Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut

Everything you need to understand or teach Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

Slaughterhouse-Five Summary & Study Guide
3 Student Essays
1 Encyclopedia Article
6 Literature Criticisms
1 Book Notes
...and more

30 Slaughterhouse-Five Lessons
20 Activities
180 Multiple Choice Questions
60 Short Essay Questions
20 Essay Questions
Pre-Made Tests and Quizzes
...and more

Slaughterhouse-Five Summary

In 1969, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was not especially well known or commercially successful, despite having already published five novels and two short story collections. The publication of Slaughterhouse Five in that year marked Vonnegut's artistic and commercial breakthrough. Based on Vonnegut's own experiences as a World War IT prisoner who witnessed the Allied firebombing of Dresden, Germany, Slaughterhouse-Five is the story of Billy Pilgrim, a man who has come "unstuck...

(read more from the Study Guide)

Study Pack

The Slaughterhouse-Five Study Pack contains:

Slaughterhouse-Five Study Guide

Overview

Free Quiz

Characters

Setting

Social Sensitivity

Literary Qualities

Thematic Overview

Themes

Style

Criticism

Adaptations

Topics for Further Study

Compare and Contrast

What Do I Read Next?

Topics for Discussion

Ideas for Reports and Papers

Further Study

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Articles (1)

Slaughterhouse Five

3,408 words, approx. 12 pages

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Born in 1922, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had written five books before Slaughterhouse Five catapulted him to international recognition as one of the brightest, most ... Read more

Kurt Vonnegut Biographies (7)

Kurt Vonnegut

4,870 words, approx. 17 pages

Described as "a word cartoonist, a wise guy, a true subversive," by Valerie Sayers in the New York Times, Kurt Vonnegut is lauded as one of America's most respected novelists, "recognized as a thought... Read more

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

1,352 words, approx. 5 pages

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (born 1922) is acknowledged as a major voice in American literature and applauded for his pungent satirical depictions of modern society. Emphasizing the comic absurdity of the huma... Read more

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

7,727 words, approx. 26 pages

As of 1977, Vonnegut's work includes eight novels, a play and a television play, two collections of short stories, a collection of essays, and a number of uncollected shorter pieces of fiction and non... Read more

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

4,032 words, approx. 14 pages

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., remains something of a paradox among science-fiction writers. Although his place of importance in serious American fiction is now secure, his relationship to the genre that nurture... Read more

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

16,743 words, approx. 56 pages

[This entry was updated by Peter J. Reed (University of Minnesota) from his entry in DLB 152: American Novelists Since World War II, Fourth Series.]Though Kurt Vonnegut had been a widely read short-st... Read more

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

14,456 words, approx. 49 pages

Biography EssayAs of 1987 Kurt Vonnegut's work includes twelve novels, a play and a television play, two collections of short stories, two collections of essays, and a miscellany of uncollected shorte... Read more

Kurt Vonnegut

8,346 words, approx. 28 pages

"I got to be a joke-maker as the youngest member of my family. My sister was five years older than I was, my brother was nine years older, and at the dinner table I was the lowest ranking thing there.... Read more

Essays & Analysis (9)

Thomas L. Hartshorne

6,843 words, approx. 23 pages

Read more

Critical Essay by John W. Tilton

870 words, approx. 3 pages

Read more

Critical Essay by Peter J. Reed

3,081 words, approx. 11 pages

Read more

Critical Essay by Joyce Carol Oates

381 words, approx. 2 pages

Read more

Critical Essay by Thomas L. Hartshorne

2,111 words, approx. 8 pages

Read more

Critical Essay by Richard E. Ziegfeld

731 words, approx. 3 pages

609 words, approx. 3 pages

In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut use of language helps to portray his feeling on war. Vonnegut's use of metaphors, his diction, and his syntax support his antiwar message. After ... Read more

Slaughterhouse Five-the Novel Vs. the Movie

1,430 words, approx. 5 pages

Matt Clark ENGL 238 7 April 6, 2006 Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five Vs. George Roy Hill's Movie Adaptation For the most part, the movie adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut novel Slaughterhouse ... Read more

Slaughter House Five

1,724 words, approx. 6 pages

Slaughterhouse Five tells the story of a tragic, but not widely known, bombing of World War II, at a city named Dresden. There is a very fine line between genius and madness, this is apparent in Kurt... Read more

Free Book Notes (1)

Slaughterhouse-Five

24,344 words, approx. 82 pages

Slaughterhouse-Five Book Notes is a free study guide on Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Browse the summary below:   Author Biography / Context of the Work   One-Page Plot Summary ... Read more

Download the Study Pack