Examples Of Paradox In Catch 22

A Catch we can’t escape

Catch-22 may be defined as a situation in which there is only one outcome because of a set of mutually conflicting dependent conditions. In Joseph Heller’s war-based novel Catch-22 which is set during World War II, there are many different themes which all in some way are caused by the paradox that can help describe the concept of a Catch-22 situation. Many of these themes are expressed in many ways that caused a great deal of suffering to the characters that experienced making the tough choices. The power hungry bureaucracy running Captain John Yossarian’s base has made conditions for their troops hard. This caused a culture of fear and the likelihood of death. For the troops to come to grips with reality and wanting

Everyday men in Yossarian’s base are dying and no one is able to change that. The idea in the minds of the troops was the belief that the war being fought is based on useless reasons. There were reasons such as the colonels wanting to fight so they get promoted etc. Some of these troops risk their lives unwillingly and die because of the Catch-22 rule the bureaucracy set for the troops. First, during the war many troops are dying including Yossarian’s friends. Their deaths are unnecessary and this is even harder on the other troops because they know there is no need for this war. “Behind him, men were dying. Strung out for miles, the others planes [shot down, and falling over the target the same way]” (Heller 136). In the book death is described as a humiliating experience and that troops are killed and deprived of their human dignity. Next, many of the troops on the base were more scared of dying while flying on missions than dying sick in the hospital. “People knew a lot more about dying inside the hospital and made a much neater, more orderly job of it. People gave up their ghost with delicacy and taste inside the hospital. There was none of that crude, ugly ostentation about dying that was common outside the hospital” (Heller 165-166). Troops were ready to die in the hospital than out flying on missions. This was because hospital death allowed them to die with dignity and not blown up in the air or burned to the ground in their planes. Last, a soldier in Yossarian’s base was shot down while in his plane and there was no body that was found. His parents were visiting him but he was not there so Yossarian had to pretend to be him and pretend to be dying. “Of course you’re dying. We are all dying. Where the devil else do you think you’re heading” (Heller 182). The doctor makes it clear to Yossarian that no matter what one day he will die and that death is