This sardonic phrase consistently saturates every chapter of Slaughterhouse Five. The phrase "So it goes" follows every mention of death in the novel, equating them all, whether natural, accidental, or intentional, and whether they occur on a substantial or very personal scale. “When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad shape at that particular time, but that the same person is fine at many other times. Now, when I myself hear that someone has died, I simply shrug my shoulders and say what the Tralfamadorians say about the dead, and so it is" (32). The phrase is used arbitrarily without regard to the importance of the number involved in the death. When the author describes the death of Billy's father (30), it deserves no more attention than flat champagne (93). The death of the 135,000 citizens (240) requires no more consideration than the death of a single drifter with whom Billy shares a train car (80). The recurring term reminds oneself that no matter how death is perceived, there have been countless billions of deaths before. Consequently, this detached feeling supports both Billy and the author in dealing with the inevitability, inevitability, and disappointments of war. Furthermore, the repetition of the phrase takes into account the cumulative force of death throughout the novel, thus emphasizing it