Heroism In Joseph Heller's Catch-22

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At the end of Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22", Yossarian reaches a new self-awareness that allows him to wholeheartedly refuse the colonels' proposition, instead striving to escape to Sweden in order to keep his integrity. While much of Yossarian's character remains controversial, his actions on behalf of his friends and his self, herald him in whole, as a hero. Throughout the novel, Yossarian struggles to stay true to his humanity and morals as he is continuously thrust into danger by the corrupt military. Heller often blurs the lines between courage and cowardice in his novel, especially with Yossarian's actions. Courage is not simply interchangeable with heroism merely because it is one of its common qualities. If a criminal is characterized by great bravery, does this automatically signify them as a hero? Such as how heroism cannot always define actions, heroism cannot always be defined by courage. Yossarian shows a number of craven actions throughout the novel, and his escape can be labeled as his ultimate act of cowardice. In this case, how does one define a hero? The ability of Yossarian to finally break free from the amoral grip of the military and find solace in his freedom is rather in fact, his very heroism. With great irony, the colonels ask each other if Yossarian "knows there's a war going on", Cathcart asks if he "has any patriotism", and Korn asks if …show more content…

Joseph Heller uses a blend of dark humor, blatant irony, and dialogue that disassembles the common perspective of war. Through his charming and quirky ensemble of characters, he explores many themes of somber reality, in the end, impacting readers in a way that they do not even realize. Catch-22 delves deeply into the truths of the war with a mixture of literary techniques, though through them, Heller delivers a masterful story that is hilarious, captivating, and serious, all at

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