Palencia
Regina Mae Palencia
The Dynamics of Survival and Capitalism in “Catch-22”
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The Dynamics of Survival and Capitalism
Although seemingly ironic and satirical just to prove a point, Heller’s novel portraying the shocking, yet
enlightening aspects of war captures the most powerful driving forces of humankind, survival and capitalism.
The all-consuming nature of war often destroys quintessential human conduct, and as societal values which
previously held countries and governments together crumble with the presence of conflict, the true origins of
our morality begins to unfold. Throughout the novel, the humor provided by Heller doesn’t dilute the potency of
the text, but “heightens [the book] by contrast” (Hasley 173). The interdependence between human survival and
capitalism, although sometimes detrimental, composes the very center of our community and interactions
among human beings. During times of war or political tension, our self-awareness supersedes former moral
philosophies and the will for continuity creates a new set of moral bounds. Particularly in the novel Catch-22 by
Joseph Heller, the characterization of Yossarian and Milo exemplify the effects of war to reveal the bare
essentials of human life and the foundation for our moral structure. Both values derive from empirical rationale
and deeply embed themselves into our everyday lives; the codependent nature of survival and business
structures, repeatedly shown throughout the literature, continues to constitute the moral fibers of today's society.
As with all characters within Heller’s novel, the war dictates the everyday actions and thoughts of both
Yossarian and Milo, governing even the most minor details of their day to day activities. Although never
explicitly stated in words within the text, the will to survive guides the characters into their specific roles and
results in a shell of what mankind usually consists of. Portrayed in such an erratic fashion, one could get lost in
the explication and unorganized chronology of the piece, which mimics the fast-paced change and velocity that
occurs within heated political conflicts like the World War II setting of Catch-22. However, the premise behind
Heller’s characters seeks to reveal the intrinsic and fundamental need to survive. Especially apparent in
Yossarian, from his perverse flying tactics to his consistent hospital check-ins to avoid missions, Heller
purposefully characterizes him to epitomize the elements of survival (59). Ostensibly throughout the novel,
Yossarian actively engages in seemingly insane actions to persevere and continue his existence in any way
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possible. More importantly, the character written by Heller draws attention to the significance of human life and
the ability for man to continue living even in the most dangerous, hostile environments. According to Mark
Byrne, humans inevitably make “decisions using their natural inclination to survive” (Byrne 4). The will to
survive not only offers an explanation for the continuity of the human race, but delivers a sense of deep
appreciation for existence as a whole. By composing a strong willed character like Yossarian, the author reveals
the perseverance of the human race, and ultimately the sanctity of human life, even when the surroundings
reject everything welcoming and suitable. Despite the overbearing power of the bureaucracy ruling over the
lives of these unfortunate soldiers, the constant battle for existence continues to provide hope and optimism in
times of hardship and unjustified violent engagement.
Amongst all the terror and conflict occurring within time periods of war, soldiers often develop coping
mechanisms in response to violent political discord, which arises throughout the entirety of the novel through
Heller’s depiction of Yossarian. In order to maintain sanity, Yossarian disregards the rest of his squad and
thinks solely for himself, creating a rift between his reality and that of the other soldiers (Heller 57). Although
somewhat counter intuitive compared to typical human behavior, the actions carried out by Yossarian compose
the coping mechanisms which help him maintain a healthy mental and emotional state during World War II.
These denial skills essentially kept him sane, but as long as he maintained sagacity, the missions kept occurring,
the novel’s notorious Catch-22. However, these thought processes assisted him with more than just sanity, the
self-regulation of his emotions and purposeful ignorance increased his chances of survival. If more missions
presented themselves to come, Yossarian, like most soldiers, created a more tolerable reality than that of which
he encountered on a daily basis. The unbearable situations occurring around him substantially constituted more
than enough to make a man incapable of sound judgment and acute metal discernment, a dangerous game to
play when armed political groups involve themselves. With the help of a new reality Yossarian created, his
mental stability remains at equilibrium, and although strange, his denial created a cloud of safety ensuring the
survival of himself and his psychological wellbeing. Ultimately, these actions seemingly unimportant portray as
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incredibly significant in the context of human survival. Heller reveals how subliminal values of survival, one of
the strongest driving forces of human existence, power our everyday actions and arrangement of living through
the literary illustration and symbolic representation of Yossarian. Time and time again, analysis of Yossarian’s
actions directly leads to a value which undeniably lies at the core of every human being. Knowing when the
system of order vanishes, then “reality disappears,” Yossarian reveals as the order collapses during times of
war, reality begins to blur in order to create tolerable conditions for the citizens involved, especially the soldiers
(Blues 66). The element of survival solidifies and expresses the significance of human life and the never-ending
struggle to maintain human continuity. Our survival instinct “assigns importance and purpose” to our lives, and
therefore composes the inner core of every person and increases the perpetuation of the human race (Byrne 9).
Many often question the purpose of existence, and Heller attempts to answer this question through the
characterization of important characters throughout the novel, Yossarian and Milo. By placing the focal point of
the novel on the main character, Yossarian, Heller then reveals the core of human existence and the answer to
our continued preservation lies on the values of survival instincts. The novel, although satirical, provides a
poignant take on the answer to our everyday purpose of existence and continues to remain relevant in today’s
constantly changing society.
Political conflict affects almost all aspects of a soldier’s life and tests the limits of many. Within Heller’s
novel Catch-22, the author portrays the subject of war through a distorted and enlightening point of view. The
detrimental effects of this destructive conflict blatantly present themselves, but as shown through the
characterization of Yossarian, tend to reveal the heart of human presence and the powerful forces that control
our existence. The astounding aspects of human perseverance created within the piece expose the individual
value of every life, and convey to the reader the purity of our species even when beliefs and differences collide.
Our ability to persevere and survive created the communities and cultures that we live in today, and will
continue to do so for many years to come. Since our survival instincts create the drive to move forward, the
elimination of the sense of life deems “all values…irrational” (Blues 66). Conclusively, without the value of
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survival, the values of modern society and all other values create a void of arbitrary ideals and thoughts.
Without the power of survival, shown by Yossarian’s characterization, living would create a blank existence
and eradicate the purpose of human presence. Our instinct separates us from other species and provides the
importance of innovative survival and permanence.
The insight provided by complete analysis of the literature by Heller helps modern societies debate and
decide matters of human interaction. With a well-rounded understanding of human nature, Heller seeks to
provide an example of a tyrannical society in which the bureaucracy continues to disrespect the values of
human life. Heller continues to reveal human nature during war throughout the novel, and the reader retains
information about the driving forces of today’s society. Heller scares every reader away from domineering
clutches of unethical leaders and reveals the mentality of both soldiers and commanding officers during war.
Perception into the minds of these men creates an understanding of their actions and can even prevent another
World War, or possibly conflict in general. Yossarian survives through denial but nonetheless survives, and
through the character’s composition, the reader can interpret the true nature of humans during political
imbalance. Heller reveals a shocking yet valid aspect of the soldier, a hero figure, now turned human. While
somewhat discouraging, Catch-22 showcases soldiers with of a typical element of heroism and bravery, and
describes a more realistic portrayal of human conduct, one with survival as the main component to carry on.
As a mess hall officer and secret businessman, Milo MinderBinder portrays the very essence of
capitalism, the core of our economic beginnings and current business structures. As Heller begins to personify
certain elements of capitalism, such as comparative advantage and an increasing inequality gap, the reader
begins to notice the essential part capitalism plays in the lives of not just the soldiers, but citizens as well.
Equipped with a plane and free reign, Milo's beginning stages of his black market experiment quickly escalates
and highlights the large presence empirical business framework plays on everyday life (Heller 60-75). Similar
to the initial stages of Milo’s growing business, capitalism takes a strong hold on the structures of our world and
quickly takes over the business prerogatives and interaction between human beings. In fact, capitalism, as
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shown in the novel, fosters interaction and creates a basis for which communication occurs. Milo not only
achieves a flourishing black market business, but manages to increase interaction between soldiers and promote
communication between the men in the squadron. The significance of these byproducts of capitalism lies in the
ability to escape the clutches of the “unnatural constraints” created during the settings and surroundings of war
(Wood 97). Maintaining sanity and tangible wealth creates sense of wellness for Milo, therefore increasing his
chances of survival. The private business sector created by Milo instills values of survival through the tactics of
specialization (comparative advantage) and increasing power and wealth.
With the creation and development of comparative advantage, a type of tactic to foster specialization
within the business market, the forefront of capitalism's effectiveness also provides a selfish undertone in
business interactions. Specifically, Milo’s business creates a good vibe between soldiers by providing a better
quality of life, but Milo’s interactions gradually disintegrate and start to dehumanize the men within his squad
and mess hall. The interaction, although seemingly beneficial for everyone, begins to seep into the lives of each
soldier, eventually creating a sort of unhealthy addiction to a buy and sell environment. Much like the structure
of the novel, disorganization and immoral behaviors replace the normal societal values of this community and
according to Ellen Wood, these unhealthy behaviors can only “constantly accumulate” (97). Milo begins to see
the soldiers as commodities to profit off of, instead of mankind. As a result, dehumanization of the soldiers
occurs and the only prerogative of Milo originates from business, not human interaction and camaraderie which
usually characterize these interactions. The resulting effect of Milo’s dehumanization through capitalism ruins
the already skewed notions of morality and creates a bigger pool of tension between not just enemies, but
eventually colleagues as well. With the ability to control his wealth, Milo subliminally obtains “military,
judicial, and political power,” creating an imbalance throughout the entire squadron and gradually increasing
tension as time passes (Wood 96). Milo’s prospering business and black market deceptively convinces others of
an unrealistic reality, which behind the scenes fosters violence and conflict due to the business related ulterior
motives supported by Milo MinderBinder. As the gap between Milo and the rest of the squad enlarges as time
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passes, the tension between Milo and the other soldiers also increases. As soldiers of the same squad who
experience the same surroundings and victimized by the same war, Milo begins to set himself apart from the
rest of the groups, essentially ostracizing himself and creating a gap between their previously close bonds. The
strain applied to these relationships mimics the same relationship occurring between businesses and common
citizens as capitalism begins to take over. Heller continues to draw examples from the real world and
personifies these ideals within his characters. Additionally, with the bizarre and outlandish presentation of his
characters, the reader realizes the absurdity of these business structures, but realizes the only structure left after
the detrimental effects of war constitutes all principles of capitalism.
As conflict and violence escalates within the depths of war, the typical morals and conduct of human
interaction and existence quickly disintegrate, destroying the culture and civil relations which normally would
occur if war did not exist. Deeply rooted in the character of Milo, a business aurora emanates from him and
rules the thoughts and actions of his everyday life. Although not entirely immoral, the effects of war, such as
intense violence and the constant threat of death, continue to morph his moral compass into an unethical
commands which obliterate civil relations with the rest of the men in his squad. As he starts to intake more and
more self-awareness, he decreases the ability of those around him to survive and eventually separates himself
from the group. Heller illustrates that although Milo initially supported the group, and even brought community
welfare to his squad, his actions resulted in the potential downfall of the squadron and a danger to their lives.
These ideals portray a decrease of morality by the consumption of capitalism, and eventually internal conflict
among the same squad. Applicable to a larger scale, Heller portrays the tendency of man to turn against one
another in order power their own selfish prerogatives. Ultimately, the tensions sprouting from the squad will
eventually trickle down to the rest of the army and defensive force, creating internal tension and possible
extinction of man by his own hand. Conflict, although violent and detrimental, constitute a necessary evil
caused by the selfishness of humankind. War creates a way of which this conflict can release under the pressure
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of conflict, and although potentially extremely detrimental to society, creates a way for which the underlying
strain of human interaction diminishes into nothing.
The characterization of Milo reveals another powerful driving force of humankind, capitalism.
Heller’s attempt to personify the ideal of capitalism conveys the true colors of humanity. The transparency
created by the Heller’s characterization reveals the true core of humanity. By making Milo MinderBinder the
epitome of capitalism in human form, Heller conveys the two driving forces of human kind, survival, discussed
earlier in the text, and the essential presence of capitalism. Although potentially detrimental to society for
reasons already discussed, capitalism embedded in our society for efficiency and intuitive reasons. Almost
second nature to human conduct, the business qualities of capitalism serve as a means to an end of surviving.
Consumed by the power and wealth of a twentieth century world, laissez-faire economy give what consumer
want while secretly benefitting the employers and businesses by a tenfold of what gets to the consumer. In
today’s modern world, our society demands a person of wealth and power, and without these qualities, the rest
of society remains arbitrary and obsolete. We no longer live in old-fashioned world of class flexibility which
capitalism, the most efficient way of reaching the top, destroys while also creating a larger gap between those
who succeed and those who fail. Therefore, internalizing the ideals of capitalism within the skeleton of our
existence only seems rational and logical. As a result, the core of humankind in the twenty-first century
composes of survival and capitalism. Undeniably, the characterization of Milo creates an undertone of business
within the text and ultimately increases the evidence bank supporting the correlation between human survival
instincts and the private business sectors of modern society.
These values of prosperity through business and continuity through will co dependently exist, and
essentially compose the makeup of human existence. These ideals truly complement each other, and cannot
exist without the other. Capitalism alone constitutes a large portion of human existence and supports the will of
our species to survive. Survival, in concurrence with capitalism, encourages the continuity of our existence and
allows the prosperity of the human race, resulting in thousands of effects both positive and negative, but all
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continuing life on a large scale. Additionally, Phillips states “instincts of economic possession” still continue to
provide a tangible technique in which survival can sprout from (570). Survival constitutes the only purpose of
humanity, and although other significant goals such as welfare and power present themselves, they all lead to
the continuation of human kind and the culture built by communities and society. The coexistence of both
survival and capitalism as the sole driving force for humanity creates beautiful result, life. However, with the
conflicting nature of the business framework of our capitalistic society, war inevitably occurs, and the all the
subpar moral philosophies fade into the background. By creating a tolerable reality, society as a whole attempts
to believe war can occur civilly possibly avoid more violence and killing through “civilizing war” (Phillips
576). However, Survival constitutes the grand priority of civilization, therefore revealing the true origins of
existence. War decrease chances of survival and forces others to create a new reality in which all other values
remain obsolete and arbitrary. Within the novel, Heller reveals survival as the sole underlying force which
drives all the rest forward. Although many values such as morality and welfare constitute the driving forces
behind most of modern societies today, Heller attempts to reveal that survival ultimately provides the platform
on which these values can exist. Since the origins of capitalism begin at the creation of civilization and still
contain relevance today, the model of business continues to create the means of achieving survival. As shown
through Milo’s characterization, Heller’s novel states these two values create the techniques to continue human
existence.
Interestingly enough, the syntax and structure of Catch-22 exemplifies the meaning and motifs behind
the novel’s explanation of human nature. The sporadic behavior of Heller’s writing establishes the intricate
design of human nature and how our society develops moral boundaries and other societal structures. Erratic
writing and angles interlaced within the plot of the novel surely confuses readers, but ultimately reveals the
mystery and complexity of the human race. As stated by Louis Hasley of the Midwest Quarterly, the novel
Catch-22 captures the tendencies of “man’s behavior in war,” which mimics the configuration of Heller’s novel
(173). However, one thing remains certain within the piece; Yossarian, Heller’s personification of the will to
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survive, entails the only subject repeatedly referred to throughout the entire novel. Similarly, the nonsense
created by Heller through the inventive and unpredictable script of Catch-22 relates to modern society’s
plethora of societal norms which ultimately pale in comparison against values of survival. Amidst the mess of
vain societal values, survival and the value of life continues to reign supreme, and by supplying the majority of
the focus on Yossarian, the author ultimately creates a caste of values, survival taking the top level, while
superfluous values of today’s society fall among the least effective and unimportant values of society. The
relation between the superiority of survival among other unimportant values directly correlates to the
dominance of Yossarian, a survival figure, within the ever shifting perspective of Heller’s writing throughout
the text. As the chronology of the text seems increasingly sporadic and unreliable as the reader navigates
throughout the novel, the focus on Yossarian equally increases, and the explication of the text serves as contrast
against the universal truths portrayed by Heller’s characterization of Yossarian. The syntax and chronology of
the text dulls in comparison to the bright profound philosophies and principles portrayed by Heller’s characters
throughout the novel.
Comparatively, the actions of Milo, although unfortunately dangerous, continue to support the important
values of survival, particularly his own survival. To escape the ominous threat of insanity and loss of reality,
Milo attempts to create a world where prosperity still occurs. In order to relieve the stress of worry and constant
presence of death, Milo chooses to focus on propelling himself forward in the chain of power and wealth. Doing
so, although negatively affecting those around him can mean survival or death in an era where death seeps into
every single aspect of their lives. Consequently, Milo creates a window of opportunity to increase his chances
of survival by managing his own health both mentally and emotionally. The power emerging from the sole
ability to control his wealth already increases his welfare and gives a positive, optimistic impression of his own
life. Therefore, as Milo increases his chances of survival through powers of business, Heller reveals that
survival and capitalism inevitably create the powerful principles behind the prolonged continuation of our
society.
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As Heller introduces characters throughout the book, the personification of survival and private business into
Yossarian and Milo MinderBinder ultimately reveal the core values of society and convey the importance of
human existence as a whole. The intense focus on Yossarian throughout the novel revealed the importance and
significance of the human will to survive. Without these powers deeply engrained into our minds and the core
of life, the human race would not continue to exist and would begin to lose the power of creation and intuition.
These characteristics, which separate us from the mannerism of other species, rely on the pure presence of our
self-awareness and survival. Additionally, the portrayal of Milo as the epitome of private business structures
reveals the importance of capitalistic ideals within our society. Serving as a means to an end, the business
framework provided by capitalism creates the platform for which survival can exist. The collaboration of these
two important values forms the driving forces of society and human existence. Especially in war, the moral
boundaries of common society eventually break down into these two essential byproducts of civilization,
survival and capitalism. Heller reveals through the collapse of ethical structures, these unalienable values of
human continuation and private business remain, therefore making the composition of humanity’s moral fibers.
Although the presences of political conflict destroys most moral codes, the significance of the values portrayed
by Yossarian and Milo supersedes all other morals and essentially comprises the inner core of purpose and
persistence within our society. Additionally, analysis of the correlation between private business structures and
conflict reveals the true nature of the human race, and showcases the superiority of our intrinsic survival
instincts. Analyzing the psychology of war helps the reader to decipher the complex syntax and composition of
the novel, which provides juxtaposition between the erratic notions of subpar societal values and the most
significant and important values of society. The analysis of Yossarian and Milo’s characterization provides the
framework and foundation for the importance of survival as a superior values and capitalism as a means of
achieving continuity. Heller uses these examples, along with the explication of the text, to reveal the destruction
of morality during war, and how the deterioration of typical moral boundaries highlights the true nature of
human conduct and interaction. Gathering all the evidence presented in the book, as well as some outside
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analysis on the novel, the reader can conclude that survival and capitalism settle deep into the core of human
existence and co dependently exist, therefore human kind cannot exists without these two imperative values.
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Works Cited
Blues, Thomas. "The Moral Structure of "Catch 22"" Studies in the Novel 3.1 (1971): 64-79. JSTOR. Web. 16
Jan. 2014.
Byrne, Mark. On Human Survival: By Means of Reason and Common Sense. Bloomington: IUniverse, 2008.
Google Books. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
Hasley, Louis. "Dramatic Tension in 'Catch-22'" The Midwest Quarterly [Pittsburg] 1974: 190-97. Print. Rpt. in
Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 78. Print.
Heller, Joseph, and Brice Matthieussent. Catch 22. Paris: B. Grasset, 1985. Print.
Phillips, D.E. "The Psychology of War." The Scientific Monthly 6.3 (1916): 569-78. JSTOR. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
Wood, Ellen M. "The Agrarian Origin of Capitalism." The Origin of Capitalism: A Longer View. London:
Verso, 2002. 95-97. Google Scholar. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
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