How science fiction is used to explore larger themes

How is Science Fiction Used in the Slaughter House Five Novel to Explore Larger Themes?
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How is Science Fiction Used in the Slaughter House Five Novel to Explore Larger Themes?
Themes are known as overarching beliefs and ideas expressed in texts such as plays, fiction, and poetry by writers. Writers use themes to make their narratives persuasive and appealing and enable readers to comprehend the meaning in a poem or story (Cacicedo, 2005). Kurt Vonnegut used numerous themes to enhance an understanding of the war dilemma and how it affected the victims. As such, the author used science fiction, which mainly deals with futuristic and imaginative concepts including time travel, space exploration, extraterrestrial life, advanced technology, parallel universes, and advanced science to explore the themes.
Vonnegut attempts to express that violence and war are irrational. Vonnegut started the narrative by expressing that he was once a “prisoner-of-war” during the Second World War in Dresden. According to the author, he stayed in an underground slaughterhouse in Dresden during the bombing. Vonnegut had based numerous sections of the story on his personal experiences. Fortunately, Vonnegut survived the war, although the experiences affected him both emotionally and psychologically. The theme of the irrational nature of violence and war is unveiled when the protagonist “Billy Pilgrim” is “unstuck in time,” indicating that he lives from one moment to another instead of the day-to-day life that human beings live. For instance, the story displays the experiences of pilgrim while in war, and instantly explains his experiences while in a peaceful zoo. The two moments in life portray how soldiers survive when dealing with the war memories. In many instances, they usually decide to travel or tour peaceful places when they remember the violence and brutality that they experienced during war. The author wrote the first chapter of the novel in his voice. As he starts writing the novel, a friend’s wife from war confronts him. She discourages him from writing the novel indicating that children might be encouraged to become soldiers because of the heroics identified as the war took place. The author attempts to explain that he will ensure that the story will not be glamorized by famous actors if he finishes writing the novel. However, after Vonnegut completes his novel, he feels discouraged because, according to him, the narrative is short and has nothing intelligent to explain about the massacre. As such, he reveals his disgust for the awful violence he had experienced.
The irrational nature of violence and war is also identified when Ronald Weary sensationalized the war in his mind. The author shows Weary creating a film of his experiences during the Second World War. Weary admires a set of torture devices belonging to his father that people cannot relate to. As the narrative unfolds, Weary becomes a violent charac...