When Vonnegut places himself inside the book, particularly in the first chapter, the reader is told that the all the events of the story are true, more or less, and that Vonnegut experienced the Dresden bombings firsthand. ... He tells us about how the cattle have awakened Jesus, yet he does not cry about it. ... Perhaps the greatest ironic incident is when the model English soldiers tell the war-torn Americans that they needn't worry about bombs or other aspects of war while they are in Dresden. ... The alien tells him how every character in the novel has their "ups and downs". ... A...

• Word Count: 1466
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

A weak soldier in World War II, Billy learns how to time travel, to the past and future, although has no control of when or where these travels will occur or take him. ... In the first chapter, Vonnegut is the narrator and tells the story through a 1st person point of view. ... With an almost autobiographical character, Vonnegut tells the tale that he so desperately wanted to tell to the American people. ... The second chapter starts the fictional story Vonnegut stirs up to tell of the bombing without using a non-fiction, first person point-of-view. ... At this point, Billy tells the reader...

• Word Count: 1657
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

In chapter one, Kurt Vonnegut really shows his human side and even goes out to prove how he is human. Then the Tralfamadorians teach us how to feel no unhappiness. ... "Shortly before my father died, he said to me, 'You know – you never wrote a story with a villain in it.'... It tells us that we have to mourn the past in order to move forward. ... Through Slaughterhouse Five he is able to teach us the true meaning of "so it goes....

• Word Count: 1347
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

The interesting thing about this novel is how much it resembles his own life. ... Vonnegut used this novel to tell, in a creative way, the details of his own life during this time. ... This is not true in some cases, however. ... This story is also the closest in resemblance to Vonnegut's own experiences in life and in World War 2. ... This is true for many writers, however. ...

• Word Count: 1839
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Vonnegut was asked by an old war buddy's wife not to glamorize war (pgs. 14-15), which he successfully complied with. Throw in a chronologically challenged story line, a few aliens, and time-travel, and you've got yourself a book that becomes more about its oddities than the spoils of war. ... Billy, true to character, doesn't respond. ... Billy didn't know how to cope with the juxtaposition of part 1 of his life (war time) and part 2 of his life (suburb time). ... _php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0> Morais, Betsy. ...

• Word Count: 1646
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

Vonnegut was asked by an old war buddy's wife not to glamorize war (pgs. 14-15), which he successfully complied with. Throw in a chronologically challenged story line, a few aliens, and time-travel, and you've got yourself a book that becomes more about its oddities than the spoils of war. ... Billy, true to character, doesn't respond. ... Billy didn't know how to cope with the juxtaposition of part 1 of his life (war time) and part 2 of his life (suburb time). ... _php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0> Morais, Betsy. ...

• Word Count: 1646
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

Slaughter House Five is a fictitious as well as true narrative about WWII, of which the youth of this day have only an inkling of knowledge. ... Vonnegut was asked by an old war buddy's wife not to glamorize war (pgs. 14-15), which he successfully complied with. Throw in a chronologically challenged story line, a few aliens, and time-travel, and you've got yourself a book that becomes more about its oddities than the spoils of war. ... Billy, true to character, doesn't respond. ... Billy didn't know how to cope with the juxtaposition of part 1 of his life (war time) and...

• Word Count: 1541
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School