slaughterhousefive


 * Slaughterhouse-Five ** by Kurt Vonnegut

** Week One: Characters **       ** Chapters 1 and 2 ** ** Group Leader: ** Paul Vaynshteyn Strangely, the narrator, Kurt Vonnegut, is present as a character in the story. Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist, is a very interesting character because he might be delusional or hallucinating. Pilgrim's background story is that he was born in Ilium, New York, married a woman, had two children, and became a wealthy optometrist. Roland Weary is another character. He is an emotionally disturbed war junkie and is a lot more violent and sociopathic than Pilgrim. Nobody in our group particularly likes Weary because he is an abrasive and barbaric person. ** Quotation Finder: **      Jesse Rittner “Well, //I// know,” she said. “You’ll pretend you were men instead of babies, and you’ll be played in the movies by Frank Sinatra and John Wayne or some of those other glamorous, war-loving, dirty old men. And war will look just wonderful, so we’ll have a lot more of them. And they’ll be fought by babies like the babies upstairs." “I tell you what,” I said, “I’ll call it ‘The Children’s Crusade.’” (Vonnegut 13)

It is so short and jumbled and jangled, Sam, because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like "//Poo-tee-weet?//" (Vonnegut 17) And Lot's wife, of course, was told not to look back where all those people and their homes had been. But she //did// look back, and I lover her for that, because it was so human. So she was turned to a pillar of salt. So it goes. People aren't supposed to look back. I'm certainly not going to do it anymore. (Vonnegut 19) “The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only //appears// to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist.” (Vonnegut 23) //He has directly challenged the authority of the government, and future discipline depends upon a resolute reply to this challenge. If the death penalty is ever to be imposed for desertion, it should be imposed in this case, not as a punitive measure nor as retribution, but to maintain that discipline upon which alone an army can succeed against the enemy. There was no recommendation for clemency in the case and none is here recommended.// (Vonnegut 39) ** Key Questioner: ** Brad Mailander Yes, there is a comedic effect. Although the chapter wasn't exactly funny, dark humor and irony are used. Themes such as the devastation caused by war and fate versus free-will are explained. Roland desperately wants to be accepted and belong to a group. This is his way of at least believing that he plays an important part in the lives of others.
 * Is there a bit of a comedic effect in the first chapter?**
 * What do you think the theme of the book is?**
 * How do you think Billy experienced a time-shift?** Billy's first experience could have simply been his life flashing before his eyes. Later instances could be from stress, or something supernatural could be occurring.
 * Are there any quotes that have been used multiple times for a reason?** Vonnegut often says, "So it goes," when somebody dies.
 * Why would Roland view himself and his comrades as the "Three Musketeers"?**

** Key Questioner 2: ** Aimee Galinski Vonnegut wants people to know about his story and why he wrote the novel. He wants people to know that the story is a part of his life; he does not want people to just skip over this part of the novel (which many people might do if it is an introductory section) because it is important.
 * Why do you think Vonnegut decided to make Chapter 1 about himself? Why isn't this included as in introductory paragraph instead?**

**Why does Vonnegut keep repeating, "So it goes."?**          No matter how it happens, death is an inevitable moment in everyone's life. That's just how the universe works. **Billy's daughter, Barbara thinks Billy is insane. Do you agree or disagree?**          A couple of people agree that Billy is insane and that these events are just a form of post-traumatic stress disorder. Others believe that, since this is a science fiction book, it makes perfect sense for Billy to experience strange things like being unstuck in time and speaking with aliens. **Which of Billy's memories is most striking to you?**          Billy's abduction by the Tralfamadorians is the most striking because it is completely out of the ordinary and different from what would be expected. His visit there also have some intriguing philosophical ideas. **What is your opinion of Vonnegut's fragmented writing style?** Some people dislike the fragmented style because they cannot understand what is occurring due to the constant jumping through time. Others enjoy it because it's unique and more interesting than just reading a chronological outline of Billy's life. ** Group Summarizer: **    Hari Shah We debated on the type of person that Billy Pilgrim is portrayed as in the novel - whether he is crazy, has dementia, or just has post-traumatic stress disorder after the war. We also debated whether or not Roland Weary is a "war junkie." Roland talks about all the medieval torture devices and weapons that he knows about, and he threatens Billy for being was slow. While talking about the quotes, our group discussed what Vonnegut meant when he wrote about their "babies" going off to war. Also, we discussed how Vonnegut decided to call his book "The Children's Crusade" since the fathers declare war, while their children are forced to fight it. We also discussed when a person is really dead in spirit since a dead person will always be in their loved ones hearts. However, this is limited because, after a while, memories can fade and get distorted by the subconscious mind. In some extreme cases, when a person dies, his loved ones may create a world in their subconscious where the dead person is still alive; the loved ones are then seen as insane. Finally, we went over the questions, and the answers we discussed are written above.

**Week Two: Language**                ** Chapters 3 and 4 ** ** Group Leader: ** Jesse Rittner The book is pretty easy to read, but it also has deeper meanings through things like symbolism and repetition for effect. The book mainly consists of conversations and Billy's thoughts, making the language more conversational. There were not really any words that we did not understand. We think that the book is written at a 6th or 7th grade level because it has very basic sentence structure; even the chronology, though out of order, is not that difficult to understand because Vonnegut says when each event is taking place. ** Quotation Finder: ** Brad Mailander “If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings," said the Tralfamadorian, "I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by 'free will.' I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will.” (Vonnegut 86)

“How - how did I get here?" "It would take another Earthling to explain it to you. Earthlings are the great explainers, explaining why this event is structured as it is, telling how other events may be achieved or avoided.” (Vonnegut 85)

So Billy uncorked it with his thumbs. It didn’t make a pop. The champagne was dead. So it goes. (Vonnegut 73)

Billy answered. There was a drunk on the other end. Billy could almost smell his breath—mustard gas and roses. It was a wrong number. Billy hung up. (Vonnegut 73)

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom always to tell the; difference.” (Vonnegut 60)

** Key Questioner: ** Paul Vaynshteyn Billy could potentially have post-traumatic stress disorder or dementia. However, he also has moments of perfect clarity.
 * Is Billy mentally ill?**

Yes, Billy is a pitiable character that deserves sympathy. He is unstuck in time and a victim of war. He suffers through his life, from his birth to his death, multiple times and is never completely at peace.
 * Do you have sympathy for Billy? Why or why not?**

The movie does not really affect Billy's state of mind because Billy does not seem to feel much about by the war movie at all; he is just watching it to pass time. If anything, the film just reflects Billy's desire for an ideal world.
 * Is the movie in Chapter Four detrimental or beneficial to Billy's state of mind?**

Billy is not heroic in the traditional sense of the word. He does not really want to keep living, he is weak, and he never gets up and fights. However, some of Billy's thoughts and the simple fact that he is still alive are respectable.
 * Do you think Billy is a "heroic" character?**

Billy will die and then re-experience the events in his life. However, he will also make important self-discoveries.
 * What do you think happens to Billy in the later chapters?**

** Key Questioner 2: **  Hari Shah Vonnegut is redeeming man-kind for all of the evil that they have caused in the world. He is just trying to say, "Forget the past because you can't change it, and look ahead to the future because it may be better."
 * When Vonnegut writes, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom always to tell the difference,” do you think that he is conveying a message to his audience?**

Billy is frustrated between moving from war to his peaceful post-war life and then back to war again. His time traveling is making him mad and frustrated because he cannot control it.
 * Do you think Billy is weeping because of the wind, or is he really crying because of all the mayhem he has seen in war and in a life without worries?**

Billy is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He only sleeps when he is completely exhausted.
 * What do you think is causing Billy to fall asleep spontaneously at work, but to need a bed vibrator to help him fall asleep at home?**

The Tralfamadorians represent fate and predestination because they can see all of time. They are the antithesis of free will.
 * What do the Tralfamadorians represent?**

Yes, the interpretation of events is important because people can remain hopeful for the future if they look on the bright-side of life. The importance of the order of events is also seen when Billy watches the war film backwards.
 * If time is out of human control, is it important how someone interprets events in their lives, like how Billy does after he returns from war?**

No, the book does not portray warfare as glamorous, but it does not mock war either. The book just shows the harsh realities of war and that everyone suffers from the destruction caused by it. The first thing our group considered was the language of the story; our response can be seen above. Next, we discussed selected quotations from the novel. We contemplated the theme of free will versus fate - whether people really have a choice in their life, or if events are all predetermined. Humans have a need to feel as if they mean something in the vast scheme of things; as a result, they want to believe that they make their own decisions and carve their own paths. However, the Tralfamadorians disagree with this concept and believe that all of our lives are already written; we cannot change anything and must simply pass through the moments. We also talked about the existence of religion and faith. People crave explanations. They want an answer to everything; they want everything to make sense. As a result, when something seems impossible - when science provides no suitable meaning - humans will often turn to the supernatural. When enough people believe in this other-worldly story, a religion is formed. While on the topic of religion, we also touched upon the topics of Jung's archetypes and the collective unconscious. We also talked about how Vonnegut blurs the line between reality and what is merely occurring in Billy's mind.
 * Do you think war is mocked in this book? Explain.**
 * Group Summarizer: ** Aimee Galinski

A few events in the novel really stood out for our group. We were greatly amused by one of Vonnegut's appearances as a character in the novel. Based on our knowledge from Chapter One, we realized that Vonnegut is the drunk at the other end of Billy's phone. We were also struck yet again by Vonnegut's continued use of the phrase, "So it goes," especially since Vonnegut uses it to describe the death of an inanimate object. This shows that death is inevitable for everything and that whatever is going to happen will happen. We enjoyed the twist that Vonnegut's narration ("Among the things Billy Pilgrim could not change were the past, the present, and the future.") added to the plaque on Billy's wall. Finally, we found Billy's reverse-viewing of the late-night war movie to be memorable. In Billy's mind, when seen in a different order, the destruction of war became the rebirth of paradise on Earth. The last thing we did was answer the key questions, which can be seen above.

** Week Three: Mood and Tone **    ** Chapter 5 ** ** Group Leader: ** Hari Shah The prevailing moods in the book are chaos, frustration, and hopelessness because Billy moves through life without any control, and death is seen as inevitable; the actual narrative jumps around a lot, too. We also see varying emotions of fear during Billy's wartime events. A general tone of melancholy is present, even when Billy is living his normal life as a successful optometrist, because Billy never seems happy. A sense of hatred is also in the book based on how Roland despises Billy and tells others that he wants Billy to die; it is also seen in the hostility that the British soldiers have toward the condition of their American counterparts. There is dark humor when Billy goes to the aliens' home planet. Billy finds out that the Tralfamadorians are no different than humans in the sense that they have peacetime and wartime on their planet; they even know that the universe will end because of one of their spacecrafts but do not try to change this future because they cannot. The Tralfamadorians also described Billy's inability to see in the fourth dimension in an interesting way; Billy is described as having a strange box-like contraption on his head, which causes him to have tunnel vision. If this book were a movie, it would have a ominous soundtrack, and the scenes would be primarily dark; it would show a lot of pain and suffering, taunt the audience with visions of happiness, and then soon transport the viewer back to despair. ** Quotation Finder: **  Aimee Galinski "Each clump of symbols is a brief, urgent message - describing a situation, a scene. We Tralfamadorians read them all at once, not one after the other. There isn’t any particular relationship between the messages, except that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time." (Vonnegut 88)

So they were trying to re-invent themselves and their universe. Science fiction was a big help. (Vonnegut 101)

"You know - we've had to imagine the war here, and we have imagined that it was being fought by aging men like ourselves. We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies. Why I saw those freshly shaved faces, it was a shock. 'My God, my God' - I said to myself, 'It's the Children's Crusade.'" (Vonnegut 106)

He supposed that the intent of the Gospels was to teach people, among other things, to be merciful, even to the lowest of the low. But the Gospels actually taught this: Before you kill somebody, make absolutely sure he isn't well connected. So it goes. (Vonnegut 109)

"I myself have seen the bodies of schoolgirls who were boiled alive in a water tower by my own countrymen, who were proud of fighting pure evil at the time...And I have lit my way in a prison at night with candles from the fat of human beings who were butchered by the brothers and fathers of those schoolgirls who were boiled. Earthlings must be the terrors of the Universe! [...] How can a planet live at peace?" (Vonnegut 116) ** Key Questioner: **  Jesse Rittner Yes, this is reflective of Vonnegut's intentions. His book is highly confusing and has no concrete storyline. The plot seems disjointed, and there seems to be no point to the story. However, when viewed as a whole, the story could be seen as a metaphor for the confusion of war and post-war life.
 * On page 76, the Tralfamadorians say of their books, “There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at once.” Do you think this is reflective of Kurt Vonnegut’s intentions in writing Slaughterhouse-Five?**

Vonnegut repeatedly mentions Derby because Vonnegut wants to stress Billy’s acceptance of death. Billy knows that Derby will be shot to death, yet he does nothing to help him, possibly because nothing can be done.
 * Why do you think Kurt Vonnegut repeatedly mentions that Edgar Derby, the high school teacher, would be shot to death in Dresden? Why is Derby’s fate so important?**

If Billy really is insane, then his insanity mostly stems from his World War II experiences. These events, in which countless lives were lost, most likely cause Billy to think of death as nothing more than an inevitable consequence, hence his mantra, “So it goes.”
 * Do you believe that Billy’s insanity stems from his experiences during World War II or because of his childhood experiences?**

Humanity should never forget what happened in the past, but people should also try not to dwell on what has happened and cannot be changed. The past is past, and people can do nothing except learn from our mistakes and try to plan for the future.
 * On page 101, a Tralfamadorian tells Billy, “That’s one thing Earthlings might learn to do, if they tried hard enough: Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones.” Do you agree with this statement? Should we try to ignore the tragedies of war and suffering and simply focus on “the good times”? Or should we never forget what happened, even though it can never be changed?**

Vonnegut chose to do so because he wants to remind the reader that, not only did these events really happen, they really happened to him.
 * Why do you think Kurt Vonnegut chose to explicitly include himself in the story on page 109?**

** Key Questioner 2: ** Paul Vaynshteyn The Tralfamadorians are fatalistic. Their belief in acceptance takes away the responsibility that people should have regarding their actions. The Tralfamadorians' idea of humans really having seven sexes, five of which are in the fourth dimension of time, is amusing.
 * What do you think about the Tralfamadorians' ideas on time and their philosophy on acceptance?**

At this point, it is impossible to determine whether or not Billy is sane. The fact that he is coherent and could (at least in our perspectives) possibly be time traveling makes him appear sane. However, other events (such as Billy being in a mental institution, the Tralfamadorians resembling the aliens from Kilgore Trout's book, and Billy wanting to recreate his universe using science fiction) make Billy seem to be spiraling downward into insanity.
 * Is Billy sane at this point in the book?**

At this point, yes, this is the only way Billy can handle life. He would not be able to keep on living if he tried to really recognize and live in the moment.
 * Do you think that being disillusioned is the only way Billy can live?**

People want to have free will; they like to think that they do forge their own paths and are not just puppets controlled by strings. However, people also know that, in the grand scheme of things, they are only a small part. However, we really do not know if free will exists.
 * What do you think about free will? Do people really make their own choices?**

In this novel, people live and die and life happens because it has to happen. This narrative is disjointed because Billy is unstuck in time. There are many important and memorable moments, but these moments are not told in a chronological story line. However, when viewed as a whole, the moments combine into something great. The same is true of the Tralfamadorians' books.
 * How do you think the Tralfamadorians' books relates to the overall structure of this novel and its characters?**

** Group Summarizer: ** Brad Mailander We first went over the, “So it goes” quote and how it is keeps being used throughout the book. We concluded that the phrase adds something of a comedic relief to someone’s death. We also stated that, when someone dies, there is no changing what has happened, so there’s no point in dwelling on it. We later discussed how we do not know if Billy really is crazy with everything that is happening or if it’s actually the science-fiction aspect of the book that makes everything happen supernaturally. If he is going insane, it is due to both his childhood and especially from World War II and the Dresden firebombing; Billy could have originally been able to keep his traumatic childhood memories under control, but World War II could have acted as the catalyst that made such control impossible and made him start going insane. Our group talked about Eastern versus Western religions, too; while on this topic, we debated whether all life is equal, or whether certain people are more deserving of life than others. We talked about the destructiveness of war, and we made a final conclusion that the author (at least based on Billy and the Tralfamadorians) believes that whatever will happen will happen, and that there is no way to change it; everything is predetermined in life.

** Week Four: Themes and Images **      ** Chapters 6, 7, and 8 ** ** Group Leader: **     Brad Mailander The themes and images in the books seem to be present throughout the entire course of the novel. The theme of the inevitability of death is seen because, whenever someone passes away, Vonnegut always writes, “So it goes.” This also shows that whatever happens in the past cannot be changed. Another recurring theme in the book is predetermined fate versus free will. Billy originally believes in free will, but when he meets the Tralfamadorians (who believe in destiny) Billy starts to believe in predestination; he realizes that everyone dies when they are meant to die, and there is no use in worrying about a past and future that cannot be changed. The relationship between time and memory is also explored. A final theme is the destructiveness of war, which is present because this book is written as an anti-war novel. The images in the novel include the Tralfamadorians, who symbolize the idea of predestination and the lack of free will. The malt syrup represents the simple pleasures in life; Billy's body shivers in euphoric applause and gratitude after his malnourished body eats a single spoonful of the syrup. The city of Dresden represents the destruction of war due to the fire bombings that destroyed it. The bird that says, "Poo-tee-weet?" symbolizes the pointlessness of war; it shows that there are no answers about why war happens, and it could even indicate that life itself cannot be explained. Finally, Kilgore Trout is used to portray what Vonnegut finds wrong with society; Trout writes novels that acknowledge topics such as the negative aspects of capitalism, Eastern and Western religion, and the hypocrisy of humanity.

** Quotation Finder: **  Paul Vaynshteyn The skyline was intricate and voluptuous and enchanted and absurd. It looked like a Sunday school picture of Heaven to Billy Pilgrim. (Vonnegut 148) "In my prison cell I sit, With my britches full of s---t, And my b---s are bouncing gently on the floor. And I see the bloody snag, When she bit me in the bag. Oh I'll never f--k a Polack any more." (Vonnegut 155) There are no characters in this story and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters. But old Derby was a character now. (Vonnegut 164) "You ever put a full-length mirror on the floor, and then have a dog stand on it? [...] The dog will look down, and all of a sudden he'll realize there's nothing under him. He thinks he's standing on thin air. He'll jump a mile." (Vonnegut 175) "Go take a flying f--k at a rolling doughnut," murmured Paul Lazzaro in his azure nest. "Go take a flying f--k at the moon." (Vonnegut 147**)**

** Key Questioner: ** Jesse Rittner **On page 119, Vonnegut writes, “Billy received a message carried by the radiations. He was told not to find out what the lumps were. He was advised to be content with knowing that they could work miracles for him, provided that he did not insist on learning their nature.” Do you believe that this is a reflection of religion? What are your thoughts on blind faith? Do you believe that blind faith and free will are related? Why or why not?**  ** This is a reflection of religion. Blind faith can be good or bad, depending on the circumstances. For example, a belief in life after death could be considered blind faith, as no one has any definitive proof that it exists. However, it can be consoling to know that there is something after death and you don’t simply fade into oblivion. Blind faith and free will are related, but not integrally. The concept of free will could be viewed as blind faith since people accept the fact that they are in control of their future; however, the concept of predestination could also be viewed as blind faith. There is not definitive proof either way, so each concept could be considered blind faith. **

**What do you think of Paul Lazzaro? Is he completely insane? Does he just have a very distorted concept of justice? Does the fact that he had never hurt an innocent bystander give you a different opinion of him than if he were just a murderer who killed at random?** ** Paul Lazzaro is insane and has a distorted view of justice. He killed a dog just for biting him – a dog! He also did this in a horribly inhuman way, by feeding it a steak with sharp metal in it. The fact Lazzaro has never hurt an “innocent bystander” and has only harmed people who wronged him makes him less insane than a random murderer, but Lazzaro is a murderer and a lunatic nonetheless. **
 * Billy’s death is discussed in the middle of chapter 6. Why do you think Kurt Vonnegut chose to include the death in the middle of the book rather than at the end? Do you believe this adds to or detracts from the book? Why?** ** Vonnegut chose to do this to emphasize the fact that the book is not supposed to have a clear beginning, middle, or end. As Vonnegut writes of the Tralfamadorian’s books on page 88, “ **There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects.” This is also true of //Slaughterhouse-Five//. This adds to the message of the book because of the emphasis on Billy's death being only a single moment in time. Vonnegut wants to show that life should not be viewed as a sequence of events, but rather a whole jumble of different events that, when placed together, form something greater.

**One page 141, Derby stands up to Campbell and “called Campbell a snake. He corrected that. He said that snakes couldn’t help being snakes, and that Campbell, who //could// help being what he was, was something much lower than a snake or a rat—or even a blood-filled tick.” Do you think you would have had the courage to stand up to Campbell? What does this say about Derby’s personality? Would you risk your life for the American ideals? ** ** The people in this group probably would not have had the courage to stand up to Campbell, especially after being in such a weak physical condition due to the war. This shows that Derby is brave and willing to stand up for what he believes in. He is patriotic and supports the American ideals. Group members were more likely to avoid such risks. However, some are unsure if they would risk their life because their choices would depend on the circumstances. For example, if losing the war means that the world would become a ruthless dictatorship, then the group would be more likely to take such risks because they would rather be dead than live in such a world. **       **Why do you believe Kurt Vonnegut chose to explicitly state on page 152, “[Billy] did not travel in time to the experience [of the bombing of Dresden]. He remembered it shimmeringly”?** ** Vonnegut chose to do so to make it absolutely clear to the reader that what happened at Dresden is the absolute truth and should not be mistaken for one of Billy’s hallucinations. Without a doubt, Billy is completely sane at this point. Vonnegut also does this to show that Billy can still remember the past; he does not just live in the moment in which he is time traveling. Billy's realization that the barbershop quartet reminds him of Dresden is a great moment of self-awareness for Billy since he now recognizes that Dresden is a major turning point in his life. **       ** Key Questioner 2: ** Hari Shah Most people would not usually be as accepting of their death as Billy is; they would try to fight against what seemed inevitable. Many individuals would also be furious at Paul Lazzaro when they return to 1945 because Lazzaro would cause their death in the future. However, it can also be argued that a person who experiences this would not really react to the occurrence at all; if the person shares Billy's other experiences and beliefs, they will simply accept their spastic time traveling as a way of life and feel apathetic toward any of those events.
 * In Chapter 6, Vonnegut discusses Billy's death. If you were Billy, how would you feel if you witnessed your own death and then were sent back in time to be a prisoner of war again in 1945?**

Billy is not very affected by the knowledge he has of his own death, and he never seems to care too much about his present state of health. Even though Billy knows that tens of thousands of people die in Dresden, he is still happy about entering the city because of its beauty. Billy knows that he only has a short amount of time to appreciate the city, so he has to make the most of it.
 * Why do you think that, even though Billy has been through so much and just witnessed his own death, he seems happy about entering Dresden?**

This is narrated by Vonnegut. The Tralfamadorians surely know how Billy is going to die, but there is no indication that the narrator changed from being Vonnegut. The more interesting part of this story is how matter-of-factly Billy just accepts his death in such a brave (or uncaring) manner.
 * On page 141, the narrator writes, "Billy Pilgrim says now that this really is the way he is going to die, too..." Do you think that this story is narrated by the Tralfamadorians or Vonnegut?**

As a prisoner of war, Billy does not have freedom. However, his captivity as a prisoner grants him a temporary reprieve from the violence anc chaos of war. As a prisoner Billy sneaks tastes of the malt syrup and is served meals; he is in a beautiful city that has not been damaged by the war. However, this relative peace Billy experiences as a prisoner disappears when Dresden is destroyed; Billy is then freed from the city, forced into chaos once more, and left to fend for himself.
 * Do you think Billy's experiences in the syrup factory represent the idea of freedom and captivity while still being in chaos?**

** Group Summarizer: **  Aimee Galinski Both Jesse and Hari were absent during today's meeting. Jesse completely fulfilled his role posted his discussion questions and emailed Aimee with his answers on Thursday night. During the meeting on Friday, members that were present responded to Jesse's questions and compared their answers to what Jesse thought. Then, Aimee posted the responses that Jesse had emailed her (albeit with a few changes to reflect the opinions of the rest of the group). However, Hari did not post his questions before the meeting. Since his four questions were posted after the group discussion had ended, we were unable to discuss them. Everyone who was present fulfilled their roles and added to the group discussion. The first thing our group considered were the themes and images used in the novel; our response can be seen above. Next, we discussed selected quotations from the novel. We thought it must have been strange for Billy to enter Dresden because Billy is aware that this Heaven will soon be turned into Hell after the firebombing. We wondered how Billy could enjoy the sights there when he knows that this one place of soothing comfort - this temporary glimpse of hope - will soon be devastated by war. We discussed the dark humor in the song that The Febs (a barbershop quartet) sing on Billy's soon-to-crash airplane flight. People enjoy the quartet's crude song as a way to pass time; however, the reality of the song strikes home when Billy remembers seeing a Polish man be hanged for having sex with a German woman. When we talked about Derby's temporary display of character, we again mentioned the idea of the war being a "Children's Crusade" where many soldiers are unfit for battle. We found Kilgore Trout's image of a dog standing on a mirror to be an interesting analogy for humanity in general. People are afraid to have their world pulled out from under them; they do not want to be forced to realize something that they would rather hide from themselves. We considered the character of Paul Lazzaro, who is a lot like Roland Weary; both are cruel and ruthless human beings who do not care about the well-being of others. A few events in the novel really stood out for our group. Oddly, the climax of Billy's life (the destruction of Dresden) seemed anti-climatic. Since Billy is in hiding, the bombs that are dropped are only described as sounding like the footsteps of giants. Billy's death scene is also striking for two reasons: The United States is divided so that travelers must pass three international borders to get from New York to Chicago, and Billy shows complete confidence (not his usual powerlessness) when nearing his death. Finally, the fact that Billy's favorite author, Kilgore Trout, lives near Billy is either a remarkable coincidence or proof of destiny. The last thing we did was answer the key questions, which can be seen above.

** Week Five: Response **         ** Chapters 9 and 10 ** ** Group Leader: **   Aimee Galinski Both Jesse and Brad feel that //Slaughterhouse-Five// is merely mediocre. They would not recommend it to peers because they find the narrative to be too confusing; in their opinion, the book is too "jumpy" due to Billy's constant, spastic time traveling. Both group members also believe that the novel does not have an actual plot; they dislike the fact that it is more of a series of scenes that can be interpreted separately. In terms of books that rely more on specific moments (rather than a truly meaningful plot), both prefer //Alice in Wonderland// by Lewis Carroll. Neither Jesse nor Brad deem //Slaughterhouse-Five// worthy of being included in the school curriculum because it is not educational or relevant enough. They also think that Vonnegut's idea of things just happening because they have to happen ("So it goes.") is a bad lesson to teach to people.They consider this notion to be cruel and feel that it gives people an excuse to abandon morality. Hari, Paul, and Aimee feel that //Slaughterhouse-Five// is an excellent novel. They consider Vonnegut's narrative to be unique and innovative; none of these group members have ever read another book that uses time travel to create a story that strays from simply following the actual chronological order of events. They find Billy Pilgrim to be an interesting and endearing character, too. These three love Vonnegut's down-to-earth writing style, his sense of dark humor, and the deeper philosophical concepts and symbolism that are present in his novel. They also feel that the book often evokes a strong emotional response and that it has many unforgettable scenes. Hari, Paul, and Aimee would eagerly recommend //Slaughterhouse-Five// to peers because no other novel covers as many themes (predestination versus free will, religion, and war) in such a unique and intriguing way. They think that the book should be considered for the school's curriculum because it is not only a distinct science fiction novel, but it is also based on the actual wartime experiences of its author.

** Quotation Finder: **   Hari Shah "Everything is all right, and everybody has to do exactly what he does." (Vonnegut 198)

//The cattle are lowing.// //The Baby awakes.// //But the little Lord Jesus// //No crying He makes.// (Vonnegut 197)

Rumfoord was thinking in military manner: that an inconvenient person, one whose death he wished for very much, for practical lessons, was suffering from a repulsive disease. (Vonnegut 200)

If what Billy Pilgrim learned from the Tralfamadorians is true, that we will all live forever, no matter how dead we may sometimes seem to be, I am not overjoyed. Still - if I am going to spend eternity visiting this moment and that, I'm grateful that so many of those moments are nice. (Vonnegut 211)

//On average 324,000 new babies are born into the world every day. During that same day, 10,000 persons, on an average, will have starved to death.// So it goes//. In addition 123,000 persons will die for other reaons//. So it goes... "I suppose they will all want dignity," I said. (Vonnegut 212)

** Key Questioner: **  Paul Vaynshteyn ** Key Questioner 2: **  Brad Mailander One of the Kilgore Trout books is about two people who are abducted by aliens; another book is about a man who travels through time. The events in the books are very similar to the events that happen to Billy, which could reaffirm the idea that Billy is delusional and is not really time traveling.
 * How do the group of Americans come to have only four guards left?** Only four guards are left because all of the others are killed during the firebombing of Dresden; only these four are present with the Americans who are able to hide in Slaughterhouse Five and escape the bombing.
 * In Kilgore Trout's book, //The Big Board//, what method do the aliens from Zircon-212 use to control their human captives?**﻿ The aliens use a stock market board, which shows fake stock market quotations and prices. Although it is not true, the humans are told that they have been given one million dollars to invest on stocks and a telephone to contact a brokerage on Earth. The aliens then create highs and lows in the market prices (which the people think are genuine statistics) and entertain themselves by watching the humans' reactions.
 * How does the Maori soldier die?** The Maori soldier dies from the dry heaves; he tears his insides apart by throwing up too much. The soldier is sickened by the stench of putrefying flesh inside of the "corpse mines" in post-firebombing Dresden.
 * What do you think metaphorically symbolizes the firebombing of Dresden?** The dead bodies in the "corpse mines" throughout Dresden symbolize the firebombing. There are hundreds of these holes, each of which holds dozens of human bodies, found throughout Dresden. At first, Billy and the other survivors are forced to carry out and bury the bodies; soon afterward, however, they begin cremating the bodies with flamethrowers. This process seems almost like a second death for the victims in Dresden.
 * How is Kilgore Trout’s book, //The Gutless Wonder//, reminiscent of Billy’s son, Robert?** //The Gutless Wonder// is about a robot that serves as a soldier that drops firebombs on enemy cities. Although it is a mass murderer, the robot is only hated by society because of its bad breath; once this problem is gone, people accept it. Similarly, Robert is a Green Beret who kills people during the Vietnam War. In high school, he is disliked because he misbehaves; however, although he is now involved in more violence, everyone accepts him once he joins the Marines and "straightens out."
 * What do you think about the Kilgore Trout books that Billy finds in the bookshop?**

It is impossible to tell which is true; it is really up to the individual reader to decide if he is time traveling or going crazy. Certain factors (such as Kilgore Trout's books) point out that Billy is just delusional, while other factors (such as Billy's knowledge of his own death and the onset of the Vietnam War) indicate that he really can time travel.
 * Do you think Billy is actually time traveling the whole time, or is he going crazy at certain points?**

The Tralfamadorians are not really interested in Jesus or Christianity. However, they agree with Darwinism, which teaches that "corpses are improvements" and that everyone who is meant to die will die.
 * Compared to the Christian religion, how do the Tralfamadorians view Darwinism?**

Vonnegut does this so that he can emphasize the fact that many of these events actually happened and are not just a work of fiction. In the final chapter, Vonnegut also tries to give his commentary about the Tralfamadorians and their views on life, time, and predestination.
 * Why do you think Vonnegut includes himself into multiple parts of the book?**

The bird shows that there is never complete silence after a war; people always have something to say, just as Vonnegut just told his tale of Dresden. However, after all the horrible events that happen, there are no words - no meaningful remarks - to describe all of the confusion and senselessness of a war.
 * On page 215, the bird that says “Poo-tee-weet?” makes another appearance. What do you think this symbolizes at the end of the book?**

** Group Summarizer: ** Jesse Rittner First, we went over the weekly question, which can be seen above. Though Brad and I had different opinions from Hari, Paul, and Aimee, we were able to have a good conversation about our opinions of the book. Then we discussed Brad and Paul's discussion questions, and we went over Hari's quotes. We talked about how Kurt Vonnegut seems to contradict himself throughout the book. For example, despite his mantra of "So it goes," Billy becomes very upset when he realizes the deplorable state of the horses. We also talked about Vonnegut's dislike of the theme of his own book, which is shown in the fourth quote. We found it interesting that even the author doesn't like the concept of people "living" forever because they still exist somewhere in time, but he does find some comfort in it. We talked about Rumfoord thinking Billy was worthless because there was something wrong with him and how this concept could apply to the military as a whole.

After finishing our discussion, each group member said what his or her favorite part of the book was. Aimee liked the dark humor, Billy's death, and the Kilgore Trout books. Brad liked how the Tralfamadorians could see in the 4th dimension and the concept of predetermined fate. Hari's favorite part was Billy's death. Paul did not have a favorite part, but liked the book as a whole. Personally, my favorite part was when Billy was thinking about the saying, "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom the tell the difference" and Vonnegut explains that "Among the things Billy Pilgrim could not change were the past, the present, and the future" (Vonnegut 52).