The Theme of Death and Mortality in Slaughterhouse-Five: Analyzing the Novel’s Treatment of Life, Death, and the Inevitability of Death

In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut addresses the theme of death and mortality through the experiences of Billy Pilgrim, who is repeatedly exposed to death throughout the novel. The phrase “so it goes” becomes a recurring refrain in the text, used every time a death is mentioned. This casual, almost detached reaction to death reflects the novel’s treatment of mortality—death is inevitable, and there is nothing that can be done to change it.

Vonnegut’s approach to death is deeply anti-war, as he shows how death, whether in battle or from natural causes, is often arbitrary and senseless. The novel’s nonlinear structure also contributes to its treatment of death; characters die and reappear, and Billy’s repeated experiences of time travel suggest that death is just one of many fixed moments in time, with no real finality or meaning attached to it.

Through this exploration of death and mortality, Slaughterhouse-Five critiques the romanticization of war and challenges the reader to reconsider the value placed on human life. Vonnegut’s treatment of death underscores the senselessness of violence and the futility of trying to control or understand it.