Catch 22 Satire Essay

1677 Words4 Pages

So What’s the Point? An Examination of Satire in Joseph Heller’s Catch-22
The elements of a satirical novel are simple: dark humor, an episodic structure, and a central character that remains rational amongst the chaos and madness. In “Catch-22 and Angry Humor: A study of the Normative Values of Satire”, James Nagel claims that Heller’s novel follows the formula for a satirical novel by featuring various episodes, a “pattern of action which intensifies…the central conflict”, and a setting that is “chaotic, crowded, and filled with images of corruption and decay” (Nagel). Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 uses dark humor to emphasize the insanity and loss of morality of those who fight in World War II; however, these humorous vignettes build up to Heller’s …show more content…

Every chapter goes into a comprehensive description of the characters that Yossarian interacts with during his time as a pilot in Italy. Though these in-depth explanations seem redundant and frankly, bothersome to your average reader, the role they play is far greater than what it seems on the surface. Each character’s life and the choices he makes are what lead Yossarian to find hope. For example, without Orr, the “dirty goddam midget-assed, apple-cheeked, goggle-eyed, undersized, buck-toothed, grinning, crazy sonofabitchinbastard”, Yossarian would never be able to find the means to flee to Sweden for a better life (Heller 151). Without Aarfy, the “soft, insensitive mass” who doesn’t move out of Yossarian’s way during the a crash landing because he innocently still “can’t hear” him, Yossarian would never have been upset with Orr that day and would have joined in on his secret plan to flee to Sweden, completely changing the course of the entire novel. Each chapter and character’s recurring humor and insanity is also used to reveal Yossarian’s humanity. Additionally, Yossarian’s fellow airmen also represent ignorance. Blindly following the rules and orders given by their superiors, the men are forced to fight in a war they want no part of. They are conditioned to complete senseless quotas for commanding officers who …show more content…

As a result of his traumatizing experiences during the war, he is arguably the only character in the novel that is driven by his emotions. Yossarian consequentially contrasts the insanity of his fellow bombardiers by staying sane amongst their absurdities. Craziness, a common theme in Catch-22, is the only thing that will get a young man out of fighting in the war. In order to leave, they must be cleared as “crazy” by the commanding officers. But, if they try to convince their superiors that they themselves are crazy, the men will fail because “anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn’t really crazy” (Heller 46). Despite his rationality, Yossarian does everything he can to convince his officers that he is crazy in order to save himself from the war. Since nobody believes him to be crazy, Yossarian traps himself and has no other option other than to submit to his officers, and quietly resist the establishment in any way he can. Deciding early on in the novel to “live forever or die in the attempt”, Yossarian carries out his plans to defy by “no longer [giving] a damn [about] whether he miss[es] [his targets] or not” and instead, creates a mission for himself to “come down alive” every time he “went up” in his plane (Heller 29). Additionally, the novel’s structure forces the reader to make it to the end of the book in order to understand why Yossarian is the way that he is. As a result of his gruesome experience with Snowden—which is

Show More
Related

  • The First Flight Wd Vlgardson Summary

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    W.D Valgardson perfectly shows that loneliness and isolation often leads to rash acts of cruelty, and to suicide or death. He describes this throughout the story by showing Gregory getting falsely accused of stealing his brand new pilot uniform. The author continues to describe the theme by making Gregory get so upset that he sits on the railroad and gets hit by a train. Gregory is an 18 year old with a severe mental disability making it hard for him to talk or act normally. The difference about Gregory with his mental disability is that he is well aware of this. He can not stand the sound of his own voice and is embarrassed to talk for any length of time. Gregory knows that his dream of being a pilot is unreachable for him because of his disability. He also takes great pride in his dream by making his own money to buy his pilot uniform even though his parents offered to pay for it. The story takes place in the 1970s during a cold snowy winter where everything is secluded and everyone stays in their homes. It is early on during the night and the mercury lamps are just turning on and all the shops are closing down. The external conflict supports this theme perfectly because the cold weather is making everyone stay indoors and making it so people nee...

    Read More

  • Catch-22: “The Last Good War” in All Its Absurdity

    1012 Words  | 3 Pages

    Catch-22’s nonlinearity not only forms this piece of literature into a higher-level novel with its intricate plots and timelines, but Heller’s style also accompanies the satirical comedy of the book, leading it to be a classic example of a satirical novel, and the term “catch-22” is still used today. Without the unique chronology, Heller’s most famous novel, often regarded as one of the greatest literary works of the twentieth century, would just be another war novel. The web of events, characters, and settings envelops the reader throughout the novel, providing a unique experience unlike many other books. Albeit somewhat confusing, Catch-22 is a masterpiece of comedy, a complex satire of war, and a criticism of bureaucracy that makes exquisite use of its bewildering nature. Do not steal.

    Read More

  • Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Taking place during World War II, the novel “Catch-22” introduces Captain John Yossarian, who is in the United States Air Force, while in a hospital acquiring from an illness of his liver. He is constantly concerned that people are trying to kill him, proving in postponing his number of missions and going to extremities at times such as poisoning his own squadron and moving the bomb line during the Great Big Siege of Bologna. Yossarian’s character endeavors at all costs to stay in the hospital by reason of "There was a much lower death rate inside the hospital than outside the hospital, and a much healthier death rate. Few people died unnecessarily." (175). While he desperately refused to complete his never ending missions in the dilemma of Catch-22, author Joseph Heller classifies Yossarian as a hero because of his loyalty, his ability to remain sane throughout the war, and his heroic characteristics.

    Read More

  • Joseph Heller's Catch 22

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Catch 22 by Joseph Heller is a complex and intricate novel. Heller uses many themes, does not have the story line in chronological order and often uses irony in his descriptions. Many of the themes can be compared to other literature. One of the themes that can be compared is fear in war. The idea is that the evils and cruelty of war can make a grown man go back into a "fetal" state. This can be seen in The Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell and can be compared to the metaphor used in chapter five of Catch 22. In this chapter Yossarian talks about the tight crawl space which led to the plexiglass bombardier’s compartment.

    Read More

  • The Quandary Explored by Yossarian in Catch 22

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    Yossarian mistakenly blames others for his situation. Throughout the book, it is an evolution in itself as he realizes he is the only one in control of his fate.--he is the center of his universe. By refusing to conform, he causes all characters (some with more insight than others) to be confronted with possible meanings and logic behind his unusual behavior. "You have deep-seated survival anxieties. And you don't like bigots, bullies, snobs or hypocrites. Subconsciously there are many people you hate."

    Read More

  • Young Frankenstein and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

    1401 Words  | 3 Pages

    The films Young Frankenstein and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest can be viewed as a critical analysis of society’s issues and dysfunctions in the form of satire and parody using humor. While Young Frankenstein, Mel Brooks cinematic version of the gothic novel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, uses parody in the form of Horatian satire, which is achieved through gentle ridicule and using a tone that is indulgent, tolerant, amused and witty. The film One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the adaptation of the Ken Kesey novel, uses a form of satire called Juvenalian satire which is demonstrated in the form of attacks on vice and error with contempt and indignation. Horatian satire will produce a humor response from the reader instead of anger or indignation as Juvenalian satire. Juvenalian satire, in its realism and its harshness, is in strong contrast to Horatian satire (Kent and Drury).

    Read More

  • Catch 22

    1348 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The alternating play of humor and horror creates a dramatic tension throughout that allows the book to be labeled as a classic both of humor and of war. With the humor in Catch-22 we are forced to conclude is only secondary. Where Heller comes through in unalleviated horror is where the message lies. The books humor does not alleviate the horror it heightens it by contrast.” (Riley, Carolyn & Phyllis Carmel Mendelson).

    Read More

  • Satire in Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

    2011 Words  | 5 Pages

    Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, is a fictitious novel that depicts life on an American bomber squadron on Pianosa, an island off the coast of Italy, during the closing years of World War II. A bombardier by the name of Yossarian, the main character in the story, is joined by many others to create a comic drama unlike any other. But aside from the entertainment, Heller uses Catch-22 to satirize many aspects of everyday life that consist of hypocrisy, corruption, and insanity. From the laziness of policeman to the fake happiness brought about by money, the novel is painted with a great number of points targeted against the faults of modern society. However, along with these smaller targets, a majority of the Heller’s satire in the novel is aimed specifically at the imperious bureaucracy in the military, the current nature of man, and the corruption of religion; all of which accentuate the senselessness of war itself. Through Yossarian, who is conscience of what is sane, along with characters who are not, Heller emphasizes his ridicule by making what is appropriate seem peculiar and what is ludicrous seem common, ultimately giving the reader a viewpoint that proves astonishingly effective.

    Read More

  • Voltaire's Use Of Thoughtful Laughter In Literature

    749 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thoughtful laughter is a technique used frequently in satirical pieces in literature. It allows for the audience to enjoy the wittiness of a work, later ponder on the meaning, and then apply the message to reality. Thoughtful laughter is often an inner experience that can only be achieved by authors who write meticulously. Two examples of satirical works in literature that display this concept explicitly are Voltaire’s Candide and C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Both authors explore the depths of satire and simultaneously deliver an important message to readers through skillful technique.

    Read More

  • Madness and Absyrdity in Catch-22

    1451 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bureaucracy and war are common subjects of many satirical novels, but Joseph Heller creates a complete illogical and absurd world formulated around both of these subjects in his own satirical work, Catch-22. In Heller’s formless novel Catch-22, Yossarian, the protagonist and a young bombardier, is stationed on the small island of Pianosa during World War II along with with many other “insane,” complex, and significant characters, who are forced into carrying an always increasing number of dangerous flying missions. While Yossarian is deployed, he struggles with the inevitability of death and his mortality, defining his own morals, finding a way to survive, and the horror of war during the chaos and carnage of World War II. The motifs of madness and absurdity, along with the theme of sanity vs insanity, circulate throughout; Heller uses many of the characters’ thoughts, actions, and the famous “Catch-22” to illustrate these themes. Heller uses different literary, satirical, and absurdist techniques, such as paradoxical statements and irony, to criticize the meaninglessness of war and life and the corrupt nature of the bureaucracy.

    Read More

  • Catch 22 Journal Entry Essay

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    For example, there is a story of why a character named Appleby would put apples in his cheeks so he could look like had “apple cheeks”. While Appleby believes that putting apples in his cheeks is completely logical, to the his squadron as well as the audience, it’s seen as insane and hilarious. Heller blurs the line between sanity and insanity in this novel. These types of illogical actions portrayed in the novel are really parallel to the lack of logic in the military. All of the members of the squadron struggle with the fact that the number of completed missions required is constantly raised in order to trap them in this war. The actions of the military are satirized by Heller through comparison showing that they are no better than the silly actions of characters like Appleby. Heller’s point is that the military is an overbearing bureaucracy that does not act on intelligence but rather illogical force. However, it is a system so powerful that few of the characters in the novel could escape

    Read More

  • Betrayal And Deception In Joseph Yossarian's Catch-22

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    This toxic and deceitful environment is shocking, especially because the book focuses on the united states military. The tone of Catch-22 is vastly different from the other glamorous patriotic war novels of the time. Instead of focusing on glamorous, fictionalized tales of heroism, Catch-22 focuses on corruption and deception, and more importantly how Yossarian begins to see the war and all of its lies. This is how the novel begins to reveal one of its most important messages. It focuses on lies and suffering and reveals the real intentions of deceitful officers who justify their actions because its “for the good of the country”. Through this focus on corruption, lies and broken promises Yossarian begins to realize that war is not glamorous, no one fights or dies for their country, they fight and die on the orders of uncaring commanding officers. As Yossarian realizes the horrible truth of war, he helps convey it to the readers, constantly commenting on the futility of their fight, questioning orders like the bombing of an innocent village, and mourning is friends senseless death. He further shows his opinions of war by constantly trying to avoid conflict, faking injuries, fleeing to Rome and trying to have himself removed from active duty. Yossarian constantly criticizes his generals and is instrumental in helping the reader realize just how little they care about the war or their soldiers, more focused on their own personal glory, shown through Sheisskopf’s obsession with awards and parades and Cathcarts constant raising of flight missions required. These men risk nothing while putting young soldiers in unnecessary and life threatening situations just to raise their own status. Yossarian and Catch-22 use corruption and deceit to reveal a much larger lie, there is no honor in war, men kill and die for an uncaring commanding officer, not for freedom or their

    Read More

  • Satire Essay

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    Homelessness poses a serious threat in all countries as people are exposed in an unsafe environment and try to live on change. “Do you have any spare change?” No I don’t have spare change, get a job you animal. We see people all over the streets holding signs and bringing their children to ask for change but during that whole time they could be doing something productive, like getting a job. Homelessness is a problem everywhere and its worse in other countries but here in America we have it rough. We have the means to fix homelessness with giving jobs to them in the fields of science and energy.

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    1882 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Catch-22, opposite Miller's The Crucible, Joseph Heller utilizes his uncanny wit to present a novel fraught with dark, satiric comedy tied up in a relatively formless plot.  The character of Nately acts as a focal point for many of the humorous oxymoronic criticisms contained within Catch-22, as "Nately had a bad start.  He came from a good family" (Heller 34), and he ".was the finest, least dedicated man in the whole world"  (35).  Proliferating Catch-22, satirical dark comedy appears in every chapter, even in the depiction of death (Cockburn 179): ".McWatt turned again, dipped his wings in salute, decided, oh, what the hell, and flew into a mountain"(Heller 157).  Furthermore, the plot of Catch-22 follows a cyclical structure in that repetitions of particular events recur in a planned randomness, an oxymoron that pays tribute to Catch-22 itself (Merrill 205-209).  A recurring structure within Heller's novel defining his ...

    Read More

  • Essay on Theism versus Atheism in Catch-22

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... point of silliness) directly opposite a serious point in order to make the point more obvious. The fact that Heller chose religion as a subject to tackle shows great strength, particularly considering that Catch-22 was originally written in the late 1950s - a time in which the concept free-thinking was still in its infancy. The method of satire as a means of attacking an issue provides an effective outlet for the expression of ideas while maintaining a light overtone as a defense against retaliation. The scene pertaining to the atheism debate was both amusing and thought provoking, a task difficult to overcome.

    Read More

More about Catch 22 Satire Essay

Open Document