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 time. First, I think the most important thing aspect to look at, is that Heller makes death, a traditionally sickening topic, a humorous event. It is humorous because of the way he illustrates who is crazy. I assumed that Yossarian was the insane one in the beginning. Now, I can't say that I am sure. I like how this book makes the reader think. Who really is crazy? Does anyone know? Yossarian is doing anything he needs to, to survive. Does that make him insane? In my eyes, he is living on instincts, the way he should. The threat of death keeps him going. He is not insane. So who is insane, the reader, the writer? I don't feel that I can answer that. If anything, I think all of the above. It is neat to see how one would act when faced with death. I think what Heller was trying to say is that when someone knows they are dying, nothing makes sense to them. When we see people that know they are dying, we think that they don't make sense. So, we can't really know who is making sense. It's very tricky in that way. This at least kept me awake and thinking while reading it. I think the main conflict of the story, was between humanity and the rules. We are forced to do something by law then we pay the ultimate price for it. The best part is that we do it all for the idea that we are protecting those laws. The idea of a Catch-22 is interesting. It's like saying,A person has the right to do anything that another person cannot stop them from doing.? This catch appears throughout the entire book. It was quite evident when the Italian woman is talking about the Military Police. It is also clearly evident when Yossarian is walking down the stairs. He is cursing Catch-22, although he doesn't believe in it. There is no real explanation for Catch-22, that's the catch.
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...
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. ...
Robert Merril says, "Heller has in fact divided Catch-22 into three parts."" ... Constant contradictions to past sayings and actions, given by officers and innocent bystanders of the war are prevalent in Catch-22 as well. ... The title alone even hints toward a funny bit here and there, as a catch-22 is a contradiction all in itself. ... The closing is a quote from a critique written by Louis Hasely that perfectly states the true purpose of humor in Catch-22... The humor in Catch-22, we are forced to conclude, is only secondary. ...
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. ...