So it goes Eddie

Fear is a question: What are you afraid of, and why? Kurt Vonnegut answers the question of fear in, Slaughterhouse Five. Vonnegut addresses this through the acts of the character Billy Pilgram and real life Army Private Eddie Slovik. Billy Pilgram experiences challenges throughout the book that reveals to readers his fears by comparing his cowardliness to Private Eddie Slovik.
When arriving to Germany to fight, Billy was a chauffeur for an army chaplain. The Chaplain whom died upon Billy's arrival. Billy was left alone in the woods with no gun, boots or coat. He was weak, scrawny and against his odds, he survived and was honorably discharged in 1945. He was unable to defend himself against the enemies however, with the help of some American Musketeers, Billy physically survived WW2 in a POW camp.
Eddie was forced to fight in an infantry group that lost many of its soldiers in battle. For six weeks Slovik traveled with a Canadian group of soldiers until reaching an American rifle company. Scared and alone, Eddie refused to fight and offered a letter of desertion to his company commander. Eddie was offered many different alternatives but refused because he felt jail time was better than combat. Private Eddie Slovik was executed on January 31st, 1945 for the military offense of desertion.
Kurt Vonnegut reveals that the fear of death in war times can lead to strength or cowardliness. Billy survives against his odds while Eddie gives up. Billy has inner strength that aids him with the fear of death and the success of survival in a war time situation. Private Eddie Slovik is faced with the same war situation and chooses to face fear as a coward and give up. Billy is aided through his tour of duty with the help of his comrades, Eddie was executed by his comrades with no hesitations. So, what is fear and what are you afraid of: facing your fear the best way you know how or bowing down to it and giving up..."so it goes" Eddie.