Honors English I - Slaughterhouse-Five Test

allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, often moral or political

frame story

a story within a story, where an overachieving narrative provides context for the main story

unreliable narrator

a narrator whose credibility is compromised due to bias, limited knowledge, or deception

Billy Pilgrim

the novel's protagonist; a time-traveling, passive soldier who survives the Dresden bombing

Valencia Pilgrim

Billy's loving but shallow wife, who dies of carbon monoxide poisoning

Barbara Pilgrim

Billy's daughter; treats him like a senile old man after his plane crash

Roland Weary

a cruel soldier obsessed with heroism; dies from gangrene after being taken prisoner

Kilgore Trout

a science fiction writer whose works influence Billy's understanding of time and reality

the O'Hares

Mary and Bernard O'Hare; real life friends of Vonnegut, mentioned in the novel

Howard Campbell

an American Nazi propagandist who tries to recruit Billy

Montana Wildhack

a famous actress who becomes Billy's companion on Tralfamadore

Bertram Rumford

a historian who dismisses Billy's war experiences as insignificant

Edgar Derby

a kind, older soldier who is executed for stealing a teapot after the Dresden bombing

fate vs. free will

the Tralfamadorians believe all events are predetermined, while humans struggle with the illusion of choice

impact of war

the novel explores war's dehumanizing effects, especially through the Dresden bombing

escapism

Billy escapes his trauma through time travel and fantasies about Tralfamadore

slaughterhouse-five

represents death, destruction, and the randomness of survival in war

Jesus and the cross

symbolizes suffering and questions traditional views on heroism

Tralfamadore

a symbol of acceptance, where Billy finds comfort in the idea that time is fixed

barbershop quartet

triggers Billy's PTSD, reminding him of the Dresden bombing's aftermath