In his novel "A Soldier of the Great War," Mark Helprin reflects on the absurdity of military reports and their impact on identity. The protagonist learns that the Italian army has mistakenly declared him dead multiple times, which paradoxically seems to reinforce the belief in his demise rather than question it. This situation illustrates the disconnect between reality and bureaucratic perceptions in wartime.

The notion that being reported dead three times somehow validates the claim speaks to the absurdities of war and the often arbitrary nature of life and death in such contexts. Helprin uses this irony to highlight the complexities of existence amidst the chaos of conflict, showing how a soldier’s value may be distorted by military logic.