War is the epitome of cruelty and violence, an experience that can prove exasperating and strip away some of humanity's most intrinsic characteristics. Kurt Vonnegut's experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II inspired his critically acclaimed novel Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), in which the characters continually search for meaning in the wake of humanity's irrational cruelty ("Kurt Vonnegut: 1922-2007" 287). Both the main character, Billy Pilgrim, and Vonnegut were in Dresden for the bombing, and this is what motivates their narrative (Klinkowitz 335). In his anti-war novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut expresses the negative emotional effects of war through the psyche of Billy Pilgrim. Vonnegut's distinct style conveys that the horrors of war are not only tragic, but inexplicable and absurd. His use of dark humor, like Billy's attempts to publicize his encounters with the Tralfamadorians, conveys the incongruity/senselessness of the war (“Slaughterhouse-Five” 267). While this is an example of dark humor in a larger plot element, the device can also be used in small details. This is evident in the description of the half-mad Billy Pilgrim after the Battle of the Bulge. “Wind, cold, and violent exercise had turned his face crimson” causing Billy to be designated by Vonnegut as a “dirty flamingo” (Vonnegut 42). Using black humor, Vonnegut is able to convey not only the tragedy, but also the absurdity of an event. The uniqueness of Vonnegut's style includes not only the description of events but also their organization. The narrator tells his friend that “It's so short and confusing and jarring, Sam, because there's nothing intelligent to say about a massacre” (Vonnegut 24). Beginning du...... middle of sheet ......d. Jeffrey W. Hunter. vol. 254. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2008. 287-89. Literary criticism online. Network. April 9, 2014. Niose, David A. “Kurt Vonnegut Saw Humanism as a Way to Build a Better World.” Humanism 67.4 (2007): 22. Rpt. in Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. vol. 254. Detroit: Gale Cengage Learning, 2008. 372. Literary Criticism Online. Network. 20 April 2014. “Slaughterhouse-Cinque”. Novels for students. Ed. Diane Telgen and Kevin Hile. vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 258-77. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. April 14, 2014.Vanderwerken, David L. “The Pilgrim's Dilemma: Slaughterhouse-Five.” Research Studies 42.3 (1974): 147-52. Rpt. in Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen and Kevin Hile. vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 274-77. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. May 1, 2014.Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York: Quadrant, 1969. Print.