This sardonic phrase consistently saturates every chapter of Slaughterhouse Five. The phrase "So it is" follows every mention of death in the novel, equating them all, whether natural, accidental, or intentional, and whether they occur on a substantial scale or a very personal scale . “When a Tralfamadorian sees a dead body, all he thinks is that the deceased person is in bad shape at that moment, but the same person is just fine at many other times. Now, when I myself hear that someone is dead, I just shrug my shoulders and say what the Tralfamadorians say about the dead, which is, this is what happens." (32). The expression is used arbitrarily without considering the significance of the number involved in the death. When the author describes the death of Billy's father (30), it deserves no more attention than the flat champagne (93). The death of the 135,000 citizens (240) calls for no more consideration than the death of a single tramp with whom Billy shares a wagon (80). The recurring term serves as a reminder that, regardless of the perceived importance of death, there have been countless billions of deaths before. Therefore, this detached feeling supports both Billy and the author in their treatment of the inevitability, inescapability, and illusions of war. Furthermore, the repetition of the phrase captures the cumulative force of death throughout the novel, thus emphasizing its