"We've got your pal"- A Catch-22 situation

If you ever go on the wikipedia page and type "World War-II Literature", you'll be taken to a page where there is a mention of works like "Flags of Our Fathers","The Harvey Girls" and other such classic war-time literature. No doubt that these works capture the trials and tribulations of those affected and those involved in the most compelling way, yet the seriousness of The War in the narration can become heavy and tedious for the readers. In 1961, an ex-US World War-II bombardier by the name of Joseph Heller decided to set the record straight by publishing Catch-22, a satire and if I may be allowed to call it, a mockery on The War, and it is this eccentric piece of literary work that is I am going to write about here.

Catch-22 is the story of Captain John Yossarian who is a US B-25 bombardier for the 27th Air Force Head Quarters. Everytime he completes the number of missions that are required after which one can be sent home, the powers to be raise the number. His only motive in the entire book is to save his life come what may. To achieve the same he tries various shenanigans-tries to get himself grounded on the grounds of insanity, gets himself admitted in the hospital with pain in his liver which was "just short of jaundice" but "not jaundice" and the likes. He is aided in his theatrics with a motley crew of characters- each suffering and being tormented by their own insecurities, ambitions and the failures to achieve them.

The thing that sets Catch-22 apart from the rest of the books based on The War, is that the action on the battlefield, is secondary. At the center of the novel is a simple man's struggle to come to terms with the hysteria and paranoia that war brings and his indefatigable fight to live through and perhaps beyond it. The book's high point is the convoluted humour which can make those well-versed in logic tear their hair apart-characters contradicting themselves in every next statement, corruption being justified by the economics of profit,reason going for a toss just like that, sanity and insanity becoming subjective- all add to the queer and twisted humour of the book. There is situational humour as well and it at times makes you wonder if between all this madness, a war is actually taking place. Consider this for an example:-
'Sure, that's what I mean,'Doc Daneeka said.'A little grease is what makes this world go round. One hand washes the other. Know what I mean? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.'
Yossarian knew what he meant.
'That's not what I meant,' Doc Daneeka said, as Yossarian began scratching his back.

It is not just war and logic that Catch-22 makes fun of. Death, the greatest equaliser and finality of any war is also poked fun at. In fact it is dealt with a comical, and some might feel, even a slight derogatory treatment with the characters making near mockery of the process of dying itself.

War has always been devastating to the fairer sex and the book is full of instances where women folk have been shown in the veridical light of the misery they suffer in conflict situations. The savage attitude of men that war time brings out is exposed but only in necessary measures and there is no overdoing of the same.

Catch-22 does has its shortcomings as well. The narrative is leisurely but at times it does get tedious due to the repetition of the similar jokes in similar situations. The chronological order of the story is also difficult to keep pace with and at times you need to revisit the earlier pages to make complete sense of what is happening. The end, though climactic, is a bit disappointing and you are left with a feeling that a somewhat crazier, more maniacal solution could have been a more befitting.

Catch-22 has been listed in the TIME magazine's 100 Greatest novels of the 21st century and it justifies its presence for the uniqueness of perspective that it brings about the War. The lofty nobles of patriotism, heroism, sense of duty and bravery have been brought to the fore by many novels, films etc. but survival? That is something that this book explores and leaves you wondering whether the sense of duty in war times can or can not prevail over our innate sense of existing. Read Catch-22 for Captain Yossarian, read it for Hungry Joe, read it for Doc Daneeka; read it to realize the frailty of life, read it for the enormity of death; read it for the fact that you may understand and yet not comprehend the catch of Catch-22.