Yossarian's Use Of Criticism In Catch 22 By Joseph Heller

Sanjay Sood

Mrs. Dominick

AP English Lang and Comp

28 September 2013

Outline

I

A.) Thesis: The intriguing novel Catch-22 by Joseph Heller contains a fragmented structure, nontraditional hero, and varying tones that make it an enduring piece of postmodernism, while remaining critical of World War II through a unique and baffling plot.

II

A.) Topic Sentence: Yossarian’s development as an anti-hero throughout the novel contributes to its postmodern classification.

B.) Primary Quote: “Actually, the pain in his liver had gone away, but Yossarian didn’t say anything and the doctors never suspected … Yossarian had everything he wanted in the hospital” (Heller 7).

C.) Secondary Quote: " Starting with the opening page in which Captain Yossarian, the book's non-hero, is goldbricking in a hospital bed and censoring letters” (Hasley).

D.) Closing Sentence: The characteristics that define Yossarian also contribute to the massive amounts of irony found in the novel.

III

A.) Topic Sentence: Heller’s plentiful use of irony in Catch-22 creates the atmosphere for a postmodern work.

B.) Primary Quote: “‘Racial prejudice is a terrible thing, Yossarain. It really is. It’s a terrible thing to treat a decent, loyal Indian like a nigger, kike, wop or spic’ Chief White Halfoat nodded” (Heller 44).

C.) Secondary Quote: “[Catch-22] It recreates and mocks, simultaneously, the tradition of ironic and grim war fiction that culminated in the separate peace sought by Ernest Hemingway's characters” (Solomon).

D.) Closing Sentence: The ironic statements made by many of the characters throughout the novel leads into the underlying theme of absurdity.

IV

A.) Topic Sentence: The absurdity of the rules set forth by administrations in Catch-22 furthers the nove...

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... by its provisions” (Kazin).

D.) Closing Sentence: The novel’s use of paradoxes sets the stage for further character development.

VIII

A.) Topic Sentence: Many of the character’s moral standards are augmented by the harsh choices they are forced to make; these morals display the skepticism associated with postmodernism.

B.) Primary Quote: “It was the face of a man of hardened integrity who could no more consciously violate the moral principles on which his virtue rested than he could transform himself into a despicable toad. One of these moral principles was that it was never a sin to charge as much as the traffic could bear” (Heller 64).

C.) Secondary Quote: “Properly understood, the structure of Catch-22 points up the need for an effective moral response to the injustices of the modern social order” (Merrill).

D.) Closing Sentence: The morals of the characters