Through the examination of a World War II society, Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 challenges the responders to consider the role of individuality, in comparison to modern-day societal structures, conveying that human experiences are the focus of ‘good fiction. As a bombardier in World War II, Heller’s personal experiences motivate him to express the idea that individualism cannot exist in a power-driven society. The constant attempts at self-preservation and lack of selflessness in the novel forces the reader to reconsider the role of societal structures in shaping human experiences during the Second World War. Catch 22 is a fractured narrative that employs absurdism and character-based vignettes to explore how a basic human instinct; self-preservation is developed in an atmosphere of brutality. My reading of “Catch 22” was drawn to individualist ideas of the struggle between the individual and society, leading me to question whether society can ever truly let the individual take full control. Essentially, the representation of human experiences in Catch-22 has led me to believe, that even though humans are inherently selfish and self-preserving, the societal structures they create prevent anyone from gaining complete power.
In response to their rudimentary impulse, humans always outweigh their needs when compared to the needs of others. Heller uses of Milo Minderbender’s chocolate-covered cotton to highlight this notion, as symbolically, the chocolate-covered cotton depicts the extent Milo is willing to go to rid his financial liabilities. Sacrificing the health of the squadron and scamming the government are the morally questionable consequences of this action, however, Milo attempts to justify this by paraphrasing Calvin Coolidge's 1925 speech, in which the U.S president said: “The chief business of American people is business”. It is universally expected for humans to be self-serving and the author delves into this concept and questions the power of our self-serving characteristics when it comes to our impact on others. The absolute disregard of human life and suffering is further seen, through the purpose of Pianosa’s bombing missions, as Colonel Korn reveals “(Colonel Cathcart) is hardly concerned anymore whether bombs hit the target or not”, as “it is important for the bombs to explode close together and make a neat aerial photograph.“ The dehumanization of war has reduced to the bureaucracy willing to risk destroying innocent lives for the sake of looking good. It is through these symbols Heller asks us to consider humans' self-centered nature, and also forces us to recognize the destructive capabilities of humans that fracture our societal structures. Reflecting on the ideas Heller presents, it is clear to me now that people who seek power are responding to their darker instincts that promote immorality and violence.
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As a primitive instinct, self-preservation is instilled within all humans, however, it is further cultivated when one is placed in a conflicted environment. In order to examine this notion, Heller employs the character of Milo Minderbender, an unsuspecting mess officer who grows to be the operator of a worldwide syndicate. The establishment of his syndicate begins with fresh eggs and leads to leaking war information to the Germans, causing the deaths of many. The development of this idea is evident through the progression of the novel, as the syndicate is a representation of Milo’s selfishness that intensifies as the “profits” grow. The existence of the syndicate is absolutely ridiculous and this absurdity provides Heller with the opportunity to explore its symbolism of it and confronts the readers with the way greed is exacerbated in a setting of war. The deal for discharge that is made between Colonel Korn and Yossarian also contributes to the author’s argument, as for being their “pal” and “saying nice things” Yossarian is willing to betray the airmen. Though Yossarian struggles with his personal integrity during the process of making a decision, he ultimately accepts it due to his desire to escape and his severe dislike of the harsh atmosphere, which replicates the one of World War II. Heller, through this exploration, led me to believe that when placed in a volatile environment one’s selfishness, causes catastrophic results.
Though humans are inherently self-serving, we naturally form a social hierarchy that empowers and disempowers some, while preventing anyone from gaining complete control. This concept is explored through the characterization of the main character, Yossarian, as the character only wishes to be free from war and struggles due to the tight power structures, which place him at the bottom. His constant attempts at avoiding war, through faking illnesses such as appendicitis, allows the author to focus on the extent of control that an individual can hold within a tyrannical society. Throughout the novel, Yossarian's attempts demonstrate that humans desire control, and at a deeper level explore the inherent desire for humans to acquire power. Doc Daneeka a wartime surgeon in Catch 22, plays an important role in furthering Heller’s argument, being one of the most self-obsessed characters in the novel, the Doc has a paralyzing fear of death, as he deals with death almost every day and in those wounded soldiers sees “a dreadful portent of his own decay”, the fear acts as a source of the Doc’s need for control. Doc Daneeka goes through stages of hypochondria and grasps at any form of control, which eventually leads to his downfall, as he is trapped in the clutches of a dominating World War II society. Heller utilizes this opportunity to investigate the level of self-preservation one can achieve without being sucked back into the power-hungry society that favors immorality and chaos. It is my understanding that, while it is important for humans to acknowledge their survival instincts, ultimately their selfish nature maximizes control and social hierarchies eventually prevail.
My interpretation of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 has led me to believe that all good fiction is a depiction of human experiences. Heller successfully achieves this in his book by challenging readers with his examination of individualist ideas and their place in society. The idea that self-preservation is an instinct that is imparted to all humans, that thrives in a war-inflicted atmosphere to a point where it is restricted by our controlling society and thus denied ultimate power, is an underlying theme throughout the novel. It is through this representation, Heller asks us what it means to be an individual and to what extent are we in control of our lives.
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