In chapter one of Slaughterhouse Five/The Children's Crusade, Mary O’Hare’s actions give us a glimpse of a motherly perspective on war. Mary’s anger and exasperation towards such young people fighting seems to be influential for Vonnegut. Even though he is causal in the way he acknowledges it, the title and the recurring theme of the youth of the soldiers fighting make it obvious that it’s important to the story.

Mary O’Hare is upset because “She didn’t want her babies or anybody else’s babies killed in wars.” (15) In reply to Mary accusing him of writing a book about war that will “Pretend (Vonnegut and his comrades) were men instead of babies”(14), Vonnegut said “I’ll call it (his book) ‘The Children’s Crusade.’”(15)

Like the characters in All Quiet On The Western Front and Night, Kurt Vonnegut is exposed to so much terror at a very young age. I wonder if he feels as if his youth was taken from him. Also, in the title, the word crusade connotes a very violent and passionate fight. Vonnegut tells the story of the Dresden Bombing very casually, and it doesn't really fit with the image the title gives us. He does not show the reader his actual feelings or horrors he went through. I am curious to see if he will share more of his emotions and what they might tell us.