Patriotism. Honor. Bravery. Duty. These are words we have come to understand as good, the noble pursuits of those who wish to live up to the universally accepted standards of what exemplifies good character. These are also the battle cries when the time comes for young men and women to be recruited into military establishments. In Joseph Heller’s groundbreaking novel, Catch-22, the soldiers are originally motivated by these ideals, and their superiors use them to enforce their rule. However, as the war progresses and the true madness and horror of warfare beco mes evident, the true conflict of the characters is revealed. Are these noble ideals truly worth the cost of their lives?
In order to understand the world of Catch-22, we must first look at the author and his intent when writing this novel. Joseph Heller, the author of Catch-22, was an active anti-war advocate during the 1960s. Like his main character Yossarian, Heller was a bombardier in WWII, who flew over seventy missions (Biography). However, it wasn’t until the start of the unpopular Vietnam War that Heller found a place in the anti-war movement. Although his experiences had taken place twenty years earlier in a completely different conflict, they …show more content…
The one which affects him the most is the Catch-22 which forces him and his fellow officers to continue flying, even if they are considered insane. This Catch-22 “specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind… he was crazy, and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did he would no longer be crazy…” (Heller 46). This passage shows the paradoxical logic that goes into the Catch-22; there are several other variations of Catch-22 which Heller presents, all of which use the same kind of word twisting to force the characters into situations, and keep Yossarian trapped in the
In order to understand the world of Catch-22, we must first look at the author and his intent when writing this novel. Joseph Heller, the author of Catch-22, was an active anti-war advocate during the 1960s. Like his main character Yossarian, Heller was a bombardier in WWII, who flew over seventy missions (Biography). However, it wasn’t until the start of the unpopular Vietnam War that Heller found a place in the anti-war movement. Although his experiences had taken place twenty years earlier in a completely different conflict, they …show more content…
The one which affects him the most is the Catch-22 which forces him and his fellow officers to continue flying, even if they are considered insane. This Catch-22 “specified that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind… he was crazy, and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did he would no longer be crazy…” (Heller 46). This passage shows the paradoxical logic that goes into the Catch-22; there are several other variations of Catch-22 which Heller presents, all of which use the same kind of word twisting to force the characters into situations, and keep Yossarian trapped in the