Catch 22
(1961)
By: Joseph Heller
Historical Background
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World War II (novel set mostly in 1944)
Critical of U.S. foreign policy and capitalism
This is seen in the Marshall plan which
wanted to rebuild Europe while preventing
Russia from having influence.
Published in 1960’s during which people
were beginning to question authority of the
government and those in power.
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McCarthyism had occurred a decade earlier
(mistrust of government resulted)
Issue of the Cold War in the 50’s during
which the U.S. wanted to destroy communist
countries.
Think about how these issues are reflected in
this novel
Author Background
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Born in Brooklyn in 1923
Jewish
Joined the Twelfth Air Force (1941) where he
flew 60 combat missions as a B-25
bombardier.
Flew over Avignon as in novel
Heller did not trust government, organized
religion, bureaucracy, and the military.
Was a professor of English at Pennsylvania
Literary Frame: Which Genre is it?
Modernism—rejects traditional themes . . .
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Alienation; loss of individuality
Themes of change
Classical allusions
Disillusionment; no absolute truths, tries to make
sense of a broken world
“Mundane” subjects (“working class” characters)
Goes beyond “Realism” – disjointed timelines,
stream of consciousness, etc.
Started in 1900’s, peaked in 1920’s (why?)
“There ain’t any
answer. There
ain’t going to
be any answer.
There never
has been an
answer. That’s
the answer.”
(Gertrude Stein,
1874-1946)
Portrait of Gertrude Stein
(Pablo Picasso, 1906)
First viewers pointed out that Stein did not look
like her portrait.
Picasso’s response?
“She will.”
. . . or is it . . .?
Postmodernism—rejects modernism!
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Playful style; often humorous or ironic
Self-conscious – “knows” it’s a work of art
(metafiction,uses literary devices in obvious way)
“pop culture” allusions
No reality or truth can be determined; subjectivity
tends to be relative
Artist / author can’t solve things
Popularity began after 1945 (why?)
Reactions
In England, Catch-22 hit the best-seller list
the first week after being published in 1962.
Sales rose in the United States in response.
By the mid-1960s, Newsweek magazine was
reporting "The Heller Cult," and college
students were wearing Army field jackets
with Yossarian name tags. Students related
the novel not so much to World War II or the
Korean Conflict as to the Vietnam War then
beginning to escalate.
Theme Topics
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The power of bureaucracy
Greed and power
Loss of faith
Confusion
Guilt
Value of Human Life
Motif
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Paradox
Food (issues with
eating it)
Soldier in white
Promotions/awards/
demotions
Literary Signature
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Heller does an excellent job of creating a dismal, war torn
environment. One of the features of expressionist writing is its
concentration on the emotional. And Heller brings out the
very emotional side of war. He has certain scenes (such as the
one with the Snowdon, a new recruit who dies in Yossarian’s
arms in the back of a plane) that continuously repeat
throughout the novel. Each time it repeats, a little more detail
is added. Each time a little more detail is added, the reader
reacts differently. It is beautifully done. By playing with the
reader's emotions and making the reader constantly reconsider
their previous reactions, Heller paints a confusing tapestry for
his setting and plot. (Neeraj Sharma)