Catch-22 Analysis

Catch-22 Analysis The novel Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, is a war novel littered with satire with an extra layer of absurdity to pull it all together. The point of view changes several times throughout the book, but mostly the fictional island of Pianosa is seen through the eyes the bombardier pilot John Yossarian. Though, it changes several times, in Chapter 9 it’s in the perspective of Major Major Major Major and in Chapter 11, the books allows the reader to see Captain Black’s conniving perspective. Catch-22 is technically a war novel, it has the tragedies and panic, but the amount of exaggeration, irony, and ridicule makes it a definite noval of satire. One of the key features of its genre is the novel’s characters and the ridicule of American bureaucracy. Characters repeat themselves, are comically redundant and seem to not understand anything; the failings of real world military are pulled out and distorted, creating a humorous but rather tragic scenario for all the characters. A recurring problem for the cast is Major Major who demands to have people admitted into his office unless they are sure he is not there. Obviously, this causes several problems for the chain of command, resulting in Yossarian’s drastic measures to speak with him about missions. The tone is mocking and satirical. Though at times, it exposes the hard choices soldiers need to make and the despair that war can cause. Yossarian faces many awful, strange, and sadly amusing moments with his superiors and the soldiers around him. Aarfy can never hear him, Colonel Cathcart is terrified of him, and all while he attempts to free himself from the ever growing list of missions he has to complete to be free of a war where everyone is trying to kill him. It all reflects an exaggerated view of America’s bureaucracy and the inability to ever escape it beyond the most extreme