The Book Thief Yossarian Individuality Quotes

During wars, everyone is but a chess piece, a pawn ready to sacrifice itself for the greater good. As a result, people lose their humanity, becoming one of five million bodies. In World War I especially, lieutenants and generals often expended many soldiers, hoping to receive glory or recognition for their actions, without thinking about the loss of personality and unique traits. Although technologies had advanced, these generals still fought wars in a medieval way. However, following World War I, citizens realized the magnitude of death and began to question the old ways. Heller created Yossarian, a bombardier during the Second World War, to represent those pawns in the wars, the citizens who lost most greatly. Through the many dangerous adventures of war, Yossarian shows his belief in …show more content…
Throughout the novel, Yossarian shows his respect for human life and individuality through his actions. Unlike Havermeyer, Yossarian “no longer gave a damn whether he missed or not. He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt" (19). His only goal is to stay alive or to die trying. Yossarian values individuality and believes that, to preserve personalities, he must respects all human lives (since individuals cannot be replaced), even going to lengths to save others. As revealed in the concluding chapter of the novel, Yossarian tried to save Snowden after their plane is hit by enemy fire. Yossarian “began cutting through Snowden’s coveralls… and he scrambled frantically through the first-aid kit in search of morphine again and found only Milo’s note and a bottle of aspirin” (438). By saving lives or preserving memories, Yossarian hopes to have individuals in a society. Similarly, Yossarian also preserve’s Mudd, his tent-mate. As he notes, “Mudd was the unknown soldier who had never had a chance… his belonging still lay in a tumble on the cot in Yossarian’s tent