I Re-Read Slaughterhouse-Five to teach it.

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Slaughterhouse-FiveSlaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Teaching this book to my Experiencing Literature students at Rowan has truly given me a new perspective on its greatness. I was almost moved to tears addressing the class after we read through chapter 6. We were having a discussion on what a certain passage meant, on how the Tralfamadorian point of view was un-human, how things aren't "stuck in amber" and how we CAN do something to "change the world"-- "do you think Vonnegut thought he could 'change the world' when he wrote this book?" scattered nods and shaking of heads, scattered yeses and nos and idon'tknows. "Does it matter?" No. Even if it is only a little piece of the world around us that we have a positive effect on, it's worth it. Even if our idea of "changing the world" into a more positive place to live only involves encouraging others to read and learn from books like this. It was a gross oversimplification, but something snapped. Clarity rang. They got it. I couldn't breathe.

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