How would the novel be received in different areas of the world? Would the novel have the same impact in another country or culture? (Gynter)

I think this novel is timeless. It was an instant classic at the time it was published, it is a classic now, and will always be a classic years from now when our kids read it in Mr. Lynn’s grade 11 English Class. However, the question begs to be asked if this novel is only a classic in the Western world and whether its message is only effective depending on where it is read?

Slaughterhouse Five’s timeless messages are universal. Whether it is someone in India, Africa, China or Europe, its anti-war message will resonate just as strongly as it does in North America. The author’s message is so effective because of his plot that is inspired by his own wartime experiences.

The first idea that other cultures throughout the world may find so relatable is the notion that war is nothing more than: “Old mean talking and young men dying.” Vonnegut’s poignant discussion with O’Hare’s wife at the beginning of the novel about children fighting and dying in an ugly, atrocious war that is later glorified sends out the powerful messages of the exploitation of youth in war. A person living in Central Africa may very well be able to relate to this, as there are thousands of child soldiers being exploited for the greed of corrupt men. The shedding of a child’s blood is a passionate issue that people worldwide can relate to.

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/international/2010/06/14/wv.child.soldiers.bk.a.cnn.html

Secondly, his ability to humanize the enemy is something that audiences worldwide will receive as messages of peace. When the Nazi soldiers capture Billy and Ronald Weary, they are not portrayed as a war machine (like in the American propaganda of the time), but as people who are just as weak and pathetic as Billy. The narrator takes all the romance and glory put of war. He illustrates war as ridiculous, where the German army, consisting of teenagers and old men use worn-out farm-dogs to round up the Americans in the snow. They later stage photos to make themselves look proud and victorious.  It is a message that tells the reader that the enemy standing on the opposite side of the battlefield is also HUMAN.

His portrayal of the atrocities of war is a message that war, regardless of how much it is glorified and what side you are fighting for, is destructive. He does this by showing the reader that the Allies had also committed atrocities, in places such as Dresden, where the book is primarily based on. A person living in Japan may be able to relate. Much like the Nazis, the Japanese committed unfathomable atrocities in World War II, such as the Rape of Nanking. But also, just like the Germans, many innocent Japanese civilians died in the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Other deep philosophical themes that the book insinuates are the idea of Free Will and Fate. Such ideas universal and cross-cultural, and spark the imagination of people world-wide, forcing them to think critically about their mere existence. Only an author as talented and gifted as Vonnegut is able to achieve such a thing.