography an! current science
-%e novel refers to t%e 2ombing of .res!en in /orl! /ar 00( 0t also inlu!es referenes
to -%e 2attle of t%e 2ulge, t%e Vietnam /ar an! urban riots in t%e 19&0s( 2ill$4s wife Valenia
%as a bumper sti#er on %er ar stating )Ieagan for 1resi!entK)( -%is refers to Ional!
Ieagan4s unsuessful 19&H ampaign for t%e Iepublian 1art$ nomination, not %is
suessful ampaign in 19H0 for t%e 1resi!en$(