Slaughterhouse Five Book Exam

Slaughterhouse Five Book Exam

Following the journey of Billy Pilgrim during World War II bombing in Dresden and the experiences of his past and future pointed out several moral issues. Throughout Kurt Vonnegut’s book the main moral issues were the impact of war and the ability to change the future. After the bombing of Dresden, it caused Billy to become mentally unstable. Throughout Billy’s life, he struggles to control his own free will.

There were many moments that stood out in the book that showed the negative impact of the bombing of Dresden on Billy. In chapter three, Billy had doctor’s order to take a nap every day to help with his weeping. It was a quiet thing that Billy did because of his war experiences that no one around him could understand. In the aftermath of the war, Billy committed himself to a mental institution for war veterans. He is introduced to science fiction books, which takes his mind away from the pain that he had suffered.

Another example was at Billy and Valencia’s anniversary, the barbershop quartet sang a song that greatly affected him. Billy found a connection of the four singers to the German guards when the bombing was going on. At this point in the book, the killing of the thousands of people in Dresden finally hit Billy. He finally understood his experience and grieved for the people who died. He was able to tell Montana Wildhack a story about the destruction of Dresden, unlike when his wife asked him about the war.

Toward the end of the book, there was a significant moment were Billy cried during the war. After the bombing of Dresden, the American prisoners of war returned to the slaughterhouse. There he bumps into a German couple where they scold him for not giving good care to the horses. The similarity between the poor conditioned horses and Billy caused him to break down crying. The horses reminded Billy of himself, not being able to understand why