Point of View- Chapter 1

     The first chapter of Slaughterhouse Five was not a typical way to begin a book as Vonnegut tried to go back and tell the story of how this whole project came to be. In doing so, he laid out an outline with crayons on the back of wall-paper that he thought would help him put the pieces together. However, all it did for him was lay out what continued to be a significant amount of information that he was struggling to turn into a book. Eventually, though, he was able to do so and form a book that showcased his opinion on anti-war. That opinion is, in turn, where the point of view is so important. His stance against fighting war will be prevalent in telling the story of past wars in which he had experience in. Additionally, in the beginning, he tells how he has already began to tell people how cruel war is and to avoid it at all costs. "I have told my sons that they are not under any circumstances to take part in massacres," (19) Vonnegut explains. He also went on to explain that he also wanted to make sure they did not even work for companies that created materials for war. From the very beginning, Vonnegut's point of view is in the forefront of the novel, and he leads the readers to believe that it will continue to play a large part in the telling of this story.