Skyler answers “What does "So it goes" mean? The narrator...”

Nadya asked this question about Slaughterhouse-Five:

What does "So it goes" mean? The narrator seems to say that every time someone dies, so I was wondering what it meant.

Skyler Kurt Vonnegut’s character, Billy Pilgrim, has been burdened by the war, and is unstuck in time, and because of that he experiences deaths of hundreds,…moreKurt Vonnegut’s character, Billy Pilgrim, has been burdened by the war, and is unstuck in time, and because of that he experiences deaths of hundreds, including friends, enemies, and even himself, which may have possibly changed him to be less-affected by death, and to just say “So It Goes,” and really not care and move on.
However, I believe that this headstrong acceptance of death may be the opposite of simply showing how Billy is able to toughen up. Rather, it can be interpreted as a concealment his inner turmoil of never ever being able to accept another’s death. Just because one experiences more deaths in one’s lifetime, does not ultimately mean that one becomes less and less affected by it. Thus, I believe “So It Goes” may not be meant literally, rather it can be seen as a sort of protection mechanism for Billy to secure himself. In that way, He may be accepting, and moving on from the fact that death is inevitable for everyone, and that he can do nothing about it. But, I would say that he is internally still very vulnerable in the aspect of moving on from the pain of death. He may be acting tough by outwardly saying “So It Goes,” but it can still be a way for Billy to manage the pain of reality for himself.

True, the quotes are mentioned every time after one dies. Still, I believe that “So It Goes” not only reveal Billy’s acceptance of death, but basically the acceptance of losing control in everything. Quite literally for Billy, he is unstuck in time, he has been abducted by aliens, and that by itself shows how he has no control of his life what so ever. So, his life is presented as something uncontrollable, something he cannot even hope or dare to change. And in this way, Kurt Vonnegut’s “So It Goes” can be accepted as a philosophical commentary. A belief that one ultimately lacks free will in life, death, events, and everything that happens in one’s life. One must simply accept it and roll with it. One must go on.

Building on from the last one, the lack of control in Billy’s life can be interpreted as a political statement as well. “So It Goes” can be a criticism against humanity by highlighting the brutality of those who do not care about deaths. Some war-enthusiasts may say, Hundreds died already, if one more died, who cares, life happens, it is fate, there is a bigger cause. However, Vonnegut believes that war itself is a loss for any side. And in that way, Billy’s lack of control in his life and the war itself, may be paralleling the lack of power for any basic individual to make the deaths, the violence stop, even though it affects every individual in a negative way. Therefore, Kurt Vonnegut may be sarcastically mocking war enthusiasts by mimicking what they say in their totally inhumane manners: “So It Goes”
(less)

flag

deleted user I agree with your first and third interpretations most, Skyler. And I think if one reads Vonnegut's essays and interviews, these make the most sense o ...more
Jan 03, 2019 10:41AM · flag

Margaret Good comment. I think that Billy feels pain and does not want to dwell on it.
Sep 11, 2023 06:06AM · flag

More questions about Slaughterhouse-Five…

Slaughterhouse-Five

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

About Goodreads Q&A

Ask and answer questions about books!

You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.

See Featured Authors Answering Questions

Learn more