Catch-22 is Joseph Heller’s novel that was written in the post world war 2 era. It takes place on a small island conveniently located behind enemy lines and near Italy during 1944 and 1945. Catch-22 mainly focuses on the life of Yossarian, a US bombardier and his struggle with military bureaucracy regarding his desire to be released from duty. Heller writes satire in Catch-22 and it can be seen through the novel’s use of characters, events and dialogue.
Catch-22 starts with Yossarian and some other members of his squadron trying to convince Lieutenant Scheisskopf that they fly better than everyone else because their planes are always so much cleaner. This is ironic due to the fact that none of them fly well at all. It is written as a satirical commentary on the incompetence and egotistical nature of military officers such as Lieutenant Scheisskopf. This novel also contains many examples of black comedy, one example being when Doc Daneeka is told he must keep track of how many missions each member has flown by counting Yossarian’s paresis…
This novel also contains many examples of black comedy, one example being when Doc Daneeka is told he must keep track of how many missions each member has flown by counting Yossarian’s paresis (a paralysis only in the right hand) as nine. By turning something that would be very serious in real life into a joke, Heller satirizes the way in which people try to ignore their own mortality and pain by making light of it through laughter.
This novel is about war, suffering and death but Heller never lets you forget that there are people who care more about trivial things than anything else. Furthermore, Catch-22 demonstrates satire through the novel’s use of characters, events and dialogue. The novel starts with Yossarian and some other members of his squadron trying to convince Lieutenant Scheisskopf that they fly better than everyone else because their planes are always so much cleaner. This is ironic due to the fact that none of them fly well at all.
It is written as a satirical commentary on the incompetence and egotistical nature of military officers such as Lieutenant Scheisskopf. This novel also contains many examples of black comedy, one example being when Doc Daneeka is told he must keep track of how many missions each member has flown by counting Yossarian’s paresis (a paralysis only in the right hand) as nine. By turning something that would be very serious in real life into a joke, Heller satirizes the way in which people try to ignore their own mortality and pain by making light of it through laughter.
This novel is about war, suffering and death but Heller never lets you forget that there are people who care more about trivial things than anything else. A final example of satire comes from Catch-22’s dialogue. One such event occurs when Yossarian talks with Major Danby about why he refuses to fly any more missions for the military. Major Danby states his opinion that Yossarian “is through flying” because he has already done enough and now wants to preserve his life at all costs (Chap 26).
In Catch-22 , Joseph Heller uses satires of bureaucracy and war to highlight the insanity of combat. Although satire has been a tool used by novelists for centuries, it wasn’t until the 19 th century novelists began using realist techniques that authors could fully convey their satirical messages to readers. Heller was familiar with both forms of novel writing and uses them together in Catch-22 to perfect his message.
Catch-22 is a novel that follows Yossarian, a U.S Air Force bombardier stationed on an island off Italy during World War II, as he struggles to stay alive while obeying orders from superiors who value arbitrary rules over human life. The novel is set in 1944 but satirizes institutions such as government bureaucracies, big businesses, and organized religion.
The novel is full of examples of satire, but focusing on three separate incidents in the novel helps to highlight how Heller uses these techniques to convey his message.
Heller uses satire to show the reader the absurdity of war, using many different scenes throughout Catch-22 . One example of this is Yossarian’s story about Kid Sampson, who became a hero by running into enemy fire twice after being wounded both times. When he finally gets hit for a third time he runs away from battle shouting “He’s got me! I’m doomed!” He survives through the rest of the novel until he goes home and visits an army reunion one year later where he promptly dies What makes this situation ironic is the fact that he seems to be shouting about his death after already dying.
Another example of satire in Catch-22 is the novel’s focus on bureaucracy, which is shown through General Dreedle’s organization and lack of concern for human life when lining up bombed targets along a beach. This also shows how little control Yossarian has over decisions made by higher ups in his chain of command who seem only concerned with their own interest.
One final example of satire in Catch-22 is found toward the novel’s ending when the doctors try to find Yossarian unfit for flying anymore so he can stop flying missions. This scene satirizes big businesses because they will do anything to prevent themselves from losing money, even destroying lives if necessary.
The novel’s title originated as a military term coined during World War II with the following meaning: A rule or regulation that has more than one possible outcome, especially one mutually contradictory to another, such as “an order having the force of law and requiring someone to do something which it forbids” or “a circular, self-contradictory, absurd requirement” (Oxford Dictionaries); and/or an impossible circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions (Merriam-Webster).
The novel itself contains satire on war through describing Catch-22; however not all elements within it align to fit the novel’s satirical style. Catch-22 is a novel that has many elements throughout it, including but not limited to parody, black humor, situational irony, gallows humor, and farce; these are all literary devices used to convey the novel’s theme of war (Scriblerian). Satire is defined as an “attempt to correct vice and folly through ridicule” or “language that shows the stupidity or faults of people” (Oxford Dictionaries); both definitions lead towards the novel Catch-22 being considered satire.
The novel Catch-22 follows Captain John Yossarian who serves in World War II in the U.S Army Air Forces along with his squadron stationed on an island off Italy. Yossarian’s squadron has many hardships, including but not limited to; childishly aggressive officers, incompetent leadership, harsh reality of war in the air and on the ground, non-existent food rations (which Yossarian classifies as “a cheese sandwich that claimed to be chicken”), and death (Catch-22).
These hardships are what brings novel Catch-22 being considered satire because it uses irony within its text. One example of this is when Yossarian is informed of Orr’s arrival to the island after his engine had failed over water while he was flying back from bombing Parma.