Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade

Main Characters and Their Development

• Billy Pilgrim - A young soldier in the World War II army. Throughout his life, Billy experiences many tragic and absurd events, including time travel with periodic shifts to different eras of his life, making his character fragmented and multifaceted. Numerous traumatic events, including being a prisoner of war and surviving the bombing of Dresden, allow him to be seen as a symbol of human suffering and powerlessness in the face of history and fate. His time travels and encounters with aliens provide a detached yet insightful perspective on life and death, offering a sharp critical view of war and human nature.
• Kilgore Trout - A forgotten and little-known science fiction writer whose works have a profound impact on Billy. Trout creates plots that sharply criticize society and its absurdity, reflecting the themes of the novel and serving as a source of inspiration for Billy. He is portrayed as a symbol of loneliness, unrecognition, and misunderstanding by society.