Tralfamadore

An interesting aspect of Vonnegut's novel is the alien society of Tralfamadore. While mentioned very frequently in the story, there is one aspect that is never commented on. Although it is plain that the protagonist, Billy Pilgrim, sincerely believes Tralfamadore exists, it is never explicitly stated that he is correct. Throughout the story, Tralfamadore's existence is left ambiguous. Slaughterhouse-Five may, in fact, be a story told through the eyes of a delusional war veteran whose fear of death has manifested in the form of his belief in the Tralfamadorians. Indeed, Slaughterhouse-Five may be Vonnegut's way of saying how absurd the notion that things must happen is. It is a well-known fact that Vonnegut was anti-war; Slaughterhouse-Five may be a symbolic representation showing how absurd the notion that war "must" happen is.