History did not demand Yossarian's premature demise, justice could be satisfied without it, progress did not hinge upon it, victory did not depend on it. That men would die was a matter of necessity; WHICH men would die, though, was a matter of circumstance, and Yossarian was willing to be the victim of anything but circumstance. But that was war. Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents. . Joseph Heller
About This Quote

In Catch-22, Joseph Heller wrote the following: “History did not demand Yossarian's premature demise, justice could be satisfied without it, progress did not hinge upon it, victory did not depend on it. That men would die was a matter of necessity; WHICH men would die, though, was a matter of circumstance, and Yossarian was willing to be the victim of anything but circumstance. But that was war. Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents.” This quotation is about the value of life and how losing someone you love is not something that should be taken lightly.

The tragedy in this statement lies in the fact that it is a sad fact that people will die for something they don’t necessarily need to do so. The more tragic part of the quote is that some people truly believe it is necessary to kill or hurt others in order to accomplish some sort of success or goal.

Source: Catch22

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