About the Author
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 11, 1922, the son of accomplished German immigrants. His grandfather held the distinction of being […]
Slaughterhouse-Five
Setting
For many years categorized strictly as a writer of science fiction, Vonnegut has a propensity for mixing the ordinary and the otherworldly in his fiction. […]
Themes and Characters
A novel about man’s folly, Slaughterhouse-Five traces the wanderings through time and space of Billy Pilgrim, a survivor of the fire bombing of Dresden. Billy […]
Literary Qualities
Vonnegut’s title page statement that Slaughterhouse-Five is written in a “telegraphic schizophrenic manner” is a fairly accurate description of the novel’s stylistic approach. Drawing on […]
Social Sensitivity
The 1960s produced a string of novels of the absurd that reflect the bleakness of a time when unabated optimism was checked by the assassinations […]
Ideas and Topics for Papers
VII TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Describe the Tralfamadorian philosophy of life. How do the Tralfamadorians describe the fate of the universe? How do they react […]
Related Titles and Adaptations
Just as Vonnegut mixes history and fantasy in Slaughterhouse-Five, he also combines new material with characters and references to his earlier fiction in the book. […]