Aaliyah Amini
Ms. McGrath
Honors Lit.; BLck C
29 January 2023
Literary Circle: Day 3 (Passagist)
1. “‘Just forget about it, kid,’ he said. ‘Enjoy life while you can. Nothing’s gonna happen
for maybe five, ten, fifteen, twenty years.’” (Vonnegut 141).
The above passage reveals that the character, Paul Lazzaro had a major amount of honor
and respect for soldiers in the war, to hold off on the very person that ‘murdered’ his only
friend, Roland Weary. Within chapter six, Lazzaro describes the horrible events he had
done towards a dog that had merely bitten him in a matter of a day, while he
procrastinates on the killing of people that had wronged him; however Lazzaro believes
that life should be enjoyed (139/140). This passage is significant because he carries a
similar mindset to that of the Tralfamadorians, that life is too incomprehensible and
short-lived to be filled with negative emotions, that life should be enjoyed; these
similarities contribute towards the numerous themes of the book, stating that life is too
short to be unhappy.
2. “Every other big city in Germany had been bombed and burned ferociously. . . Sirens
went off every day, screamed like hell, and people went down into cellars and listened to
radios there. . . Steam radiators still whistled cheerily in Dresden” (Vonnegut 148/149).
The passage is written so beautifully as to demonstrate how a chaotic city is generated
with criminal actions, fearful citizens, etc. because of how menacing war is. World War
II is not glorified the slightest in this book, instead being vilified despite previous works
having praised these threatening acts; this portrayal is displayed in the book as how
veterans (Billy) act after the war, how places (Dresden) suffer during and after, etc. This
portrayal of war in peaceful, and violent, places is important because it signifies the
amount of suffering that is placed unto innocent citizens, veterans and soldiers alike, and
how in most situations they are not giving a solution into the problems that plague their
lives.
3. “The slaughterhouse wasn’t a busy place any more. Almost all the hooved animals in
Germany had been killed and eaten and excreted by human beings, mostly soldiers. So it
goes,” (Vonnegut 152).
This passage foreshadows how alike the animals that came before him, most soldiers that
came to reside within the slaughterhouse would be led to a grim death (bombing of
Dresden) and those who survived would be profited off of (the clean-up of Dresden).
This foreshadowing is importance because it showcases the ferocious effects of war, the
death that plagues cities during and after turns even the happiest of citizens into tired and
deprived individuals. Additionally, the foreshadowing highlights how death is the final
release, and even those close to death could still be scammed out of their remaining
possessions.
Studying these particular passages in chapter 6 assists in understanding the book because
it showcases the numerous effects that war has on the character of a person, the condition
of a city, and the profitability that a person has in the eyes of a government, even in their
death. Within each passage, there is one main theme examined, war, and how every
participant is harmed with each action taken. With the bombing of Dresden, American
and German soldiers alike were killed with no indifference, innocent civilians attempting
to outlive those that came before them, etc. Additionally, the war negatively affects the
perspectives of many, producing betrayal, mistrust, revenge, while also manifesting
feelings of loyalty, mutual respect, and sameness among sides. Slaughterhouse V
continues to be an accurate depiction of war in all its consequences, showcasing how
death-filled war truly is and how nobody gains anything within it.