Characters
This author inserts himself into the narrative, reflecting his own experiences as a soldier in WWII.
Who is Kurt Vonnegut?
This German city was heavily bombed during WWII, an event central to the novel.
What is Dresden?
This recurring motif in the novel symbolizes the inevitability and permanence of death.
These extraterrestrial beings abduct Billy and view time as a constant, unchangeable entity.
Who are the Tralfamadorians?
Vonnegut begins the novel by declaring it is mostly this type of book.
What is an anti-war book?
This character swears revenge on Billy for his perceived role in his friend’s death, and ultimately kills Billy.
Who is Paul Lazzaro?
This place serves as Billy's home post-abduction, and somewhere he escapes from reality.
What is Tralfamadore?
The story ends unconventionally with this nonsensical phrase that underscores the absurdity of war.
What is "poo-tee-weet?"
Vonnegut uses this concept to tell a non-linear story. This concept is a state Billy undergoes throughout the book that is often triggered by his PTSD or being in an emotional state.
What is "unstuck in time?"
This literary device used heavily by Vonnegut combines humor with serious topics.
What is dark comedy?
This character is executed for stealing a teapot.
Billy returns to this fictional city in New York after WWII, where he becomes an optometrist and marries.
What is Ilium?
This insect is a symbol used to describe Billy’s perception of his existence, emphasizing his lack of control.
What is a bug trapped in amber?
Who is Kilgore Trout?
The novel’s portrayal of time as non linear and unchangeable reflects this philosophical view.
What is fatalism?
This character wears a heart-shaped necklace with the serenity prayer inscribed on it.
In this US state, Billy survives a plane crash.
What is Vermont?
Who is Valencia Merble?
Tralfamadorians reject this philosophical concept, which assumes humans have control over their fate, and instead insist that all events are predetermined and unchangeable.
What is free will?
The recurring image of broken clocks, warped timelines, and Billy’s time travel symbolize this concept.
What is the instability of time and memory?
This woman is the inspiration behind the novel’s frequent symbology relating to children and the baby Jesus, as well as the novel’s alternative title, "The Children’s Crusade."
Who is Mary O'Hare?
Billy is hopitalized at this location, where he is treated for symptoms resembling PTSD.
What is Lake Placid?
This phrase appears multiple times in the book, including scenes where Billy sleeps with a hobo and later with his wife. This phrase serves as a metaphor for vulnerability and the enduring need for human connection.
What is “nestled like spoons?"
Billy adopts the Tralfamadorians perception of time, who view it as an unchangeable with different events happening simultaneously, and compare it to this object.
What is the stretch of the rocky mountains?
This animal is used metaphorically to highlight the vulnerability, innocence, and futility in war.
What is a lamb?