Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five"

Paper Summary:

The paper suggests specific awards for the three main characters in Kurt Vonnegut's novel, "Slaughterhouse Five'. Specifically, the paper discusses why a scrapbook is a suitable award for Billy Pilgrim, why a pencil with an eraser is appropriate for the narrator and why a trip around the world would have benefited Valencia Pilgrim.

Outline:
Award 1: A Scrapbook for Billy Pilgrim
Award 2: A Pencil with an Eraser for the Narrator
Award 3: A Trip Around the World for Valencia Pilgrim

From the Paper:

"Billy Pilgrim is described as a character unstuck in time. His memory serves as the narrative structure of Slaughterhouse Five, a series of memories that occurs after Billy is in a plane accident. At the time of the accident, Billy is employed as an eye doctor in upstate New York. Billy has a wife, children, and comfortable life, but he is haunted by memories of his captivity during World War II, and digging out from his imprisonment in a work camp during the bombing of Dresden. Rather than finding comfort in material success and his physical survival, he is disenchanted with his current existence. He dreams as well that he is captured by aliens, who underline the principle that human beings have no free will, evidently reflecting Billy's sense of powerlessness over the actions that have shaped his life."

More papers on Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five":

• Term Paper # 124730 : "The Life of Kurt Vonnegut"
• Book Review # 106959 : "Kurt Vonnegut"
• Book Review # 149953 : "Finding the Self in "Slaughterhouse-Five"
• Book Review # 120378 : "Free Will and Determinism in "Slaughterhouse Five"

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