Nately's Love and Death

Nately's romantic obsession with a prostitute leads to his death in a mid-air collision.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

First encounter

The Meeting The Blackjack Game Nately sees his whore sitting naked from the waist down in the enlisted men's apartment. She is ignored by the card players. He is captivated. The Pursuit He follows her, pays her, but she is indifferent. He becomes obsessed. He spends all his money on her. The Frustration She gives him his money back. He is heartbroken. His friends mock him. But he persists.

The rescue and romance

The Turning Point The Rescue Nately, Yossarian, and Dunbar rescue Nately's whore from a group of naked generals. She is exhausted. She sleeps for eighteen hours. The Love When she wakes, she is in love with Nately. She becomes possessive. Nately is ecstatic. He plans a future with her and her kid sister. The Conflict Nately tries to reform her, forbidding her to hustle. She rebels. The old man mocks him. Their relationship is passionate but unstable.

Death over Spezia

The End The Mission Nately flies as a pilot. Dobbs, flying nearby, makes a fatal error and collides with Nately's plane. Both planes crash. No survivors. The Aftermath Yossarian is devastated. He has to tell Nately's whore. She tries to kill him. Nately's death triggers Yossarian's final rebellion. The Legacy Nately's love story ends in tragedy. His idealism is crushed by the war. His death is senseless, like so many others.

Early in the Rome visits

After the rescue from the generals' hotel room

During the mission to Spezia