illustrate the strange paradoxes of the novel. Masters adds that:.
Few would argue that Catch-22 realistically depicts World .
War II or the time since then, but few would disagree that .
Heller has illustratively captured an aspect of American .
society that haunts and resonates within all people. .
By placing exaggerated characters in absurd situations, .
Heller creates an analogy, rather than a literal representation,.
of the world. (Master).
Heller's main character, Yossarian is continually trying to find a way around the rules - whatever they might be at the time. Desperate, he devises a plan to get into the hospital where he observes a man who appears to him to be faking an illness for the purpose of remaining hospitalized. This man claims to be seeing everything double, and Yossarian overhears the doctors tell him that he must remain in the hospital until this problem clears up. Yossarian, after studying the situation, decides that he will copy this man's symptoms so that he can also remain hospitalized. However, he awakens to a disturbing fact:.
The soldier who saw everything twice nodded weakly and sank back on his bed. Yossarian nodded weakly too, eyeing his talented roommate with great humility and admiration His roommate was obviously a person to be studied and emulated. During the night, his talented roommate died, and Yossarian decided that he had followed him far enough. (191).
Even through all the struggles, Yossarian cannot seem to get around his problem - he does not want to go to war; he simply wants to be free. .
Yossarian represents the average individual. His illogical thoughts actually make sense as you really contemplate them. They provide great insight into what he is really experiencing and how most people in the world live their lives - somewhat fearful. .
Masters observes that:.
There is no little doubt about Yossarian's unwillingness to fight .
As a bombardier, he has numbered himself to the destruction .
