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Slaughterhouse-Five

 Kurt Vonnegut
 

Study Questions & Essay Topics

 

Study Questions

 
1. What is the relationship between the structure and the content of Slaughterhouse-Five?
 
 
2. Briefly discuss some of the consequences of a Tralfamadorian view of the universe for a human.
 
3. How does Vonnegut's technique of time-shifting affect our understanding of the novel? Is there an advantage to structuring Slaughterhouse-Five in the “telegraphic schizophrenic manner”? If not, is it too random to allow a cohesive, linear story to emerge?
 
 

Suggested Essay Topics

 
1. Many Vonnegut novels deal with traffickers of “useful lies.” Are the lessons of Tralfamadore useful lies? Why or why not?
 
2. Is Billy Pilgrim sane or insane? Does it matter?
 
3. Discuss the use of irony or black humor in Slaughterhouse-Five.
 
4. What does Vonnegut achieve by placing himself as a character in the story?
 
 
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