1. Slaughterhouse-Five DEATH IN LIT

2. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kurt Vonnegut 1922-2007 Born in Indianapolis, IN Prosperous German-American family

3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Parents spoke German; didn’t teach Kurt Why? Attended private school until Depression Family lost inherited fortune How might this affect Kurt?

4. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Switched to public high school Edited school newspaper Studied biochemistry at Cornell Any assumptions you’ve made about him? His attitude?

5. ABOUT THE AUTHOR 1942 – quit college to enlist in army 1944 – on Mother’s Day, returned home to find mom had committed suicide 1944 – (December) captured by Germans in Battle of the Bulge

6. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kept prisoner in Dresden slaughterhouse Survived firebombing that killed 135,000

7. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emerged from meat locker; found all dead Put to work as “corpse miner” Any guesses about Vonnegut’s mental state at this point in his life?

8. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Post-war, married childhood sweetheart Worked as police reporter, publicist, writer Wrote many short stories and novels ◦Player Piano ◦The Sirens of Titan ◦Cat’s Cradle ◦Hocus Pocus

9. AUTHOR’S STYLE Compassionate tone Uses irony Elements of sci-fi, satire, black humor Why might these be characteristics of Vonnegut’s writing?

10. AUTHOR’S STYLE Highly accessible language Frequent use of cynical refrains Non-linear, cyclical structure Pessimism What can we expect of this novel?

11. HISTORICAL CONTEXT World War II Germany Horrific massacre in Dresden (firebombing) ◦February 13, 1945 ◦Over 130,00 civilians died ◦Tantamount to damage atomic bomb did Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEItXS35g8o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEItXS35g8o