Disability as a Metaphor: An Analysis of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five

Author(s)	Dr. Divya S Nair
Country	India
Abstract	The concept of normalcy has become a topic of constant debate over the past few decades. The notion of being normal is always stated simultaneously with terms like impairment and disability. Though the term impairment is considered to be the defacement of the mind or body of the individual, disability is understood as a social construct. In ancient times, disabled people were looked upon as sinners. It took many years for them to find themselves represented in literature. At first, these people were represented merely for entertainment purposes. Due to the impact of the writings of eminent literary personalities on disabled people and the civil rights movement, these people occupied a prominent position in social programmes as well as in literature. Along with the major writers of the postmodern era, Kurt Vonnegut, an eminent American novelist and satirist, employed a non-heroic and mentally disabled Billy Pilgrim as the protagonist of his masterpiece Slaughterhouse-Five. By doing so, he attempts to challenge the conventional hero concept as well as expose the trauma these kinds of people face in a society of able-bodied supremacy.
Keywords	Disability, Normalcy, Impairment, Able-bodied supremacy, Trauma.
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On	2026-06-24

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