Slaughterhouse-Five

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes “unstuck” in time. He serves in World War II, experiences the firebombing of Dresden, is abducted by aliens, and finally finds peace in the knowledge that time exists in four dimensions.

Key Facts about Slaughterhouse-Five

• Title: Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children’s Crusade, a Duty-Dance with Death
• Published: 1969
• Literary Period: Contemporary/postmodern American fiction
• Genre: Postmodern novel, science fiction
• Point-of-View: Third-person omniscient with sections narrated by Vonnegut
• Setting: Germany during WWII, New York in the ’50s and ’60s.
• Climax: Firebombing of Dresden with POWs surviving, hiding in the slaughterhouse.
• Antagonist: Roland Weary, Paul Lazzaro, the war itself.

Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughterhouse-Five

It’s often surprising to readers how closely some aspects of Billy Pilgrim’s experience mimic Vonnegut’s own. Like Pilgrim, Kurt Vonnegut fought in World War II. Vonnegut was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and then enlisted in the army after his poor grades meant he could no longer be part of the program. During this period, his mother committed suicide, an event historians contribute to her loss of wealth during the Great Depression and career disappointments. This is mirrored by the loss that Billy experienced before deploying. In the novel, Billy’s father dies in a hunting accident shortly before Billy goes to Germany. Vonnegut was deployed to Europe and fought at the Battle of the Bulge, just as his character Billy Pilgrim did. Vonnegut was captured on December 22nd along with 50 other American soldiers and, just like Billy, was sent to Dresden with other POWs where he lived and worked in a slaughterhouse. Vonnegut experienced the firebombing of Dresden and recalled the sound of sirens going off whenever another city was bombed. He survived the main assault on the city by hiding in a meat locker underground. These are a few of the events that made their way into his classic novel. Vonnegut was repatriated after the war and discharged with a Purple Heart for frostbite he’d suffered. Soon after this, he married, as Billy did. It should also be mentioned that Vonnegut, as the narrator, also serves as a minor character in the novel. His presence is a complex one that is often cited as evidence that Billy’s mind is more disturbed than it seems. At the beginning of the novel, Vonnegut outlines his plans for the story and even lists the first and last lines of the novel. 

Books Related to Slaughterhouse-Five

Slaughterhouse-Five is the novel that shot Kurt Vonnegut into the public spotlight. Before then, he was an unknown author whose works were flying under the radar. This novel has since inspired a great deal of fiction written in a similar satiric tone, inspired by war and its absurdity, as well as that which engages in a discussion of free will. Similar novels that readers should consider investigating if they loved Slaughterhouse-Five include Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Cat’s Cradle and The Sirens of Titan, also by Kurt Vonnegut. The latter two novels are some of Vonnegut’s best. They also use the same satiric tone and metafiction approach to writing that was popularized in Slaughterhouse-Five. In the latter, The Sirens of Titan, readers will encounter the Tralfamadorians again. A novel like Catch-22 is another great example of a satiric approach to war and its complexities. Both emphasize the pointless nature of war, its horrific impact on those fighting it and those caught up in its wake, as well as what the future holds for the human race.

The Lasting Impact of Slaughterhouse-Five

Unfortunately, most novels do not last beyond the period in which they were written. Such is not the case for Slaughterhouse-Five, a book that is just as impactful today as when it was published in 1969. It is considered to be one of the most important books of the 20th century and one of the best ever written about the war. The book opens with the famous line, “All this happened, more or less,” setting the tone for a newly popularized style of satiric writing that would go on to influence some of the most important contemporary authors. Those who love the novel cite its handling of incredibly complex events and the humorous, yet thoughtful approach to themes of free will, war, and the purpose of life. The novel is read in schools and universities around the world and is often a required part of those curriculums.