'HOUSE Five' By Kurt Vonnegut: Chapter Analysis

The first third of SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE by Kurt Vonnegut shows off the author’s ability to craft compelling characters that the reader deeply cares about with the characters of Kurt Vonnegut and Billy pilgrim.The first character that the reader gets to experience is that of the author himself as the the entire first chapter is just about Kurt telling the process of trying to create the Story of SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE and in this chapter he manages to make himself a very compelling character through the use of pity. One of the main ways that Vonnegut creates this pity is largely through self deprecation, throughout the entire first chapter he talks about himself in a very demeaning way. Examples of this are when he calls himself a old fart several

Another strategy that Vonnegut uses to evoke pity for himself as a character is through his struggle for his goal of creating an anti war book. Throughout the first chapter we are shown how his journey for writing his book seems to go horrible for him. For example he is notes how he was told by a movie maker that his anti war book was simply pointless because war will always exist, and he also brings up multiple times that he tried to brainstorm for the book and it went horrible for him because he simply could not come up with anything as much of it was blocked out seeming due do to war trauma. The cherry on top of his misery in trying to achieve his goal is for most part, he never does, as the chapter ends with him saying “This one is a failure, and it had to be” this quote really makes the reader feel sad for Kurt as we are shown that, at least in his eyes he failed, making us pity him that much more.Ultimately Kurt Vonnegut's use of himself as a character shows how he uses pity to create characters that the reader will care

Billy Pilgrim is the main character of SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE and is indeed a very pitiful man.The first time that Kurt Vonnegut gets us to pity him is in his Billy Pilgrim's war story. Billy is shipped of to a battle that he does not belong in during the war, he was basically a useless member of the military until he got shipped off to a battle in which he is assigned to assist the captain, the battle goes terribly wrong and he ends up as one of the only ones left alive. After this he is left with a very abusive partner, who constantly beats him and calls him very mean things, as well as trying to kill him at one point. On top of that he loses his heel and is suicidal, constantly pleading to be left to die. Basically Vonnegut puts his character through hell in the war which makes the reader very pitiful towards Billy which makes him a very compelling character as you really want him to succeed. On top of this after the war his wife dies and he ends up going crazy, so much so that his own daughter thinks that he is nuts, and it is heavily implied that this insanity was caused by war trauma. All of this once again makes it so that the reader feels very pitiful towards Billy Pilgrim and this shows how Kurt Vonnegut uses pity to create compelling