The definition of insane/ mentally unstable is "in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction." The way the characters interact with each other in a social environment can determine what is the basis for "sane." For example, Colonel Cathcart continuously raises the number of missions he has his men fly for his own gain. He is eager to volunteer his men for dangerous missions in the hopes that he will be promoted for his actions.He doesn't have any regard for the lives of his men, which brings into question his sanity. Many of the soldiers believe Yossarian to be crazy as a result of his unorthodox behaviors. He responds and reacts to situations more uniquely than the other men. Particularly when faced with
Facts: Chet is basically Gene's only real competition in school for valedictorian but Chet doesn't really notice it as competition because his love of learning is so sincere. Also, he is amazing as tennis and playing the trumpet, and was even asked by Finny to play at their winter get together when the band can't come.
A mentally insane person, according to psychologytoday.com, is defined as “a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality… or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive
“The ones who are insane enough to think that they can rule the world are always the ones who do.”- Stefan Molyneux. Insanity is an inherently foreign but ancient concept, it can be defined as when the mental processes of a person functions out of the social norm. An example of a person with such a mental state is Crake from Margaret Atwood’s book, “Oryx and Crake”. Crake is a mature and brilliant but unhinged person, who is responsible for the destruction of mankind, who believes that the root of all problems in the world is man himself. This could define Crake as a psychopath, with an askewed moral compass, as he knows what his actions are wrong but he continues with them. In the tale, the main character, Jimmy/Snowman, recounts his past
Christopher Johnson McCandless, the main character in the book “Into the Wild,” had made a lot of friends even though he did not like people. Wayne Westerberg was one of Chris’s friends who he met in a bar. Chris also befriended a girl named Jan Burre. Another person who befriended Chris was a guy named Ronald Franz,
Murderer, liar, manipulator; these are only a few words that describe the enigmatic Sergeant John Wilson. In the historical book, The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson: A True Story of Love & Murder, written by Lois Simmie, we get acquainted with the complex balancing act of a life John Wilson lived. We find out about his two-faced love life, the bloody solution, and the elaborate cover up. In Simmie’s thought-provoking book, John Wilson abandons his family in Scotland, for a better life in Canada on the force. John battles debilitating sickness along with the decision to double-cross his wife. His young love interest Jessie cares for him as he battles tuberculosis. While, “many young women Jessie’s age would have had second thoughts about commitment
Insanity is being lost, is being incapable to decide between right and wrong. We are all insane. We are ignorant to believe we’re normal. No one is normal, and no one is perfect.
The pathway through war by use of anecdotes and character perception traces the arduous efforts of Yossarian to avoid being victimized by circumstance, in this instance Catch-22, a formidable, unwritten loophole found in basically every written law. “There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to” (Heller 46). The entirety of Catch-22 is hypocritical. Due to Catch-22, justice is never exacted, the innocents become the victims, and the squadron that Yossarian is a member of has no choice when it comes to flying over twice the amount of missions given by the Air Force Code. Run ragged due to Catch-22, Yossarian becomes the witness to the horrendous slaughter of his crew, as well as the destruction of those closest to him. Yossarian’s fear of death is highly intensified, and eventually gets to be so much that he
Human nature has capacity for both greatness and smallness, due greatly to the way they deal with thoughts, words, and actions. If they overcome their fears, maintain confidence and honesty, mental stability is nourished. However, when humans succumb to denial or fear, mental instability is the result. In the novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, Yossarian, the book’s protagonist makes a critical choice that leads to a devastating consequence: insanity. Since he is a coward and doesn’t like to take risks like everyone else who are fighting for their lives too. He is a bombardier who flew in endless amounts of missions seemed to have never gotten the chance to return home healthy and safe. Returning mentally healthy would be one of the problems that apparently seemed to be the only thing Yossarian cared about. Insanity evolves in this novel through the main character's actions as a cause and effect. In the novel “Catch-22” the author uses imagery, internal conflict and irony to reveal the causes of Yossarian’s insanity.
Before going to Alaska, Chris McCandless had failed to communicate with his family while on his journey; I believe this was Chris’s biggest mistake. Chris spent time with people in different parts of the nation while hitchhiking, most of them whom figured out that McCandless kept a part of him “hidden”. In chapter three, it was stated that Chris stayed with a man named Wayne Westerberg in South Dakota. Although Westerberg was not seen too often throughout the story, nevertheless he was an important character. Introducing himself as Alex, McCandless was in Westerberg’s company for quite some time: sometimes for a few days, other times for several weeks. Westerberg first realized the truth about Chris when he discovered his tax papers, which stated that “McCandless’s real name was Chris, not Alex.” Wayne further on claims that it was obvious that “something wasn’t right between him and his family” (Krakauer 18). Further in the book, Westerberg concluded with the fact that Chris had not spoken to his family “for all that time, treating them like dirt” (Krakauer 64). Westerberg concluded with the fact that during the time he spent with Chris, McCandless neither mentioned his
Prior to meeting Mudd, Yossarian was characterized as the fearless lead bombardier, the one who turned back a second time to make sure the bridge from the Ferrara mission was destroyed in spite of heavy anti-aircraft fire. However, after Mudd dies, Yossarian is never described as a brave, patriotic soldier because he makes it his initiative to steer clear of flying missions. He reached an epiphany that his life was more important than fighting a pointless war. The only people who supported the war were people like Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn, both of whom wanted a pretty bomb pattern, and Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder, who only cared for the success of his ever expanding syndicate. In a normal world, a soldier who doesn’t complete his duty, or follow the orders of a superior, would be considered a disobedient coward. However, in Catch 22 the world is inverted – the sane are insane and the insane are sane. Yossarian’s fear of being forgotten because of death, like Mudd, takes over the way he lives. He takes refuge in the hospital for a suspiciously long period of time, claiming his liver is inflicting him pain, making him unfit for combat. Yossarian’s reasonable fear influenced some of his friends like Major Danby, Dunbar, and the Chaplain. Major Danby, encourages Yossarian to run away, giving him enough money to reach Sweden, where Orr snuck away to.
Christopher Johnson McCandless, a.k.a Alexander Supertramp, “Master of his Own Destiny.” He was an intelligent young man who presented himself as alone but really he was never lonely. However, he believed that life was better lived alone, with nature, so he ventured off throughout western United States before setting off into Alaska’s wild unprepared where he died. Some may say he was naive to go off on such a mission without the proper food and equipment but he was living life the way he wanted to and during his travels he came across three people: Jan Burres, Ronald Franz, and Wayne Westerberg. McCandless befriended these people, it is believed that he made such a strong impression on them that their connection left them with strange feelings after finding out about McCandless’ death.
Everyone in the squadron thinks Yossarian is crazy because he is the only one who is afraid of the war and believes everyone around him is trying to kill him
We come across this idea of Sanity vs Insanity in chapter 5 when Yossarian is having a conversation with Orr. “Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane he would have to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to” (Heller, Joseph. "5." Catch 22. Trondhjem: J.W. Cappelens Forlag, 1994. Pg 55). This was a true “Catch 22”. As I said before insanity is doing something repeatedly expecting change. In this part of the book, the repeated event is flying missions. If Orr continues to fly the missions he would fall under the category of insane, if he broke away from this trend and stopped flying missions, he would be considered sane. This is where the power of bureaucracy plays a role in our major theme of Sanity vs Insanity. The lives of those in Yossarian’s squadron are not controlled by their own decisions, the bureaucracy controls them. This is shown when they are forced to keep flying combat missions well after they have been told that the Allies have won the war. The bureaucracy shuts out any one who tries to reason with them logically. For example, Major Major, will allow
History shows that signs of mental illness and abnormal behavior have been documented as far back as the early Greeks however, it was not viewed the same as it is today. The mentally ill were previously referred to as mad, insane, lunatics, or maniacs. W.B. Maher and B.A. Maher (1985) note how many of the terms use had roots in old English words that meant emotionally deranged, hurt, unhealthy, or diseased. Although early explanations were not accurate, the characteristics of the mentally ill have remained the same and these characteristics are used to diagnose disorders to date. Cultural norms have always been used to assess and define abnormal behavior. Currently, we have a decent understanding of the correlates and influences of mental illness. Although we do not have complete knowledge, psychopathologists have better resources, technology, and overall research skills than those in ancient times.
Noah is the one of the main characters of The Notebook. He is the hero of this novel. Noah represents true love and true loyalty. In a way, The Notebook is similar to every modern day romance movie, and Noah represents the “dream man” that all the girls always imagine of having. The characters in movies are used to symbolize ideas, and in this novel, Noah represents true, faithful, committed love. Noah remains loyal to Allie even in the situation where he is unsure whether they will ever meet again or not.