The Satirical Style In Joseph Heller's Catch-22
Arguably the most unique thing about Catch-22 is the distinct and innovative writing style of Joseph Heller. Heller’s satirical style is perhaps the most important element of the entire novel and is the technique he uses to communicate a majority of the central themes within the story. Using irony, paradox, and hyperbole in particular, Catch-22 is a satire that ridicules the way in which World War II is fought and parodies the ridiculousness of bureaucracy in general. The satirical style of writing calls attention to how illogical and nonsensical the actions of the generals and colonels are throughout the novel. For example, Major Major Major Major is promoted to major through a simple computer error that is never fixed. Colonel Cathcart consistently
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While at first glance the order of Catch-22 may seem discombobulated and haphazard, there is a method to the madness. The disorder of the different chapters is used to build suspense and keep the reader guessing. Extremely tense scenes, such as the buildup to the Bologna mission, are interrupted by funny anecdotes. It is notable that the turning point in the novel, when Yossarian witnesses Snowden’s death, chronologically takes place near the beginning of the time period covered in the novel and yet is not fully described in the book until the end. The placing of each chapter, although seeming random, is clearly extremely deliberate. The consistently confusing chronology adds to the overall absurdity present in the novel and mimics the disorganized chaos that the squadron appears to be living. One of the only ways to discern the order of events within the novel is by paying close attention to the number of missions required to leave the army at the time of whatever is happening, further adding emphasis to this constantly increasing number. Near the end of Catch-22, however, as Yossarian becomes more and more distressed by his involvement in the military and the deaths of his friends, the storyline becomes ordered and coherent, creating a stark contrast between the novel’s rationale and Yossarians apparent lack of sanity. As Heller brings the reader deeper and deeper into the world of
While at first glance the order of Catch-22 may seem discombobulated and haphazard, there is a method to the madness. The disorder of the different chapters is used to build suspense and keep the reader guessing. Extremely tense scenes, such as the buildup to the Bologna mission, are interrupted by funny anecdotes. It is notable that the turning point in the novel, when Yossarian witnesses Snowden’s death, chronologically takes place near the beginning of the time period covered in the novel and yet is not fully described in the book until the end. The placing of each chapter, although seeming random, is clearly extremely deliberate. The consistently confusing chronology adds to the overall absurdity present in the novel and mimics the disorganized chaos that the squadron appears to be living. One of the only ways to discern the order of events within the novel is by paying close attention to the number of missions required to leave the army at the time of whatever is happening, further adding emphasis to this constantly increasing number. Near the end of Catch-22, however, as Yossarian becomes more and more distressed by his involvement in the military and the deaths of his friends, the storyline becomes ordered and coherent, creating a stark contrast between the novel’s rationale and Yossarians apparent lack of sanity. As Heller brings the reader deeper and deeper into the world of