His response to them as sexual beings was one of frenzied worship and idolatry. They were lovely, satisfying, maddening manifestations of the miraculous, instruments of pleasure too powerful to be measured, too keen to be endured, and too exquisite to be intended for employment by base, unworthy man. He could interpret their naked presence in his hands only as a cosmic oversight destined to be rectified speedily, and he was driven always to make what carnal use of them he could in the fleeting moment of two he felt he had before Someone caught wise and whisked them away.
by Joseph Heller
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The narrator in "Catch-22" presents a profound and almost reverential view of women as embodiments of beauty and pleasure. His reaction to their sexuality is filled with admiration and a sense of awe, as he perceives them as miraculous beings whose physical forms are far too magnificent for the mere purposes of earthly existence. He feels overwhelmed by their allure, seeing them not just as objects of desire but as powerful symbols of something greater than himself.

This admiration leads to a sense of urgency, as he believes that such beauty is fleeting and may soon be taken away. His approach to their presence is marked by a frantic need to seize the moment and experience the pleasure they offer before being denied the opportunity. This dynamic highlights his struggle between appreciating their divinity and grappling with his own flawed humanity, creating a complex interplay of desire and desperation in his treatment of women.

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