Essay about Anti-War Elements in Joseph Heller’s Catch-22

Critics often refer to Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 as an anti-war novel. At its core, the novel has a disparaging view of war. The main character, John Yossarian, believes that war is madness. He is astounded that men lay down their lives for vague concepts such as country, patriotism, and honor. However, unlike the typical anti-war novel, Catch-22 doesn’t focus on the most dismal aspects of war; Heller masterfully crafts an effective satirical style of addressing war. Corruption, confusion, and dishonesty run amok in the novel and these principles justify the embodiment of Catch-22 as an anti-war novel. In essence, war in Catch-22 is portrayed as inherently corrupt. The motives of all involved in war are impure, from the highest†¦show more content†¦They ask Yossarian to pretend to like them and go as far as saying nice things about them to rally support among the troops and further their ‘good’ reputations. However, corruption is not unique to the high ranks. Even the unranked soldiers are racist and obsessed with sex. They partake in prostitution and unnecessary acts of violence during leaves from the army. In the army, they lose their religious faith and question their previous beliefs. This strikingly portrays the novel in an anti-war light. Confusion is omnipresent throughout the novel. The most obvious example of confusion is what the book is named for. Catch-22 is circular reasoning that is a motif in the novel of the same name. â€Å"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, that specified that a concern for ones own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind†¦ [because someone] would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane, he had to fly them† (46). The theory Catch-22 is mentioned by many characters at many different times for many different reasons throughout the novel, often causing confusion, demonstrating the confusing, oftenShow MoreRelatedTo What Extent is Marxist Criticism Helpful in Opening Up Potential Meanings in CATCH 22?1492 Words   |  6 PagesA Marxist reading enables the critic to see Catch 22, by Joseph Heller, as not simply an anti-war novel but a satirical representation of the absurd ity of American bureaucracy and capitalism, and thus shows the extent to which the situation at the time was of concern to Heller. 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