How does Heller use absurdity and paradox to make his point
in Catch-22?
Joseph Heller uses absurdity, paradox, and black humor in Catch-22 to
criticize the military, war, and human irrationality, often with irony and satire.
Heller's use of these techniques constantly baffles the reader and emphasizes
the novel's central theme of the senselessness of war, making it seem more
absurd. One of the significant paradoxes in the novel is the protagonist,
Yossarian's, desire to be discharged from the Air Force, leading him to
engage in dangerous missions he despises. Another paradox used by Heller
is the bureaucratic institution that is created to serve its soldiers' needs but
becomes more concerned with achieving organizational goals.
Heller's use of absurdity highlights the insane and illogical nature of war,
especially in its portrayal of death scenes. Here, Heller describes the
grotesque nature of life and the inevitability of death to subvert the reader's
expectations. Moreover, the novel's circular structure with its repetitions and
parallel events implies a universal and never-ending cycle of futility and
meaninglessness, suggesting that there can be no real resolution to the
nonsensical nature of life.
In conclusion, Heller's use of absurdity and paradox throughout Catch-22
forces the reader to confront and reflect on the absurdities of human life, war,
and the military bureaucracy. Heller uses humor, irony, and satire to show us
the disorienting and illogical nature of our reality, highlighting the book's
primary message: that often, the only rational response to an insane world is
to remain powerless, frustrated, and lost in the absurd.
References:
Huntington, J. (2003). What's so funny about Vietnam? Irony, satire, and black humor in
Catch-22. Journal of Popular Culture, 37(1), 49-67.
Mastin, L. (2014). The great American paradox: Catch-22’s “Rejoinder” to the American
Dream. CEA Critic, 76(3), 339-354.
Tanner, T. (1982). Absurdity and justice in Joseph Heller's Catch-22. University of Dayton
Review, 13(2), 33-44.