An Analysis Of Inimitable Postmodern Deconstructive Features Of Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five

No literary work could receive more controversial discussions than Kurt Vonnegut’s monumental work Slaughterhouse-Five in the1960’s, which has pushed Vonnegut to the top of the literary world and even activated a surge to anti-war movements throughout the United States; furthermore, it has made a newly-found planet be named with Vonnegut’s name. The reason why the book is so vital lies on Vonnegut’s practical concern about all human beings and his innovation to themes and writing styles of fictional writing, which is regarded as a big contribution to postmodernism and deconstruction.As for the content, Slaughterhouse-Five is a half-autographic story, based on Vonnegut’s own experience in war. Through the elaborate depiction about firebombing in Dresden and the trauma of the anti-hero, Billy Pilgrim, after the war, Vonnegut expressed his own significant anti-war themes:meaningless death and depletion of human dignity in wartimes. In terms of writing style, the novel, on one hand, is related with traditional way, for example, appearance of various characters, climax, and symbols and so on; on the other hand, it is distinctive from that, such as anti-hero, anti-climax, and anti-narration. This thesis will explore its inimitable features in order to fully understand the postmodern novel.In Chapter One, it will make a brief introduction to Vonnegut’s life, works, and give a summary of Slaughterhouse-Five and an overview on its status in the contemporary literature. Besides, it will analyze some discussions and researches on this novel. In Chapter Two, it will emphasize on two theories in philosophical and literary fields: post-modernism and deconstruction. By exploring their causes, features and influences, it will provide with methodology to do rereading and interpreting of this novel. In Chapter Three and Four, they will focus on the content of the novel, respectively on themes and characters. Through deconstruction of themes and characters, the story makes itself diverse from conventional ones. In Chapter Five and Six, they will attach great importance to narrative techniques and literary devices separately. With the particular content, the novel is also outstanding in expression of language. In Chapter Seven, it will restate the deconstructive feature of this novel. Vonnegut who dares challenge the possibility of literature and break restrain of traditional thinking contributes greatly to postmodern fiction and research.