Critical Article

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/4953/kv_slaughter.html

This novel was a progressive work after Vonnegut got back from the war. It took Vonnegut twenty-three years to write the novel because of all the pain and suffering he had seen in the Dresden bombing. Vonnegut's main character is a very complicated character. He also had several problems from his war experiences and because Billy can't comprehend death he creates the Tralfamadorians. Billy is also an optometrist and corrects people's vision for a living. This is ironic because Billy also wants to change the way people look at their time and their life on earth. This novel suggests that if men don't change the condition of life on earth thet no one will. There is three main parts of the novel. 1) The book isn't so much about Dresden and more about the psychological impact of time, death, and uncertainty. 2) The main character isn't Billy, but Vonnegut and 3) It's an experimental novel with a lot of complexity. Vonnegut explains what's happening by using very little detail. This makes the reader form a mental picture and makes the reader think about what is going to happen next.