Sanity In Joseph Heller's Catch-22

Often times Catch-22 is characterized by a very loose grip on reality. The line between what is apparent and what is real is continually indistinguishable, even to readers. One aspect that contributes greatly to this effect is the distortion of justice and the military technicalities. In the military world created by Heller, what is written on paper is what is true, even if it can be defied by reality. Throughout much of the book, Yossarian is found complaining that there is a “dead man”(24) in his tent. When the concept of the dead man is first introduced, the readers are led to believe that there is an actual dead soldier sitting in Yossarian’s tent, which the military refuses to remove. However, later clarification shows that is not the case at all, but rather, after setting his luggage down, the soldier was killed in the air before he even got the chance to sign in. The grim irony of the situation is that according to the appearance based logic of the military, it is as if the man was never there at all, and his things can therefore not be processed. Another example of such distorted reality is found in McWatt’s

Near the end of the novel the soldiers or enlisted men begin to realize a need to value life or even a mere sense of safety. This realization is something that Heller had been satirizing throughout the novel by pointing out that the enlisted men were risking their lives everyday without question for an unstable ad unjust system. How could you have extreme urge to defend your country, if you know first hand the detestable things that are done behind the scenes? It also makes it worse that Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn represent the country to many of the men .The Plot of Catch - 22 is understand what Heller meant with his use of satire and how that was significant to the book and the understanding of Yosarrian’s evolution. Heller also has themes within the novel that display different emotions; some of them are Confusion, sanity, hope and pity. Heller as do many other authors wants the reader to also feel those emotions just as the characters. Yosarrian (The main character of the story) has that affect on readers. The main reason he has that affect is because he is the character from the novel that most can relate to and because seems to be the only one to object authority at times.

Everybody knows that guy or girl who they believe to be nuts. They may have done something completely bonkers, or have done nothing unacceptable at all. They may have no cause at all, in a way it takes one to know one. This is different for Yossarian, where everyone he knows is actually psychotic. Literally, all the characters in Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 are completely mental, Yossarian is constantly falling in love with people that end up not replicating a mutual feeling, Colonel Cathcart relentlessly sends his men to their death just so he can climb the ranks to General, final there is Milo Minderbinder, the biggest loon of them all. Milo Minderbinder is literally out of his mind at one point in the book he attempted to force the company to consume chocolate covered Egyptian cotton, he did this because a Egyptian told him that Egyptian cotton would be very valuable, so he purchased all of it just manufacture profit for his syndicate. Milo Minderbinder is the most magnificent character in Catch 22 he

Catch-22 closes with Yossarian’s escape from the deranged, knife-wielding lover of Yossarian’s fellow soldier, Nately. After Nately’s death, Yossarian breaks the news of the death to Nately’s lover, and she blames it all on him. As he runs from her, “Nately’s whore was hiding just outside the door.” She swings the knife, “missing him by inches, and he took off” (Heller 453). By narrowly escaping, Yossarian survives destruction, unlike the rest of his friends. His predilection towards flight over fight saves him, showing Heller’s belief that escapism is a mark of sanity. When Yossarian experiences a failed escape, it leads to the downfall of not only his short-lived faith, but also that of a man he

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller is a complex and intricate novel. Heller uses many themes, does not have the story line in chronological order and often uses irony in his descriptions. Many of the themes can be compared to other literature. One of the themes that can be compared is fear in war. The idea is that the evils and cruelty of war can make a grown man go back into a "fetal" state. This can be seen in The Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell and can be compared to the metaphor used in chapter five of Catch 22. In this chapter Yossarian talks about the tight crawl space which led to the plexiglass bombardier’s compartment.

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, is a fictitious novel that depicts life on an American bomber squadron on Pianosa, an island off the coast of Italy, during the closing years of World War II. A bombardier by the name of Yossarian, the main character in the story, is joined by many others to create a comic drama unlike any other. But aside from the entertainment, Heller uses Catch-22 to satirize many aspects of everyday life that consist of hypocrisy, corruption, and insanity. From the laziness of policeman to the fake happiness brought about by money, the novel is painted with a great number of points targeted against the faults of modern society. However, along with these smaller targets, a majority of the Heller’s satire in the novel is

In Catch-22, Joseph Heller reveals the perversions of the human character and society. Using various themes and a unique style and structure, Heller satirizes war and its values as well as using the war setting to satirize society at large. By manipulating the "classic" war setting and language of the novel Heller is able to depict society as dark and twisted. Heller demonstrates his depiction of society through the institution of war (i.e. it's effects and problems during and after war). In the novel, the loss of individuality through the lives of the soldiers; the insanity of war and Heller's solution to insanity; and the idea of "there is always a catch" in life is shown to a dramatic extent. Heller's novel not only

[which exposes] not only the gaping holes in the fabric of society but also the inability of language to give voice to the outrage of the human condition (Ruderman 1991: 30)” (Downing 111). Heller uses satire to bring light to these realities. Nobody wanted to talk about the horror soldiers dealt with. Catch-22 accurately displays these realities through humor and

I personally believe the primary theme of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is the inevitability of death. Many characters throughout the story do what they can to escape the battle and the constant rise of necessary missions, to escape the overwhelming danger and insanity of war in general to return alive and safe to their home, family, and friends. Yossarian especially finds himself in constant anxiety through each flight mission, counting out every possibility he could die and doing everything in his power to escape it, which is a hard feat when bullets and bombs are targeting them, even by their own side. However, mortality is soon proven to Yossarian and the members of his squadron, that death is simply an indomitable force that can never be completely avoidable, his fellow

With the term Catch-22, comes a lot of backstory of Yossarian and the problems he faces, although it really has a lot of deeper meaning inside the story it originated, with problems coming from imagery, tone, institution, political setting and Yossarians development throughout the story. Imagery of falsehood in reality. Institution is based on expectations and reality in the book. This is because the Institution must rely on the expectation that the bomber formation always gets the job done. For example, when Colonel Cathcart and Peckham agree to move the bomb line and have missions set for Bologna(Ch.12), Yossarian and his mates prepare for suicide as this area is rumored to be highly defensive.

World War II was an influential part of American history. WWII lasted from September 1, 1939- September 2, 1945. America did not join the war until December 7, 1941. The Soviet Union fought with Germany, at the start of the war, but switched sides and helped the Allied Powers and America. The two countries fought together during the war, but after it ended they went back to enemies. They indirectly fought each other for a period of time known as the Cold War. The countries fought each other by joining wars between other countries. One of these wars was the Korean war. America fought of the side of South Korea who had a democratic government. The Soviet Union aided North Korea to support Communism. The Cold War created a sense of fear in the American people with threat of communism and nuclear war.

Through Yossarian’s character, Heller satirizes the fact that not everybody involved in war is a hero. Although Yossarian contributes to the war effort and does his share, deep inside he is truly traumatized by the war and cannot bring himself to be brave. Unlike the others who put themselves on the line in battle, Yossarian’s paranoia causes him to hide in hospitals, pretending to suffer from sickness.

A staple of American literature for more than 50 years, Catch-22 has received both praise and criticism. A common criticism of the novel is it is “repetitious and essentially formless” (Merrill). Robert Merrill explains these criticisms and refutes them by expanding upon Heller’s logic in creating this inconsistent chronology and goes onto make further arguments regarding Yossarian’s morality. Merrill’s explanation of Heller’s structural chaos as an intentional act is accurate. Throughout the novel, events such as Snowden’s death and Yossarian’s time in the hospital are repeated multiple times. This repetition serves to convey Heller’s darkening tone as the novel progresses. For example, Snowden’s death is described differently each of the three times it is mentioned. The first time, Heller keeps the

Joseph Heller’s classic novel Catch 22 is a satirical story written about problems with bureaucracies like the military and the political machine. Yossarian, in his misadventures throughout the book, encounters multiple characters that embody Heller’s views of a bureaucracy. Bureaucracy cares little for the individual person, and those in the bureaucracy do not wish to spend time and energy on people unless it furthers their own ends. Characters like Colonel Cathcart embody the selfishness of people trying to see how they can take advantage of any situation, while Yossarian and the rest of his squadron are portrayed as innocent common men whose lives are in jeopardy because of the self-centeredness of their leadership. These characters assist

However, the possible dangers are not limited to ones pertaining to physical injury. An example of this is Yossarian’s conversation with an italian family who is told that Yossarian is their dying son, “wincing” and “feel[ing] sick” at his barefaced lie (Heller 184-185). This scenario serves as a broad implication of moral loss and danger faced by soldiers. Their lives affect those around them and their families, and their decisions can also weigh on their conscience. They also rely on each other, and occasionally may form emotional ties amid all of the superficial relationships, putting a part of their soul at risk. Reinforcing this assertion that all these conflicts are legitimate fears, Norman Podhoretz in his article "Looking Back at 'Catch-22'" agrees that “Yossarian's paranoia... [is] not a disease but a sensible response to real dangers” (Podhoretz 5). Podhoretz’s assertion that Yossarian’s paranoia, while humorous in its absurdity, is legitimate illustrates the danger inherent in the common facets of everyday life, establishing the tumultuous atmosphere in the novel.