Symbols

Kurt Vonnegut Uses several symbols to present his ideas in his novel. Some symbols in the novel are reoccuring and constant, while others appear only once or twice. The most prominent symbols apparent in Slaughterhouse-Five are the act or "coming unstuck in time," the abduction of Billy by aliens, and the smell of "mustard gas and roses."

Abduction- A major contribution to every part of this novel is the fact that Billy was abducted by the aliens from Tralfamadore. This event symbolizes the alienation felt by returning soldiers. Soldiers have experienced extreme events that nobody else has, which makes the feel alien and different than the people surrounding them. Billy's experience of being abducted by aliens also symbolizes the experience of war. I'm sure war is such a horrible and unfamiliar thing that it feels almost as if it is another planet. Billy's abduction symbolizes the feeling of alienation that returning soldiers feel, as well as the feeling that war is another planet.

Mustard Gas and Roses- On various occasions in the novel, Billy refers to the smell of "mustard gas and roses." He recalls the smell when he is describing the breath of an alcoholic, and when he is on the telephone with an old war friend. Another occasion in which this smell is refered to is when Billy is pulling corpses from a bomb shelter in Dresden. These three events are not related to each other in the least, yet they all provoke the memory of the same smell to Billy Pilgram. This smell of mustard gas and roses symbolizes horrors of the past. An alcoholic breath provokes Billy's senses because he can most remember the war when he is drunk. A call to an old war friend is something that brings back many excruciating memories, and finally, corpses are simply horribel and would cause anyone to think og the most horrible smell they can imagine, which for Billy Pilgram is mustard gas and roses.

Coming Unstuck in Time- This is a symbol that occurs repeatedly though the course of the novel. In fact, it seems as if Billy Pilgram is constantly jumping to different years of his life. This act of relocating himself in time constantly symbolizes the way many soldiers returning from war feel: dislocated and lost. Billy Pilgram is literally not located in any part of his life permenantly. This symbolizes how soldiers feel after having experienced a tragic and violent war. The always remember certain horrors, and when the memories come, it feels as if they are experiencing it over again. Billy Pilgram's time travels serve to signify the prominence of the feeling of being dislocated in time after war.