Throughout Slaughterhouse-Five, both the narrator and Billy Pilgrim treat death as a tragic, yet inevitable, aspect of human life. The narrator imparts many deaths to the reader, but only in an indifferent tone. The reader, through the narrator's words, sees death as common and uninteresting. The narrator continually uses the phrase, "So it goes."" after telling the reader of a death. In doing so, he is displaying his blasé attitude towards death. .
Billy Pilgrim has the same attitude toward death, even before he meets the Tralfamadorians and becomes accustomed to their philosophies on life and death. Billy expects and accepts that he will die. He even welcomes death at times. At one point when Billy is in the war with Roland Weary and the rest of the Three Musketeers, a marksman fires at the group while they are walking down a road. The soldier boys run for cover. Billy, however, remains standing on the road, allowing the shooter a second chance. He rationalizes to himself that the shooter deserves another chance because, after all, that is his purpose: to kill the enemy. .
The first time Billy becomes unstuck in time, he travels to his childhood. He is with his father at the YMCA. His father throws him into the deep end of the pool to learn how to swim. Billy rests at the bottom of the pool. He hears music all around him as he loses consciousness. Billy easily accepts death in this situation, even though he is only a child. Before his father throws him in the pool, Billy is terrified. Once he is resting at the bottom, he becomes relaxed and euphoric. This is possibly the point in Billy's life when he realizes death is inevitable. .
Billy's encounter with the Tralfamadorians is another example of his nonchalant view towards death. Billy is happy while encased in the dome prison. He continues life as if he was living on Earth. Billy even tells the aliens that he could not be happier on Earth.
