Determinism, specifically predeterminism, states that the origin of creation controls when and why all events in the past, present, and future occur, which decisively contradicts the belief in free will. of the majority of humans in today's society. Slaughterhouse-Five follows the life of Billy Pilgrim, a young man “detached” from time. The novel traces Billy's experiences during the bombing of Dresden during World War II, an encounter with extraterrestrials, called Tralfamadorians, and throughout his domestic life as a father, husband, and optometrist. In particular, Kurt Vonnegut explores the bombing of Dresden and its effects on Billy Pilgrim, making Billy a seemingly insane character who talks about aliens and time travel. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut questions the practicality of attempting to express free will in society and emphasizes the importance of the present moment as opposed to the past and future through the characterization of Billy Pilgrim, the manipulation of time throughout the plot and deterministic character. ideals of extraterrestrials. Vonnegut's characterization of Billy Pilgrim as extremely passive and almost helpless constructs a central theme of the novel, questioning the application of free will in the human way of life. Although Vonnegut does not directly characterize Billy as an isolated and passive character in Slaughterhouse-Five, he provides the reader with a fairly distinct set of events that reveal how disconnected Billy has become from the rest of the world. Other characters throughout the novel view Billy as weak and undesirable, causing Billy to adopt an attitude of detachment. During the discovery of extraterrestrial life and existing...... middle of paper ......youngAdults. Ed. Kirk H. Beetz and Suzanne Niemeyer. Washington, DC: Beacham, 1990. 1231-35. Print. Bryant, Tim. “Futility in Slaughterhouse-Five.” Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web. January 1, 2014&SID=5&iPin=ETL1190&SingleRecord=True>.Chabot, C. Barry. “‘Slaughterhouse-five’ and the comfort of indifference.” Criticism of world literature. Ed. James P. Draper. Detroit: Gale, 1992.3798-801. Print. Farrell, Susan. “Slaughterhouse-Five.” Bloom's literature. Facts about File, Inc. Web. January 1, 20145&iPin=CCKV2217&SingleRecord=True>.Peck, David. “Slaughterhouse-Five.” Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Ed. AJ Sobczak. Englewood Cliffs: Salem, 1996.840-42. Print.