The anti-war, anti-establishment novel, Catch-22, follows the life of Yossarian, the main character, and his fellow Army Air Corps officers, stationed on an imaginary island off the coast of Italy, through a period during World War II. The book is classified under the genre of tragic comedy, yet some people see it as one extreme or the other of tragedy versus comedy. Both tragedy and comedy are very prevalent throughout the book, however the comedic portion serves a different purpose than that of the tragedy. "Although a very funny book, the purpose of the humor in Catch-22 is not so much to amuse as to point out (and skewer) the absurdities and contradictions of war- (Regher). The humorous or comedic scenes and instances in the book enhance the tragedy of the whole story by bringing realizations to the reader as well as to the characters. Not only does the humor decrease as the book progresses but it also does so in a way to make room for the somberness of the theme. .
The amusing one-liners, quick-witted comebacks, and heated debates about absolutely nothing form the basis of the comedic element. Yossarian's unnecessary nudity, Major Major Major Major's limited availability, and the old man's odd amount of witty intelligence are prime examples of this. This element of comedy seems to stick out to some readers, causing them to feel the novel is strictly a comedy. This may be because either they are not scholarly enough to notice the serious element of the book, or because they simply choose not to notice. Avery Pennarun states, "The book alternates between developing a theme and comedy, which makes it far more appealing to the average person- (17 September 1999). The dramatic theme of the novel slowly evolves into something that the reader suddenly notices to be tragic. On the surface however, the theme does not at all seem tragic. "Humor is used to permanently capture the reader's attention at the beginning so that he can be force-fed' the theme later on- (Pennarum).
Satire is defined as "prose or verse that employs wit in the form of irony, innuendo, or outright derision to expose human wickedness and folly." Satire abounds in many forms and situations in Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. He satirizes the human condition in war and capitalism, but Heller's most poigna...
I would have to say that Joseph Heller's Catch-22, was at least enjoyable to read. ... The idea of a Catch-22 is interesting. ... He is cursing Catch-22, although he doesn't believe in it. There is no real explanation for Catch-22, that's the catch. It can only be defined as Catch-22. ...
In the novel, Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, the main character, John Yossarian, is an example of a person with intelligent ideas, but actions that reflect those of an insane person. ... This tactic goes over quite well until he discovers Catch-22. ...
"Catch 22," by Joseph Heller, however, does the opposite. Set during World War II, "Catch 22" depicts a story that, in my opinion, is more believable. ... While reading "Catch 22," I found myself thwarted by the misuse of power. ... Probably the best example of this unjustness is the Catch 22 itself. ... The novel "Catch 22" clearly defines several aspects of war that are not usually accepted and are often unheard of. ...
Catch-22 is a novel that discusses the sheer insanity that accompanies the participants of war. ... As Yossarian discovers, "Catch-22 did not exist...but it made no difference. ... Catch-22 takes many forms, but the central one is that you don't have to fly any more missions if you"re crazy, but you have to ask first, and anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't crazy (Young). ... He is confused by the concept of "Catch-22" and can not comprehend it. He is placed in a "catch-22" situation when he attempts to leave the war by telling his commander that he has gone insane. ...
Lack of Chronology in Catch 22 Catch-22 has much passion, comic and fervent, but it gasps for want of craft and sensibility. ... The plot of this story is based around the title, Catch-22. ... Yossarian asks if they had Catch-22 written down and if they showed it to her, and she says that Catch-22 stipulates that they don't have to show her Catch-22. ... This is a Catch-22 in its self, and again gains the confidence of the reader. that Catch-22 is the authors" main theme, without using the examples in any certain chronology. ... This example of Catch-22 is not in chronolog...
In his World War II novel, Catch-22, Joseph Heller satirizes a variety of bureaucrats and the military-industrial complex. ... Pilots, bombardiers and navigators can only gain removal from the war should they invoke catch 22, which states that people found to be insane cannot fly, but which also states that only crazy people would want to fly so if you ask to be relived from this duty then you must automatically be quite sane, and sane people fly. Since Yossarian cannot be removed from the war because of catch 22, he attempts to escape missions using several strategies. ... In Catch-22, ...
Joseph Heller the author of Catch-22 says, "The only freedom we really have is the freedom to say no." ... The book Catch -22 is a good example of interpreting this statement, in a way of someone saying no to authority. ... The book Catch-22 incorporates this interpretation of that statement very well. ...
Joseph Heller's outrageously funny and very affecting novel Catch-22 is a perfect example. ... Heller's past is very evident throughout Catch-22. ... Catch-22 is a social satire that utilizes dark humor. ... Furthermore, the main character in Catch-22, Yossarian, is essentially based on Heller himself. ... It is fairly obvious why Catch-22 became so meaningful to people in the 1960s. ...