Curious Incident: p. 100-115, or chapters 151-157

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What did you learn about the relationship between Christopher and his mother from the letters he reads here?
What is the point of the analogy of the frog population fluxuations?
"Sometimes a mystery isn't a mystery." What does Christopher mean by this?
Christopher points out the amazing way in which all water is and remains connected. How does that relate to the rest of the chapter?
What is Christopher's emotional reaction to the revelation that his mother is not dead? How is his emotional state explained or shown through his own account here?
What are your thoughts about how his father handles the situation here? Does this make his father more or less likable?

Curious Incident: p. 74-99, or chapters 109-149

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Do you believe that Christopher isn't sad about the affair between his mother and Mr. Shears? What do you think of the logic he uses to explain why he isn't sad? Is it plausible? Does it make sense?
Do you notice anything interesting about the way in which Christopher remembers people? Anything that stands out as being different from how most of us remember people?
Our memories are often filled with images from our past. Explain in your own words how Christopher's mental visuals are different or are used differently than most people use their visual memories.
Why is Christopher's father so angry about the book?
Why do you think Christopher's father dug the book out of the trash and hid it in his room? Why not burn it or destroy it in some other way if he was so angry about it?
Christopher's father hits him, but he states that he did not mean to...did he mean to? If he didn't mean to, then how do you think that could have happened?
Why do you think the altercation is immediately followed by a chapter on why he hates brown and yellow?
Christopher's father appears to be genuinely sorry for his actions. What does he do or say that indicates that he feels badly for his actions?
Christopher has gotten sidetracked from finding the killer of the dog. How might his mention of Occam's razor indicate that he hasn't completely forgotten that investigation?
Dramatic irony occurs, essentially, when the reader knows more than the characters in the story do. For instance, we know long before Christopher does that his mother is not dead but has run off with Mr. Shears. Why do you think it took someone as smart as Christopher so long to figure this out?

Curious Incident: p. 50-74, or chapters 83-107

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 "Intuition can sometimes get things wrong. But logic can help you work out the right answer." Does Christopher's use of logic lead him to the right answers? 
Why does Christopher's father lie about his mother? Was it wrong of him to lie? Do you think less of him due to this lie, or do you understand him a little bit more? 
 "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by chance ever observes." Do you agree with this quote from Hound of the Baskervilles?
Why is Christopher so obsessed with being an astronaut? 
Do you think Siobhan knows about the Shears? Is she just protecting Christopher? 
What is it about Mrs. Alexander that makes Christopher able to talk to her even though she's a relative stranger? 
Mrs. Alexander tells Christopher (twice) that he can talk about things with her anytime. What do you think her motivation for saying this is? 
What is the purpose of Christopher's discussion of The Monty Hall Problem? Is there some symbolism here?
What do you think the smell is on Christopher's father and Rhodri? 
What does Christopher's inability to describe the garden show us?
What is the purpose of the extended explanation of the Sherlock Holmes story? 

Curious Incident: p. 26-50, or chapters 53-79

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What do you think of Christopher's reaction to his mother's death? What about his father's explanation?
If Mrs. Shears is a neighbor who clearly knows Christopher and his father well, why is she so cold towards him?
Why does Christopher have such a difficult time believing in the concept of Heaven?
What do you think of Christopher's casual view of violence?
What socio-economic level is this neighborhood in based on the neighbors that we meet? What evidence tells us this?
What do you think of Christopher's logic in his plan to find the killer?
There are neighbors that Christopher is afraid to talk to and that his father forbids him to talk to. Why aren't they the prime suspects?
What does Christopher's interaction with Mrs. Alexander tell you about Christopher? What does it tell you about Mrs. Alexander?
Do you agree that Mr. Shears should be the prime suspect in Christopher's investigation? What's up with his father's reaction to hearing Mr. Shears' name?
If Christopher is so smart, why is he in a school for students with special needs? Why does he want to set himself apart from them?
Are Christopher's goals for his education and adult life plausible?
Christopher promises his father that he will stop those things he's been doing to investigate the death of Wellington. From what you know of Christopher, will he keep this promise?

Curious Incident: p. 1-26...or through Chapter 47

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What significant differences do you see in this narrator in comparison to other narrators you have experienced? How do these differences affect the way in which the story is told? How do these differences affect the reliability of the narrator?

Why do you think Christopher fantasizes about being the only person left in the world? 

The novel's title alludes to Silver Blaze, a Sherlock Holmes mystery.When asked if there was any part of the evidence that seemed noteworthy, Sherlock Holmes mentioned "the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime." The police officer reminded Holmes that the dog had done nothing that night. According to Holmes, "That was the curious incident." Because the dog did not bark when the crime was being committed, Holmes deduced that the the dog knew the person committing the crime. This fact narrowed down the suspects and led to the case being solved. So based on what you know so far, what makes the allusion to this Sherlock Holmes story important in the title of this novel? Why is it significant?

Christopher clearly has some form of autism, and due to this, he has a unique perspective on things. How has his unique perspective opened your eyes to details or ideas that you haven't seen or thought about before? 

Christopher seems to be a very likable character. What about him makes him so likable? Or if you disagree with this, what makes him unlikable for you? 

Do you feel sympathetic towards Christopher? Empathetic? What makes you feel that towards him?

What did you think of the father's reaction to Christopher's arrest? 

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 10 -- Fin

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Our narrator places himself back into the story again with an account of the deaths he has recently encountered. What is significant about the wording?

Why would aliens be so interested in Darwin? Why would they be interested in golf?

How had O'Hare and the narrator become so "extremely well-to-do"? Why does the narrator repeat Billy's phrase about Wild Bob?

What do you make of the comments the narrator and O'Hare have after they read the population data?

Now we have the narrator, O'Hare, and Billy all together in Dresden...does this solidify Billy's story?

Why is Dresden described as being the moon? Do you suppose it's a fitting description?
If so, how?

What does the position and condition of the first set of bodies found in Dresden suggest?

I like this ending...but it might not strike you the same. Take a look at the last 3-4 paragraphs...do you think this was a good way for Vonnegut to end the novel? Did the narrator keep his promise to Mary O'Hare?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 9

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What a bizarre way for Valencia to go. Since we know that writers can dispose of characters in any way they wish, why do you think Vonnegut chose this circuitous route to Valencia's demise?

Love the Roosevelt quote...

Why is Rumfoord brought into the story? What does he do to move the plot along?

Why doesn't Rumfoord believe Billy was in Dresden initially?

Billy and the Americans were looting Dresden...does this change your opinion of Billy?

What does it say about Billy that the only thing he cries about during the entire war is the condition of the horses?

Why does the Rumfoord section end after Billy mentions the Tralfamadorians?

Billy realizes that he has read The Big Board before. This novel kind of mirrors his own experiences on Tralfamador. What does this fact suggest?

What is significant about the Jesus story?

Why does Vonnegut choose to put Billy in an adult bookstore? What do we learn about Billy based on his reactions there?

So we see the serenity prayer again, this time on Montana's necklace...what does this suggest about the earlier encounter with the prayer?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 8

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Although Howard W. Campbell, Jr., is a fictional character, "The Free American Corps" was very real. Look it up.

What do you make of Derby's stance against Campbell? What do you make of the fact that he's the only one to make that stand?

Why does Billy's daughter want to kill Kilgore Trout?

Kilgore Trout created the idea of burning jellied gasoline. What is this substance referred to as today? Where was it used extensively? Why is it important that robots created and used it in the book?

Another great description: "She was a dull person, but a sensational invitation to make babies." Made me chuckle.

Why do you think Billy reacts so adversely to the "old gang of mine" song?

Has anyone ever tried the mirror/dog trick? I wonder if it works...

Odd thing to say about one's son: "Billy liked him, but didn't know him very well." How do you think this came to be?

Odd that after the bombing of Dresden, one of Billy's strongest memories is that the guards reminded him of a barbershop quartet...

Bombing of Dresden: 2/13/45. Why does this date sound familiar?

So Billy fathered a child with Montana Wildhack. He also goes through the entire pregnancy with her while in the Tralfamadorian zoo. As far as characterization goes, what does this tell us about Billy?

What a bizarre scene...Billy and the Americans come out of the slaughterhouse to see Dresden utterly destroyed...they make their way through the destruction, and just outside of town they see an inn open for business. Why do you think Vonnegut included this seemingly unlikely scene?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 7

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How can you know the plane is going to crash and not say something -- allow people the opportunity to make their peace with God, for instance?

How does the nature of the Polish songs characterize Lionel Merble?

Billy was in a mental institution, and now we find out he had a massive head injury in the plane crash...could this explain the fact that his narration is questionable at best? Later it states that -- while unconcious from surgery -- billy "dreamed millions of things, some of them true. The true things were time travel." True according to whom?

Why do you think Vonnegut includes the scene with the women showering?

Interesting to see how Vonnegut described the spooning of vitamins. It was as if his body was thanking him...Have you ever craved some type of nourishment and had your body thank you?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 6 -- Dresden

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Again, Vonnegut starts with, "Billy Pilgrim says..." Does this mean Billy is an unreliable narrator to our narrator?

Vonnegut keeps describing Edgar Derby as the "high school teacher who would eventually be shot." Why does he keep reminding us of that fact?

How could the lumps in the jacket work miracles for him if he didn't question their nature?

"Golgotha sounds" -- anybody have a comment on the source of this allusion? Great phrase...

Isn't it odd to have dartboards and pool tables in a war? Are they included simply as touches of realism or for some other reason?

What are your thoughts on Lazzaro's canine revenge? What about his planned revenge on the Blue Fairy Godmother? What do these things reveal about his character? Should Billy be nervous, or is Lazzaro just a big talker?

Billy dies on 2/13/76, the day before Valentine's Day...is there any other historical significance to that date?

The state of the United States has changed. There are "20 petty nations" instead of one that is united. Chicago has been hit by a hydrogen bomb that was dropped by "angry Chinamen." These things have not actually taken place in history. What is the idea behind these facts? Why does Vonnegut choose this fate for the United States?

What is geodesic? Why is that important?

The flag described is a Hereford bull in a field of green. Anybody read 
Animal Farm? Seems to be a similarity between the flags. What is the significance of that?

Death is said to be nothing but violet light and a hum...no one else is there...not even Billy Pilgrim. Kind of depressing and empty.

What does the line drawn in the dirt by the Englishman mean?

What do you make of the fact that the Cinderella boots fit Billy perfectly? Is there any of the Cinderella story in Billy's story?

On page 146 in my book, the Englishman states that nothing in Dresden is worth bombing. If all of the reasons he gives are true, then why was Dresden obliterated by bombs?

Our narrator shows up in Dresden...behind Billy in the boxcar. What significance might there be in his comparing Dresden to Oz?

Since Billy knows that Dresden will be destroyed in the bombing, he takes in the beauty of the city with new eyes. Why is it that people generally don't take in beauty like this until it's too late?

What was the purpose of hiding a denture in the lining of the muff?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 5

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What is the significance of the Tralfamadorians having only one book and the fact that the one book they have is Valley of the Dolls? 

Billy seems to be full of fear at age 12...fear of the Grand Canyon, fear of falling in, fear of having his mother push him in, the Carlsbad Cavern's roof falling in on him, a glow-in-the-dark watch...what's with all the fear?

I wonder what the American said to make the guard angry enough to knock him down...

The Englishmen had saved all that food...why not take care of the clerical error so that the troops on the front would have enough food?

New word alert: rodomontades

The British are shown to treat war as something stylish, reasonable, and fun. Why?

"The banquet hall was illuminated by candlelight." The candlelight was provided by candles made of human fat. grotesque image in an otherwise celebratory, welcoming environment...

Where else would one be able to take in a showing of Cinderella during WWII?

Why is it significant that Derby is reading The Red Badge of Courage?

So Billy was in a mental ward after the war...Does this make his story more or less plausible?

"So they were trying to re-invent themselves and their universe. Science fiction was a big help." How so?

Derby refers to the war as the "Children's Crusade." Where have we heard that before? Why is that significant?

Why do you suppose Billy is so averse to seeing his mother? Is the explanation of feeling guilty sufficient, or is there more to it?

Valencia sounds like a prize...

What do you make of the re-write of the New Testament?

Funny that the Tralfamadorian crowd goes crazy when Billy goes to the bathroom -- just like crowds at the zoo react when apes or monkeys go to the bathroom. What's up with that reaction?

Why can't humans follow the advice of the Tralfamadorians and just ignore the bad and celebrate the good?

What are your thoughts on the gravestone drawing?

What are your thoughts on Howard W. Campbell, Jr.'s thoughts on Americans and war?

Is Billy cheating on Valencia when he is sleeping with Montana, or is he absolved by the fact that it happens on a different planet?

Time's Up

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Time is up! Good job to those who posted before midnight...everyone who posted after or have yet to post, I hope you do a better job of time management for the second half of the novel.

A couple of notes:
1) Be on time! You have had weeks to get this done, and you will have two more for this next section. Waiting until the last minute is always a bad choice. If you want credit for your comments, they must be on time.
2) Make sure you are demonstrating thought in your posts...that is hard to do in two or three sentences. I asked for a solid paragraph. I hate to put sentences constraints on that, but be in the 7-10 range from now on. You might get away with less, but not much less.
3) A reminder that you don't have to answer my questions. You can talk about whatever you like...and even talk about what others have written about. Remember, this should be a classroom discussion...without the classroom.

Good job, and I hope you're enjoying the novel. Even if you're not, I hope there are some thought-provoking ideas here.

On to the next section!

Creative Writing Opportunity

Get creative over the summer with a head start on the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!   This summer, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards will be hosting FREE Art & Writing workshops across the country! Workshops invite students in grades 7-12 to tell and share their stories, experiment, and express their creativity in a fun and supportive environment. All levels are welcome and each workshop will provide a guide on how to submit to the Awards.   SUMMER WORKSHOPS Art & Writing workshops for Native American youth  Poetry workshops & open mic readings  BOYS.WRITE.NOW - writing workshops for boys Science Fiction & Fantasy workshop    SUMMER CHALLENGES Special alumni spotlights on our blog with Q&A opportunities to see what inspires them to get started on a new project. Challenge yourself with our 3D Digital Design Challenge, sponsored by 3D Systems, for the chance to win a $50 prize. Submit an essay to vie for the American National Tree Award and a $1000 scholarship contest sponsored by the National Constitution Center and the M. R. Robinson Foundation. Versify: be alert for special online poetry challenges.    WE WANT TO SHARE YOUR VOICE    Show us what you're working on by tagging us at @artandwriting on Twitterand Instagram and use the hashtags #AWAwards and #StartWriteNow!   The summer is overflowing with possibility, so let's get started! Check out the Start.Write.Now webpage and join a community filled with ideas and inspiration!

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 4

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Who has an orange and black striped tent for a wedding? Jack Skellington?

I find it interesting that Billy knows he's going to be abducted by aliens, yet he does nothing to change this fact. Wouldn't he at least hide? Why do you think he does nothing to change his fate?

"So it goes." Even when it's just a bottle of champagne that's gone dead...funny.

What did you think about the WWII movie that Billy described backwards?

When Billy asks, "Why me?", why do the Tralfamadorians say that this was a very human question?

I found it funny that a Barca-Lounger is used as part of the human habitat in the Tralfamadorian zoo...What does that suggest about humans?

Why do you suppose Billy is so violent when he sleeps? Do you think his lack of sleep caused him to break from reality?

Why does Weary claim that Billy Pilgrim killed him?

Before the spaceship arrives, there is a sound like an owl. When the train arrives at the extermination camp, there is a cooing sound...significant?

Billy seems to jump around in time a lot at the end of this chapter. Why do you think this happens here?

What is so baffling to the Tralfamadorians concerning free will? Are humans brilliant because they're the only ones in the universe concerned with free will, or are they foolish to believe there is such a thing as free will?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 3

Why are the scouts killed, but not Weary or Billy?

p. 56: Is there any significance to this instance of time travel? Any significance to falling asleep (increasingly) at work?

What is "Ausable Chasm"?

What does the Lion's Club do? Who can join? 

Interesting that Billy was not affected by the talk of bombings in Vietnam...why do you think he is so ambivalent?

What is the origin of the prayer on Billy's office wall? What group is associated with this prayer? What does this suggest about Billy?

Why do you think Billy just randomly weeps now? 

Is there any significance in Billy's business investments?

"When food came in, the human beings were quiet and trusting and beautiful. They share." Love those lines.

Any significance to Billy's train moving and his being abducted by aliens?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 2

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This chapter reminded me of this cheesy television show, 
Quantum Leap. The premise of the show was that the handsome lead character would be sent back and forth in time in order to help with one situation or another. Until the situation was resolved, he was stuck wherever he landed...but one of the main differences between the show and the novel is that in the show, he could become other people...so he might be a woman, or he might be an old man, or he might be African American...that would be even tougher than Billy Pilgrim trying to figure out what age he was. It's much easier to act like yourself, no matter what age.

I love the phrase "unstuck in time," if for no other reason than it indicates that we are all currently stuck in time. Interesting to think about. 

When relating Billy's situation, the narrator says, "He says." Does this mean that Billy Pilgrim is unreliable to the narrator? If the narrator doesn't trust the story, should we?

Billy Pilgrim's father dies in a hunting accident while Billy is away at war...Billy's wife dies from a random carbon monoxide accident after Billy survives a tragic airplane crash as the only survivor. Irony? What do you make of these odd coincidences?

What is significant about Billy's profession? 

OK...so you're in New York, you're up late, and you're listening to talk radio. A man calls in and tells a story about being abducted by aliens, being put on display in a zoo, and being forced to breed with a former starlet with the unlikely name of Montana Wildhack...what is your reaction? What do you think of Billy's story?

So according to the Tralfamadorians, when someone dies, they are still alive in the past. All moments -- past, present, future -- have always existed and will always continue to exist. What do you think of this interesting theory? Is it plausible?

We finally find out the source of "so it goes." Does it change the way you hear that phrase?

[Note: Gotta love an author who uses the word "flibbertigibbet."]

vox humana and vox celeste...meanings?

Four survive the Battle of the Bulge: 2 scouts, 1 tank gunner, and 1 chaplain's assistant. Is there any significance to their jobs?

Everyone on the gun crew was killed except for Weary...sound familiar?


A Spanish thumbscrew, in case you were wondering... 

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Weary has a sick fascination with torture, don't you think? The Iron Maiden...

What does Weary's version of the war tell you about Weary as a character?

Why did Billy resent being rescued from the bottom of the pool?

We get the story of Private Slovik, the only American soldier shot for cowardice since the Civil War. Why are we told this story?

When Billy is unstuck in time, why does he visit his only infidelity? Is there a method to the madness of this time travel?

The chapter ends with the surreal scene of Weary beating Pilgrim while Germans watch in wonder...what does the scene suggest to you about the line between fantasy and reality?

Slaughterhouse Five: Chapter 1

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As this is the first chapter, let me tell you how I work. I am going to post all of my thoughts and questions from each chapter, taken from my own notes. I do not expect you to answer every question...or even answer any of the questions, necessarily. They are here merely to spur on your thinking. You can comment on what I've written here or comment on whatever you like related to each chapter. You can even bring in connections to other novels, movies, or your own life. When all is said and done, we should have a pretty decent conversation about each chapter. And so it goes...

First, it's interesting that Vonnegut makes himself a character in his own work. That will pretty much disappear after chapter 1, but you should think about why he would do so. 

Why do you think he mentioned the bone meal so offhandedly? It's probably an honest description, but an odd detail to bring up. 

"So it goes." What do you make of this repeated phrase? What does the phrase do to the narrative around it?

What significance do the limerick (p. 2) and the song (p. 3) have? 

What do you think of the anti-glacier comment by Harrison Starr?

What differences do you notice between the narrator (Vonnegut here) and O'Hare? Anything of significance?

I love that the narrator admits to drunk-dialing operators to stalk former friends and lovers...

What is the irony of Edgar Derby's sad tale?

What significance is there in the fact that the narrator outlined the story in crayon?

Why is what he learned in college so important?

What does an anthropologist do? 

What is important about his first news story? Why did he share that particular story? What was his tone as he related this story?

The Dresden bombing was worse than Hiroshima? How so? Is this a fact? Do a little research and let me know what you discovered about this wartime atrocity.

p. 10 -- Why does he repeat the phrase, "I know"?

What is significant about the list of jobs Vonnegut has had since the war?

Eheu, fugaces labuntur anni. What does this mean? Why is this phrase used?

I thought it was odd to compare carp with atomic submarines...

Mary has a cold demeanor upon Vonnegut's arrival...she then seems angry...then she unleashes her anger. What do you think of her as a character, and do you think her outburst was understandable/justifiable?

What is the irony of the information from the book by Mary Endell (p. 17-18)?

Great Quote: "And I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, and how much was mine to keep."

Theodore Roethke's Words for the Wind and Erika Ostrovsky's Celine and His Vision... Any significance in the allusion to these works? Look up a synopsis of these works and their authors and try to make the connection to what is happening in this story.

Slaughterhouse Five: Before Beginning

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OK...just a few things to consider as you begin this novel...three things, to be precise.

1) Why did Vonnegut choose to include a verse from "Away in a Manger" to start the novel? Is there anything significant here? 
2) Why did Vonnegut choose to dedicate the book to two of the fictional characters who appear in the novel? 
3) What do you make of the alternate title for the novel: The Children's Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death?

Give those things some thought and share your ideas here...

An Introduction to the Amusing Mind of Kurt Vonnegut

Here is a video that I found that captures the playful, intelligent personality of Kurt Vonnegut.

Research PowerPoint

Here is the PowerPoint from class. Hopefully, this will help you do more refined research online.