Catch-22 Essay, Research Paper
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). Heller’s satire of war and his anti war themes evoke pleasure and disquietude to show the mess of war, the victimization of the conscripts, and the monstrous egotism of the top brass.
Catch-22 shows how the individual soldier loses his uniqueness not as much from the battlefield like other novels set during a war, but from the bureaucratic mentality. An example of this Lt. Scheisskopf’s obsession with parades that he sees the men more as puppets than as human beings. At one point in the novel, he even wants to wire them together so their movements will be perfectly precise–just as mindless puppets would be. This theme also appears when Colonel Cathcart keeps increasing the number of missions his squadron must fly–not for military purposes, but to solely enhance his prestige. One other example of this theme is in the novel, when Yossarian is wounded. He is told to take better care of his leg because it is government property. Soldiers, therefore, are not even people, but simply property that can be listed on an inventory. In a bureaucracy, as Heller shows, individuality does not matter.
In form, Catch-22 is a social satire–it is a novel using absurd humor to discredit or ridicule aspects of our society. The target in Catch-22 is not just the self-serving attitudes of some military officers, but also the Air Force itself as a mad military bureaucracy. The humor in the novel along with descriptive styles such as:
Doc Daneeka, “roosted dolorously like a shivering turkey buzzard”; the mountains, blanketed in a “mesmerizing quiet,” Yossarian, wet “with the feeling of warm slime,” “lavender gloom clouding the entrance of the operations tent”
These descriptive styles help depart from pure realism–they serve to transcend physical reality by making sensations metaphors for states of mind and by attributing unusual qualities to objects, making the reader take a second look at familiar objects and feelings. These help to create new and altered perceptions of the world–common in satires as they try to solve the problem being satirized by having those satirized (the human character) realize its faults. One example of the absurd humor are the deaths of some of the men. The war kills men in both expected and unexpected ways–some die through anti-aircraft fire, while others did in odd ways; Clevinger’s plane disappeared in the clouds; Dunbar simply disappears from the hospital; and Sampson is killed by a propeller of one of the bombers. This departure from pure realism (i.e. the exaggeration, the grotesque, the comic-like characters, the unusual deaths) is aimed to first make the reader laugh, then look back at horror at what amused them–and this is the technique Heller applies to satirize society.
Catch-22 is the principle that informs the military-economic machine, giving it power and making war possible in the first place. It is the law that says what it commands is right because it is commanded, and the illogical must be done because the command says it is logical. Catch-22 is the untouchable power that has usurped man’s control over his own life and handed it over to an institution that manufactures fatal and incredible death traps. Heller gives us the feeling that this power could possibly be beyond even the institution that uses it. An abstraction can be evoked any time we find man subjugated to the absurd- it is reason, we would be told for his subjugation . . .
Другие работы по теме:
Briar Rose Essay Research Paper In a
Briar Rose Essay, Research Paper In a nutshell: Briar Rose is the story of the Holocaust intertwined with the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. The story begins with the death of the “Gemma,” the grandmother of Becca. Through out Becca?s life
Lemieux Essay Research Paper Dear Mr Lemieux
Lemieux Essay, Research Paper Dear Mr. Lemieux, 1-21-00 Hello, my name is Raul and I am currently a junior at Duquesne University. I also work part time at a daycare center in Orib, which is a small town in Pittsburgh. I understand
Catch Essay Research Paper Catch22 portrays the
Catch Essay, Research Paper Catch-22 portrays the absurdity of war in many events throughout the book. For example, Colonial Cathcart made the squadron go on more missions than they were required to. These missions were basically pointless, and some of the assignments included the bombing of towns that had no industry, enemy bases or value.
King Henry IV And Joseph Strorm
: Archtypical Fathers Essay, Research Paper King Henry IV and Joseph Strorm: Archtypical Fathers An ideal father is one who is both caring and understanding. To fit this
Essay On Lunacies Of Catch22 Essay Research
Paper Joseph Heller, in his Catch-22, satirizes the lunacies and catches of war and the military. This world which Yossarian and Milo inhabit is a game to be played very carefully. That the craziness of war is a game can
Hollow Men Essay Research Paper n TS
Hollow Men Essay, Research Paper n T.S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Men, T.S. Eliot contrasts his straw-filled hollow men with the “lost violent souls” of Mr. Kurtz and Guy Fawkes. Mr. Kurtz is a
Joseph Essay Research Paper Joseph was seventeen
Joseph Essay, Research Paper Joseph was seventeen , he was loved in Israel . His father loved Joseph and his brothers were jealous . Brothers were thinking of killing Joseph . They threw him into the well . Then they got him out and sold it to Midianie for twenty
Genesis Essay Research Paper Analysis PaperGenesis 39
Genesis Essay, Research Paper Analysis Paper Genesis 39: 1-23 In this passage, there are many spiritual factors in this chapter. God uses many phrases to translate into spiritual factors that were used back then and today also.
Joseph Cebula Essay Research Paper Blessed Josef
Joseph Cebula Essay, Research Paper Blessed Josef Cebula Father Cebula lived in Poland and in the latter stages of his life his country was greatly affected by World War II. Over 107 polish martyrs died in the Nazi concentration camps during the war.
Chrysalids Essay Research Paper In the words
Chrysalids Essay, Research Paper In the words of the Houghton Mifflin Canadian dictionary, deviation is defined as “an abnormality, a departure”. David Strorm, the protagonist in the
Sticks Essay Research Paper Tere
Sticks Essay, Research Paper Tere’s only one thing in the world Mickey vernon really wants, and it’s hanging in his family”s pool hall. It’s the awesome shirt that the winner of ten- to thirteen-year-olds’ nine-ball champianship will be wearing. But to win, Mickey has to beat Buck Pender, who is three years older and probably part gorilla.
Catch22 And My Antonia
… Character Comparison Essay, Research Paper Perhaps the most directly conflicting characters in Catch-22 and in My Antonia are Colonel Cathcart and Antonia. Both of these characters are ambitious and each sees a road that runs ahead toward something called success or wealth , but the roads that they see are constructed differently.
Joseph Stalin And Adolph Hitler Essay Research
Paper 3-2-98 Joseph Stalin and Adolph Hitler Once lived the two most horrible people on earth. Both of those people were leaders of a country and both of them killed millions and millions of people just to rise to power. Their names are Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin.
Joseph Priestley Essay Research Paper Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley Essay, Research Paper Joseph Priestley was born in England on March 13, 1733, and showed a great talent for science and languages from an early age. Priestley performed many important scientific experiments, among them the discovery that the gas produced by the fermentation of grain (later identified as carbon dioxide) could be dissolved in water to produce the pleasant drink called seltzer.
Stalin His Life Essay Research Paper No
Stalin His Life Essay, Research Paper No man more fully epitomized this era than Joseph Stalin did. As political, economic, and social leader, Joseph Stalin has emotionally, physically, psychologically, politically, economically, and socially affected Russia even to this day.
The Surprising Aspect Of Sex In Catch22
Essay, Research Paper The Surprising Aspect of Sex in Heller’s Catch-22 Joseph Heller’s humorist-war novel, Catch-22, has many surprising passages and themes. The part that is most surprising to me in Catch-22 is the amount of sexual connotation in a novel based around World War II. The question which has to be raised is, Is Catch-22 really about World War II? While this book is a fictious war novel, you get a different look into the lives of the soldiers.
Joseph Turner Essay Research Paper Turner Joseph
Joseph Turner Essay, Research Paper Turner, Joseph Mallord William (1775-1851), English landscape painter, renowned for his vibrant and dramatic treatment of natural light and atmospheric effects in land and marine subjects, and whose work had a direct influence on the development of impressionism.
Joseph Patrick Kennedy Essay Research Paper Joseph
Joseph Patrick Kennedy Essay, Research Paper Joseph Patrick Kennedy was born on September 6, 1888, in Boston Massachusetts. He was born the son of Patrick Joseph Kennedy, a local politician and successful businessman, and his wife Mary Augusta Hickey Kennedy. His parents wanted only the best for young Joe.
Jesus 2
Jesus & Joseph Essay, Research Paper Joseph and Jesus Throughout the Bible, there are many stories that are corresponding to those of the life of Jesus, from Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt s captivity and Abraham almost sacrificing his son in the Old Testament, to the apostle Paul s spreading of Christianity in the New Testament.
Broken Chain Essay Research Paper In the
Broken Chain Essay, Research Paper In the movie, Broken Chain , we can easily define the two sides, which are opposing each other; one is the six nations and the second is the British Empire. But actually, there is the third perspective in the scene, which I will go over later. There are two main characters in the six nations, one is Joseph Brant and another is Mohahehu.
Zues Essay Research Paper A Stranger in
Zues Essay, Research Paper A Stranger in the Valley of the Kings by: Ahmed Osman The book “Stranger in the Valley of the Kings” was an account of the pharaohs of Egypt in the Hyksos’ rain over Egypt.
Mockingbird Essay Research Paper To Kill A
Mockingbird Essay, Research Paper ?To Kill A Mockingbird? Characterization My name is Joseph Medeles and I have a secret to tell you, I have a twin! I bet you are thinking ? I didn?t know Joseph had a twin.? I do and his name is Jem Finch. We were separated at birth and I just found out a few days ago that I was going to meet him, and so I decided to find out some information about him at the library.
Jewishness Of Jesus Essay Research Paper Joseph
Jewishness Of Jesus Essay, Research Paper Joseph Foster Humanities 120 November 29, 2000 The Jewishness Jesus Jesus was raised a Jew from the time he was born. All of Jesus? ancestors were Jews. His family followed all of the Jewish customs starting off with his circumcision when he was eight days old (Luke 2:21).
Catch22 Essay Research Paper In the very
Catch-22 Essay, Research Paper In the very opening pages of the novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, we come upon a number of Air Force officers malingering in a hospital on an Italian island during World War II. One is censoring all the letters of enlisted men and forging the censor s name .Washington Irving x just for fun.
Catch22 Theme Essay Essay Research Paper Catch22
Catch-22 Theme Essay Essay, Research Paper Catch-22 Theme Essay The novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is a very interesting and very funny book. It is filled with crazy characters and strange events. All of these characters and events help
Catch22 Essay Research Paper I would have
Catch-22 Essay, Research Paper I would have to say that Joseph Heller?s Catch-22, was at least enjoyable to read. There were several aspects about it that made it good and bad at the same
Joseph Stalin The Most Infamous Leader Essay
, Research Paper In 1879 on Dec 21 Joseph Stalin was born he ended up dying in 1953 on March 5th. That was only the begging. He grew up and had become one of the undisputed leaders of the USSR from 1929 till his death.
Joseph Stalin Essay Research Paper Joseph StalinJoseph
Joseph Stalin Essay, Research Paper Joseph Stalin Joseph Stalin is credited as being one of the most powerful leaders of all time. He helped his country, the Soviet Union, become a dominating world power. Born on December 21, 1879 under his original name Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, he renamed himself Stalin meaning “man of steel.” Stalin was the unchallenged leader of the USSR from 1929 until his death in 1953.
Creative Writing Essay Research Paper I remember
Creative Writing Essay, Research Paper I remember back in a church I used to live in this kid named Joseph. The year was, oh, I say 1935-36. He was such a delightful laid back kid when I first met him, He was always by himself playing jumping jacks and other games in which he could play by himself. He did not have to play by himself but he would for some reason always reject our offers that myself and the other kids there made to him.
Youth
– Then & Now Essay, Research Paper Youth : Then & Now The spirit of youth has changed dramatically since the days of Joseph Conrad and his story, “Youth.” Conrad strongly emphasises the
Killing For Sport Essay Research Paper ENGLISH
Killing For Sport Essay, Research Paper ENGLISH I . 1613 PAPER 7 KILLING FOR SPORT “Killing for Sport” by Joseph Wood Krutch is an opinionated work on the subject of hunting for sport. He uses rational appeals to press the point of the sportsman as having less to gain out of the killing than the liar, the thief, or the murderer.
Joseph And Forgiveness Essay Research Paper Joseph
Joseph And Forgiveness Essay, Research Paper Joseph and Forgiveness The story of Joseph has several important themes, but the one I thought was the most significant was the unbelievable forgiveness of Joseph toward his brothers.
An Excerpt From Joseph Freeman
’s AN AMERICAN TESTAMENT Essay, Research Paper from An American Testament by novelist and apparatchik Joseph Freeman (1936) Reconciliation to the city is only a prelude to our transformation. The conflict of