Pacifism

Pacifism or opposition to war emerges in the personalities of Alessandro Giuliani who is fond of leaving his military unit for Venice. This is also apparent in the counter-aggressive moves of the brigadier general Strassnitzky, who immediately orders his troops to run in the opposite direction whenever they encounter violence. The theme of pacifism is closely linked to the patent absurdity of war in a manner very similar to the American novel of World War II, "Catch-22." In both novels, the protagonists are anti-heroes who loathe killing and believe that warfare is insanity. This absurdity is manifest in several instances of circular reasoning as well as intellectual nullity in conversations that end in a meaningless exchange of words. In the first instance, an Italian named Alonzo Grigi relates that he tried to volunteer for the army but they would not take him because he was "too stupid," proven...