Slaughterhouse Five
Explication of chapter one and the events that happened
Summary of Chapter One
Analysis of the Rhetorical Elements and Tone
Prediction of What is Next
Vonnegut introduces his experience of the destruction in Dresden while he was a prisoner of war. When he was released from being captured, he tries to find the exact words to describe his traumatic experience during this time, but the words almost never came until many years later. Throughout chapter one, Vonnegut uses repetition, certain motifs, parrallel structures and figurative language in order to help us have a better understanding of what is to come, "People aren't supposed to look back. I'm certainly not going to do it anymore. I've finished my war book now. The next one I write is going to be fun. This one is a failure, and had to be, since it was written by a pillar of salt" (22). Vonnegut is saying that this novel is going to have tragedy and painful moments due to the fact that he states "the next [book] I write is going to be fun". He clearly states that this novel isn't going to be filled with cheerful and happy events, only traumatic events. Vonnegut tells us that war is not a joyful time and everyone has to experience the change from such event and everyone must learn how to adapt and move on from the changes that are made. He claims that even though his novel has imperfections, the truth is still told to an extent with a bit of information that is still confined and hidden.