Closing Time

War is something that has followed humanity since the beginning. From the very beginning of time humans have been fighting each other, stealing each other’s resources, and trying to assert dominance over others. Because of its omnipresence, war has been explored in literature countless times. One of the most unique experiences of war and literature is the novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. Catch-22 is war satire, set in World War II and follows the actions of a bombardier, Captain John Yossarian stationed on an island base off the coast of Italy, Pianosa. As Yossarian explores his war-torn society he digs and finds layers upon layers of insanity and cruelty. In his work, Catch-22, Joseph Heller uses morality, mortality, and absurdity to demonstrate how…

In texts “ Miniver Cheevy” and “ The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” there are specific descriptions to illustrate the main character’s daydreams and personalities. In the story “ The secret Life of Walter Mitty,” The protagonist Walter is an adventurous person who dreams of five incredible episodes. In his dreams, he becomes different characters, such as the commander of a navy plane, a well-known surgeon, a crack shot, and a British pilot. On the other hand, Miniver Cheevy is a cynical and…

This quote is demonstrating how Catch-22 has defeated its own purpose. The government wants to cut out any questionable text from the letters. If an officer signs his name, then the officer is allowing the censorship to be traced back to him, which essentially sets up the censored text to be revealed. This quote is highlighting one of the novel’s themes, hypocrisy. This theme is important to the story because on numerous occasions Catch-22 will make a statement, flips that statement, and always…

Descriptions like “worried and bit their nails” and “grotesque” paints a picture of almost deteriorated human forms that have nothing to look forward to except despair. This effect has grown over time as they have learned this from “bitter experience” that soon takes on the form of a panic attack scenario. Shortly after, the phrase “Catch 22” is brought up that sheds light on their dismal situation. “There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specific that a concern for one’s own…

The most important motif found in Catch-22, is Catch-22 itself. The author uses Catch-22 throughout the story, not only to describe the circular reasoning the military uses on its pilots, but in behavior and dialog as well. It begins on the first page of the book, when Yossarian explains the doctors’ dilemma regarding Yossarian’s liver, and continues to the end of the book, when the old woman from the brothel summarized the idea of Catch-22 by telling Yossarian, “they have a right to do…

intrinsic darkness inside, can one truly be liberated from the bureaucratic oppression of contemporary society. This is particularly evident in the climactic denouement where Willard emerges from the river, covered in mud. A changed man and cloaked both in literal and metaphorical darkness, he murders Kurtz and takes his place, thus symbolising his ascension from the constrictions of society but furthermore the ignominy and exile enforced upon those who do. Both texts conclude consciously…

Catch-22 Review and Insight Catch 22 is often a phrase used to describe difficult situations when frustration builds. Merriam Webster defines a catch 22 as “A difficult situation for which there is no easy or possible solution“ (Merriam-Webster). In the book Catch-22 many characters face these difficult situations as they fight in World War II under harsh command of their leaders. Catch-22 has been challenged many times throughout the years as most books have been but with with the topics…

He spent the whole entire time devising a plan to escape the horrors of the war, and he took advantage of being labeled as different. He realized that being labeled as insane during the war only would help him escape without being noticed. Joseph Heller shows that the people who labeled him as insane were actually insane for believing his whole ploy. He shows that once someone is labeled as different from a crowd, they are automatically labeled as insane -- when maybe that person is the only…

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is a novel set during World War II on Pianosa, an island off the coast of Italy. Heller exhibits a type of writing style that features elements such as strange imagery, which was prevalent in the 20th century during the literary movement known as surrealism. He uses some specific techniques of this writing style, such as black humor and absurdity, to help make Catch-22 a refreshing and exciting novel.Throughout the novel, Yossarian, the protagonist, is an antihero to…

for a little while and then fake his death while they are in the room, giving Yossarian a first-person look at the effect death has on the family of the deceased. Yossarian seems to share their tears, not for the loss of their son, but for his own mortality and the fated mortality of mankind. Yossarian mourns for man, who cannot go a decade without an outbreak of some horrible disease, famine, or war. Likewise, many other characters in Catch-22 feel the heat of their own mortality beating down…