Billy Pilgrim (played by Michael Sacks) is a protagonist in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Billy Pilgrim is the central figure, a middle-aged man who claims to be unstuck in time and experiences moments from his life out of sequence. As a young prisoner of war, he befriends Derby and conflicts with Paul Lazzaro. After the war, he marries Valencia, loses her and Lionel Merble in separate tragedies, and later lives with memories of Tralfamadore, Montana Wildhack, and his predicted death. Paul Lazzaro (played by Ron Leibman) is a protagonist in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Paul Lazzaro is an American prisoner of war who develops a lasting grudge against Billy Pilgrim. He attacks Billy in the camp, nominates himself as a possible leader before withdrawing, and later fulfills his vow of revenge by fatally shooting Billy while Billy is giving a speech about Tralfamadore. Derby (played by Eugene Roche) appears in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Derby is an older American prisoner of war who intervenes when Paul Lazzaro attacks Billy Pilgrim. He becomes Billy's friend and is elected leader of the prisoners after Billy nominates him. In Dresden, Derby pockets a dancing figurine from the ruins after the bombing and is executed by a firing squad for looting. Valencia (played by Sharon Gans) appears in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Valencia is Billy Pilgrim's wealthy wife after the war and the mother of his two children, Robert and Barbara. She rushes toward the hospital after Billy survives the plane crash that kills Lionel Merble, but repeated car accidents destroy her exhaust system and she dies from carbon monoxide poisoning before reaching Billy. Lionel Merble (played by Sorrell Booke) appears in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Lionel Merble is Valencia's father and Billy Pilgrim's father-in-law. He owns the optometry school connected with Billy's postwar career and travels with Billy on a private jet to an optometry convention. When the aircraft crashes after Billy's premonition, Lionel is killed while Billy survives and is taken to a hospital. Montana Wildhack (played by Valerie Perrine) appears in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Montana Wildhack is a film actress who is abducted with Billy Pilgrim to the alien planet of Tralfamadore. The Tralfamadorians hope she and Billy will mate, but their relationship develops into love. They have a child together, whom Montana names Billy Jr., giving Billy a family within his extraordinary experiences. Barbara (played by Holly Near) appears in Slaughterhouse-Five.
Barbara is Billy Pilgrim's daughter, one of his two children with Valencia. After Valencia's death, Barbara objects when Billy chooses to live alone and later argues with him about the existence of Tralfamadore. Her reactions connect Billy's unusual beliefs and isolation to the concerns of his surviving family.
Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Billy Pilgrim
(played by Michael Sacks) — protagonist
Billy Pilgrim is the central figure, a middle-aged man who claims to be unstuck in time and experiences moments from his life out of sequence. As a young prisoner of war, he befriends Derby and confli...
Paul Lazzaro
(played by Ron Leibman) — protagonist
Paul Lazzaro is an American prisoner of war who develops a lasting grudge against Billy Pilgrim. He attacks Billy in the camp, nominates himself as a possible leader before withdrawing, and later fulf...
Derby
(played by Eugene Roche) — supporting
Derby is an older American prisoner of war who intervenes when Paul Lazzaro attacks Billy Pilgrim. He becomes Billy's friend and is elected leader of the prisoners after Billy nominates him. In Dresde...
Valencia
(played by Sharon Gans) — supporting
Valencia is Billy Pilgrim's wealthy wife after the war and the mother of his two children, Robert and Barbara. She rushes toward the hospital after Billy survives the plane crash that kills Lionel Mer...
Lionel Merble
(played by Sorrell Booke) — supporting
Lionel Merble is Valencia's father and Billy Pilgrim's father-in-law. He owns the optometry school connected with Billy's postwar career and travels with Billy on a private jet to an optometry convent...
Montana Wildhack
(played by Valerie Perrine) — supporting
Montana Wildhack is a film actress who is abducted with Billy Pilgrim to the alien planet of Tralfamadore. The Tralfamadorians hope she and Billy will mate, but their relationship develops into love....
Barbara
(played by Holly Near) — supporting
Barbara is Billy Pilgrim's daughter, one of his two children with Valencia. After Valencia's death, Barbara objects when Billy chooses to live alone and later argues with him about the existence of Tr...
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
Valencia → Barbara
(Family Mother)
Valencia and Billy have two children, one of whom is Barbara.
Valencia → Lionel Merble
(Family Daughter)
Lionel is identified as Valencia's father through his role as Billy's father-in-law.
Billy Pilgrim → Lionel Merble
(Family Son-in-Law)
Billy boards a private plane with his father-in-law Lionel Merble for an optometry convention.
Billy Pilgrim → Valencia
(Romantic Husband)
After the war, Billy marries Valencia and they have two children.
Billy Pilgrim → Montana Wildhack
(Romantic Lover)
Billy is abducted with Montana to Tralfamadore, where they fall in love and have a child.
Billy Pilgrim → Barbara
(Family Father)
Billy and Valencia have children, and Barbara later objects when Billy chooses to live alone.
Story Dynamics
Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.
Paul Lazzaro → Derby
(Conflict Rival)
Lazzaro nominates himself as leader, but Derby is elected after Lazzaro steps down; Derby later opposes Lazzaro's aggression by intercepting his attac...
Billy Pilgrim → Derby
(Social Friend)
Billy and Derby develop a friendship while imprisoned as American POWs.
Billy Pilgrim → Paul Lazzaro
(Conflict Enemy)
Paul Lazzaro develops a grudge against Billy, attacks him in the POW camp, and vows to kill him.
Story Analysis
Billy Pilgrim experiences war, family loss, love, and death as disconnected moments outside ordinary linear time.
Plot Progression
Unstuck Behind Enemy Lines
The POW Leadership Vote
Dresden Under Fire
A Fragile Postwar Life
Tralfamadorian Time
Directed by George Roy Hill
Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) · 6.5/10 · drama, science-fiction, war
