Slaughterhouse Five Lesson Plan

Analyze the first paragraph of the novel through the lens of fact versus fiction. Knowing this book is a work of fiction, what do you make of the first paragraph? What is the impact of announcing that most of what is written is true despite it being a work of fiction? Is it referring to the fact that it’s true for the writer, Vonnegut, or for the narrator? Why would Vonnegut start the novel this way?

Critical readers often refer to the book as an "anti-novel," which means it doesn't follow many of the conventions of the typical novel, opting instead to establish its own. Students should notice that the way this book begins is peculiar. The narrator, unnamed and...