Coming Up With Slaughterhouse Five Essay Topics
Slaughterhouse Five also goes by the title The Children’s Crusade: A Duty Dance With Death. It was written by Kurt Vonnegut as a satirical response to World War II. The book is considered a semi-autobiography because some of the events in the novel happened to the author in real life. It features the story of Billy Pilgrim who is deployed as an assistant chaplain with the United States Army during WWII. He is fatalistic, disoriented and ill-trained. He refuses to fight because he does not like war and is eventually captured. The book goes on to cover his life after war, especially the early years. In fact, the description given in the book mimics what happened during the firebombing of Dresden.
The stylistics, form and setting, among other literary elements make this book a rich source of essay topics for both high school and college. In fact, the popularity of this book has seen thousands of students and scholars write numerous papers based on it. For your paper to stand out, it must be captivating. The title must be catchy and interesting. How do you develop such a title?
- Consult Your Teacher
Your teacher is the primary source of assistance and guidance in academic work. The teacher will provide directions on the area your paper should focus on. It could on themes addressed in the book. The teacher could also want you to focus on a particular theme, character, setting, form, etc. There are topics that are relevant to the current unit or grade, while others are not. In fact, in some cases, the teacher will provide the topic. However, never commence writing before consulting with your teacher.
- Look for Suggestions Online
There are excellent suggestions on Slaughterhouse Five essay topics online. The topics are chosen by experienced teachers and cover a wide range of issues including context, writing style, language, themes, character development, etc. The topics are categorized depending on grade and issues covered.
- What is Captivating about the Book?
When at liberty to choose a topic, it is advisable to get one from an area you are passionate about. Read the book several times to internalize elements like setting, character development, the choice of language, etc. One aspect will capture your attention. Base your paper on this.
Here is a list of Slaughterhouse Five topics to consider.
- The struggle with PTSD by veterans
- The controversy of engaging in war
- The irony of a humorous war novel in Slaughterhouse Five
- The real culprits of war according to Slaughterhouse Five
- Drawing the line between personal experiences and fictional work
- The idea of fragmenting time, structure and characters as used in Slaughterhouse Five
- A comparative criticism of A Farewell of Arms and Slaughterhouse Five
- The philosophies of death and time as explored in the novel
- The use of parallel plot lines in Slaughterhouse Five
- The idea of being lost and the search for answers as exemplified by the main character.
There are more ideas that can be transformed into topics for your paper. Pick a topic that is relevant to your grade, manageable and interesting to read. Read the book thoroughly to have facts about the novel.