Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

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Description:

Slaughterhouse-Five is an account of the aftermath of the firestorm of Dresden, Germany on February 13, 1945, just two months before the end of World War II. The firestorm, during which 35,000 civilians were killed, was a planned attack on a nonmilitary target carried out to frighten the enemy into hastening the end of the war. During the attack, American prisoners were unwittingly protected in an underground meat locker, slaughterhouse-five. The main character, Billy Pilgrim, escapes the carnage, but this night and its aftermath constitute a transformational event for Vonnegut’s unremarkable Everyman.

The novel features a journey motif and an illustration of the troubled maturation and stunted moral education of the American “hero,” who is nurtured by a materialistic, xenophobic society; it is a satiric bildungsroman.

Activities:

Students treasure hunt for literary elements, jigsaw answers, participate in small- and large-group discussions, analyze characters and scenes, relate history to fiction, view a film, and analyze art. They also examine the ideologies of the Puritan work ethic as interpreted by American society, the coexistence of good and evil, the yearning for paradise, the hypocrisy of society’s institutions, and the necessity for individuals to rely on themselves. Handouts help students make sense of the sequence of events and ideologies that motivate the characters. They can also be used as quizzes.

Supplementary materials include essay topics and a test with answer key.

Ethical Values:

Compassion, Integrity, Peace, Responsibility, Truth