If I could make one change to Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, I would turn Billy Pilgrim into a dynamic character. Billy is a stoic guy; he remains indifferent no matter what goes on around him. Billy appears to lacks the complexity that most humans possess; knowing that his life will be tolerable serves as his only motivation. If Billy were to somehow become dynamic, the novel would be entirely different.
For one thing, a dynamic Billy would never be viewed as an outcast among his fellow soldiers. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy is depicted as a boy trapped in the body of a man; he is too innocent to understand all that is going on around him. In the novel, the American army believes in the survival of the fittest, and as the least resourceful soldier, Billy is left to fend for himself. Had Billy been dynamic, he would have developed a "Kill or be killed" mentality that would earn him 'respect' among his comrades. This newly earned respect would help make his stay as a prisoner more bearable.
As a dynamic character, Billy would also be easier to take seriously. One of the few traits that Billy portrays as a static character is that of remoteness and one cannot tell if he's seeing something in real life or in his mind. As a result, some consider his ability to time travel a sham. Had he been a dynamic character, Billy would be easier to relate to, and less people would question his credibility. Billy would also be able to convey the feeling of time travel through other traits.
If I could, I would change Vonnegut's Billy Pilgrim into a dynamic character, just to see how different the novel would become.
-Arshdeep
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