Slaughterhouse-Five Chapter 1 Post 1 of 2

      Vonnegut immediately indicates his unique style in this opening chapter. The book opens more as an autobiography rather than a fiction novel. Vonnegut utilizes this style to demonstrate his insane involvement in this literary pierce. He places this autobiographical taste in ones mouth by saying, "I really did go back to Dresden with Guggenheim money (God love it) in 1967. It looked a lot like Dayton, Ohio..." (Vonnegut, 1). Vonnegut uses common relations and small, humorous opinions that immediately draw the reader into the novel and ultimately Vonnegut's overall style of writing.
     By focusing in on the quote, three stylistic points can be extracted from Vonnegut's early words. First Vonnegut emphasizes his actions by saying, "I really did go back to Dresden..." It is almost as if Vonnegut thinks the reader doubts his immediate explanation in the first couple sentences of the novel. This is a good example of Vonnegut's unique style. Second, on looks at his personalized excerpt: "(God love it)." This humorous note continues to bolster the autobiographical feel. The third point of Vonnegut's style from the above quote is his reference to Dayton. In everyday conversation, when one explains an event to his/her listener, one always makes references to a well known place to allow for a more accurate image. Vonnegut's reference keeps true to his personal style.