Novel: Slaughterhouse Five
Slaughterhouse-Five (1969) by Kurt Vonnegut is an anti-war novel that details Billy Pilgrim's (protagonist) experiences during World War II. The Allies firebombing of Dresden is a central event in the novel, and Billy recalls his own experience as a prisoner of war during that time. Like Billy Pilgrim, the author, Kurt Vonnegut, also survived the firebombing of Dresden. Thus, novel is considered semi-autobiographical. Included in this novel are facts about WWII, alien abductions, and a glimpse into PTSD. Although Vonnegut tends to write in short, declarative sentences with little imagery, the reader must pay careful attention to the writing. The novel does not follow a linear progression. Instead, we follow BillyPilgrim's trips as he is "unstuck in time."
|
Background Information |
About the AuthorA Brief History of WWIIThe Battle of the Bulge WWIIThe Vietnam War/ The American War Explained
|
Characters |
Major Characters
|
Vocabulary |
Discussion Questions
|
Literary Devices
Allusion (NOT illusion)- a reference to someone of something commonly known from literature, history, or religion in order to make a comparison in the reader's mind.
**The text is set between the years 1922- 1976 (primarily the birth and death of Billy Pilgrim) with allusions to various historical stories that range from the beginning of the universe (Adam and Eve) to the destruction of the universe. |
|
Tone- According to the blog, Writing Explained:
-in literature, tone is the speaker’s attitude toward his/ her subject. -In fiction, this is the narrator’s attitude toward the text. In non-fiction, this is the writer/speaker’s attitude toward his subject. -Tone describes an attitude. Therefore, adjectives are used to describe tone. *Some examples of tone words include:
For more information on tone and mood, go to The Writing Explained Blog.. |
|
|
Grammar |
Click here for Relative Clause Review
|
Unit Project |
Click here for our unit project: Creative Writing
|
Exam Topics
-1- Exam Vocabulary
-2- Literary Devices-
*allusion
* hyperbole
*personification
*tone
*symbolism,
*motifs (so it goes, spoons/spooning, mustard gas and roses, blue and ivory, orange and black, Poo-tee-weet?),
*metaphor
*imagery
*irony (all types)
-3- Slaughterhouse Five (class discussions, themes, chapter questions)
-4-Grammar: Relative Clause I
Relative Clause II
Additionally, you will need to apply your reading skills to a new reading and be able to answer questions about it (as long as you are annotating and doing your best to answer the chapter questions in class, you should be fine. If you need additional practice, there are extra worksheets above to help you).
There will also be a listening section. British Council Teens has some great listening activities to help you practice! You may also be interested in listening to some podcasts in English. Personally, I love RadioLab! :)
-2- Literary Devices-
*allusion
* hyperbole
*personification
*tone
*symbolism,
*motifs (so it goes, spoons/spooning, mustard gas and roses, blue and ivory, orange and black, Poo-tee-weet?),
*metaphor
*imagery
*irony (all types)
-3- Slaughterhouse Five (class discussions, themes, chapter questions)
-4-Grammar: Relative Clause I
Relative Clause II
Additionally, you will need to apply your reading skills to a new reading and be able to answer questions about it (as long as you are annotating and doing your best to answer the chapter questions in class, you should be fine. If you need additional practice, there are extra worksheets above to help you).
There will also be a listening section. British Council Teens has some great listening activities to help you practice! You may also be interested in listening to some podcasts in English. Personally, I love RadioLab! :)