Slaughterhouse-Five Literary Analysis

The wholly conspicuous anti-war discourse in the novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, occurs in between Vonnegut and Mary O’Hare. O’Hare fears that the book will glorify war as a myriad of books and movies have in the past. She is apprehensive that Vonnegut might portray the “babies” fighting in the war as grown men, and these babies will be played by “war-loving, dirty old men” (18). Vonnegut reassures Mary that the he will show the inhumanity of war. Vonnegut even goes to promise, “I’ll call it ‘The Children’s Crusade’” (19).This discussion sets the anti-war message throughout the novel. In 1213, two monks established the idea of raising an army of children in France and Germany to sell them in North Africa as slaves under the auspices of a noble …show more content…
Therefore, Vonnegut attempts to impart his message that child soldiers are being exploited by perverse leaders.Vonnegut has chosen the word "children" as they have no duty in war, therefore the war should not be occurring. Hence, leading the reader to be sympathetic towards Billy and the others; they are depicted without any independent thoughts and do not have the motivation to cause death. Vonnegut tries to cast a negative light upon the instigators of war with this subtitle. Ergo, the overall message of Slaughterhouse-five is that war is not glorious and the government propaganda tries to blindside people from the ugly truth of …show more content…
Billy can also be interpreted as a child's name; a nickname or an informal form of William. This interpretation connects to the subtitle of the novel, "The Children's Crusade." With the novel's biographical nature and Vonnegut's concern with the idea that it was widely made up of innocent and unprepared children, this symbolic meaning of the name is clarified. Billy Pilgrim was wholly unprepared for war: empty-handed, without a weapon, helmet, and boots. Both Billy's last name, Pilgrim, and the subtitle of the novel suggest that Billy is on a spiritual pilgrimage.Vonnegut's "Pilgrim" goes travels New York to Dresden and back, and in between to another planet called Tralfamadore, all in a frantic search for