Vonnegut's Slaughter House 5 Essay
Lane Cooper
June 18, 2012
Period 3
Slaughterhouse-Five: Anti-War
Throughout history, war has been a topic of many books worldwide. Some highlight tactics or reasoning behind battles, but most discuss the consequences of war; the pain, the suffering, the tragedy that comes with war. Slaughterhouse Five is of the latter variety, anti-war themes are spread throughout the story. By using similes, imagery, and dialogue, Kurt Vonnegut conveys the theme of anti-war.
In the very first chapter of the story the narrator is discussing his book. He is talking to the filmmaker about it about it and he says, “You might as well write an anti-glacier book” (pg 4). The narrator has been in war before, he has experienced what it does, what it leaves behind. The filmmaker is alluding to the inevitability of war; they are as easy to stop as glaciers, which is impossible. This powerful use of simile makes an impact on the reader, and helps convey the anti-war theme.