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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which Earthling do the Tralfamadorans find the most interesting?

2. Why does the Head Englishman envy the Americans?

3. What did the Polish song remind Billy about?

4. How does Billy start telling people about Tralfamadore?

5. Who is the first person Billy sees when he wakes up after surgery?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Billy's wife, Valencia, die?

3. Why were the German guards in Dresden relieved when they saw the American prisoners of war?

4. Why, according to the author, is Edgar Derby's speech so remarkable during war?

5. How did Tobruk's death change the procedure for recovering corpses?

6. Why was the Polish Farm laborer hung in Dresden?

7. What does Howard J. Campbell wear?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare Vonnegut's story structure with conventional novels. How does his free associative writing affect the story that he is telling?

Essay Topic 2

Vonnegut makes frequent allusions to religious or biblical references in Slaughterhouse-Five. Write an essay that highlights his use of religious and spiritual concepts.

Essay Topic 3

What would you say was Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s purpose in writing this novel? What is the main message of the story? Support your conclusion with quotes or examples from the novel, or interviews with the author.

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This section contains 543 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample