Examples Of Satire In Catch 22

Life has its funny way or running circles around itself; no matter what happens, there is always a catch. In Catch-22, Joseph Heller demonstrates the catch that is Catch-22 by creating a satirical comedy of one of the worst times in the history of man and tormenting Yossarian with the unfair life problems of a bomber pilot that are out of his hands to decide, leaving him to fend for himself amongst the sea of dangers awaiting to take his life (and others) until finally he sees freedom and escapes from his officers and very angry whore. Yossarian has avoided his missions for as long as he could in the confines of war. He is first found in the hospital pretending to have a liver disease and having symptoms related to this illness. He naturally

He felt everyone was out to kill him. Naturally, Yossarian entered an argument about everyone who is out to kill him. Clevinger, a helpless fool in the argument, responds by saying “They’re trying to kill everyone” (16). The conversation continues in circles with Yossarian winning by frustrating Clevinger. “Catch-22 is actually a book in which everything connects with everything else, where hardly anything is wasted and communications are discarded at peril” (Sam Jordison). The circular arguments are common throughout the satire. An example of this is the number of number of missions that kept on increasing every time Yossarian got close to the cap. The only way to get out of flying missions is to be mad. This is where Catch-22 (directly mentioned) screws over Yossarian as to fly, that would make you mad. However , saying you are mad to get out of flying makes you sane; thus you must fly. No matter what he did, he was going to fly those missions. One of his efforts to not fly was while he was already in the air. “‘I couldn’t hear you over my intercom,’ Yossarian bellowed in mounting helplessness.’You’ll have to turn back.’”(141). This forced them to turn around and go back home. He also ended up moving the bombing line to cancel the mission. This may have fooled their forces, but not the Germans, as the war continued. Both of these are just delaying the inevitable and he ended up having to fly

Several of the characters are made fun of, either in their name, actions, or their conversations. Lieutenant Scheisskopf is a prime example of a play on words. Lieutenant “Shithead” is his name in German. There is also Major Major Major Major, whose first, middle, and last name is Major, and his rank in the army is Major. He gained his rank in the first few days of joining; no one knows who would have done this. Major Major also made a Catch-22 Rule of his own. “I don’t want anyone to come in to see me while I’m here”(98) where people are only allowed to see him when he is not in his office, another circle of confusion. Then there is the conversation with Major Metcalf that loops itself nearly every sentence. “‘You’re a windy son of a bitch, aren’t you?’...’And say ‘sir’ when you don’t,’ ordered Major Metcalf” (78-81). This entire section achieved nothing but making the reader laugh and forget they are laughing at what actually happened in World War 2. The one section that pulls the readers out of a humor filled story is when a young girl is raped and murdered. “I only raped her once”(418) is what Aarfy told Yossarian. He also killed her so she could not “go around saying bad things about us, could