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Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five

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Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Slaughterhouse Five centers around the life of Billy Pilgrim and the struggles he faces following his time spent as a soldier and a prisoner of war during World War II. Despite lacking a plot, character conflict, and climax, Vonnegut successfully depicts the brutality and senselessness of war through his use of memorable images and quotes throughout the course of this novel. By including moments such as the bird call in chapter one, the Americans arrival in Dresden in chapter 6, and the wounded horses in chapter nine, Vonnegut effectively displays the harsh realities of war. While discussing his novel with publisher Seymour Lawrence, Vonnegut states, “Everything is supposed to be very quiet after …show more content…

Billy is just grateful to be alive and does not realize the ailing condition of the horses. Following Billy's pleasant nap in the back of the wagon, two German obstetricians are horrified at the miserable condition of the horses and confront Billy who had not noticed that the animals were suffering. Vonnegut writes, “A middle aged man and wife were crooning to the horses . They were noticing what the Americans had not noticed-that the horses’ mouths were bleeding, gashed by the bits, that the horses’ hooves were broken, so that every step meant agony, that the horses were insane with thirst.” (Ch. 9 pg 196) When Billy saw the condition of the animals, he “burst into tears” and it was the only time he had cried throughout the course of the war. The image of the wounded horses is quite surprising in that it draws similar parallels to the victims of war. Despite seeing countless men beaten and murdered, Billy had not once cried, yet he wept when he was made aware of the two horses’ condition. In this moment, Vonnegut is highlighting the suffering brought about by the war and how it goes largely unnoticed by those caught up in the events. Similar to those involved in war, Billy did not realize how poorly the horses were being treated until after he is made aware of his actions. People involved in conflict do not realize

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