View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the source of the "animal magnetism" that Billy feels in the hospital?

2. Why are the prisoners of war taken back to Dresden after the bombing?

3. What does Vonnegut compare Dresden to after it has been bombed?

4. Who is Bertram Rumfoord?

5. How does Billy help Edgar?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the guards realize after they take the American prisoners back to the slaughterhouse?

2. Why is Kilgore Trout shadowing Billy at the anniversary party?

3. How does Edgar react when Billy feeds him?

4. What finally happened to Edgar Derby?

5. What story does Billy Pilgrim tell Montana when she begs him for one?

6. How does Billy Pilgrim die?

7. Why is Dresden so dark at night?

8. Why do people think Billy is brain damaged after his surgery?

9. What is the meaning of the last line of the novel?

10. What did Paul Lazzaro do to the dog that bit him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Tralfamadorans have a very different view of time than we do. Write an essay that speculates on how humans will view time in 500 years. Will we still look at it the same way?

Essay Topic 2

Write an analysis of one of the major characters in Slaughterhouse-Five. Track their actions through the book and comment on their purpose in furthering the plot or theme of the book.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay comparing the treatment of the prisoners of war by the Germans to the way prisoners of war are treated today. Use one of the following questions (or your own ideas) to form your thesis:

1) Are prisoners of war treated better or worse now than during World War II?

2) Are the Geneva Conventions still relevant?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 505 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample