Slaughterhouse-Five Essay
Choose one of the following writing prompts.
· In Slaughterhouse Five how does Kurt Vonnegut’s novel use the elements of fiction to develop the idea that life is absurd? And what effect—think tragicomedy—does this development have on the reader?
To address this question you might consider such things as tone, narrative perspective, narrative voice (including diction and syntax), narrative structure, events, motifs, characterization, etc. You might also consider the novel’s exploration of the many forms of life’s absurdity: absurd cruelty, absurd beauty, absurd irony, absurd humor, absurd circularity, absurd interrelationships, etc.
· How does Kurt Vonnegut characterize Billy Pilgrim and how does this characterization contribute to the work as a whole? Does Vonnegut present him as a sympathetic “Everyman,” behaving as common people do in circumstances beyond their control? Does Vonnegut reveal Pilgrim to be a failure, someone who instead of possessing traditional heroic attributes is an anti-hero? Explain how. (Think of direct and indirect characterization. Also, consider the significance of the character’s name.) While thinking about the significance of Vonnegut’s characterization of Billy Pilgrim, consider why Vonnegut chooses not to place his protagonist on a heroic pedestal, unlike many war novels and films that do. Consider how Vonnegut uses Billy Pilgrim to say something about war and about human beings.
· Explore why Vonnegut writes his novel in a way that blurs the line between reality and fantasy. Does Kurt Vonnegut intend for the reader to believe that Billy Pilgrim imagines that he becomes “unstuck in time” and is abducted by Tralfamadoreans or that he does, in fact, travel through time and space? How do you know? What are the hints? If Vonnegut provides hints that Billy is neither unstuck nor abducted why does he choose to write the novel from the perspective of a narrator who is credulous? In this essay you will explore how and why the novel is constructed to blur the line between reality and fantasy.
Your responses should address the writing prompt clearly, thoroughly, and deeply. Your responses should show an understanding of the necessary supporting details. Your responses should be well-organized and well-written. Most importantly, your responses should show an understanding of the prompt and its relationship to the novel. (In other words prove to me that you understand the prompt and that you understand Vonnegut’s novel.)
2 comments:
Mr. Cook-
I chose to write about absurdity in Slaughterhouse Five. In my essay, I find myself digressing a bit too much. I'm having trouble making the essay more concise. One thought leads to another, but it's not clear cut. Do you have any suggestions as to how to narrow down what I write about?
Ben,
I think a strong focus--a strong, clear, focused introduction--will likely help.
What meaning does the reader derive from the absurdity? What effect does the absurdity have on the reader? Address those questions. Then, how does Vonnegut use the narrative voice, narrative structure, etc. to achieve that effect? Address that question.
That's your intro.
Then brainstorm the evidence you'll need to hit. If you digress make sure you're yoked to the central points laid out in the intro & make sure you hit all of the convincing, persuasive evidence.
(Even if you don't have space to deal thoroughly with all the evidence, fully develop the most telling, most revealing specifics and list, gesture toward, mention... the rest.)
best,
Mr. Cook
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