Slaughterhouse Five Characterization

"There are almost no characters in this story, and almost no dramatic confrontations, because most of the people in it are so sick and so much the listless playthings of enormous forces. One of the main effects of war, after all, is that people are discouraged from being characters. But old Derby was a character now." pg. 164 Vonnegut

Even Vonnegut admits in this book that there is not a lot of characterization. He says this is because in the war everyone is so sick, tired, hungry, and worn out to be characters. However some do stand out that he focuses on. These include Billy Pilgrim of course, Lazarro, and Poor Old Edgar Derby. Billy Pilgrim represents all the soldiers that are driven mad because of the war. They lose their minds, and though they try to re-enter society they find that because of what they experience they can't. Lazzaro represents all the soldiers who are angry because of the war. Their hearts are full of anger and hate which is the source of the war. Edgar Derby represents the ideal soldier who does not want to fight, but steps up to protect freedom and the citizens of America. I believe that all those soldiers that aren't characterized actually stand for something as well. They represent the millions of soldiers everyone tries to forget about when they think about war. They become nameless casualties who no one wants to believe died so horribly. If society was forced  to recognize their names and their life stories they would realize how terrible war is and wouldn't be so quick to resort to it.