Society Exposed In Joseph Heller's 'Catch-22'

Words: 459
Pages: 2

The society created in Catch-22 is very chaotic due to Catch-22 itself. Catch-22 is a collection of insane rules that are constantly changing and authoritative powers enforced by bureaucracy over the soldiers. In Heller’s novel, Yossarian is controlled by such rules as Catch 22. Very early into the story, Yossarian comes to Doc Daneeka to ask him if he was found crazy, would he be grounded from his missions. Doc Daneeka answers yes but then introduces introduces Yossarian to Catch-22. The narrator explains,
"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would be
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At this point in the book, Catch-22 proves that if you are crazy you could be grounded from your missions. However, if you do not want to be in the war you’re sane therefore, you are stable enough to participate in the war. Doc Daneeka also mentions that you cannot be discharged unless you ask the colonel, thus proving that you are sane because you do not want to participate in war. The absurd rules made by Colonel Cathcart that he uses to promote him to major contravene each other. His rules in this way create a paradox of rules that could only be accepted and enforced as a law by the mentally unstable and power-hungry bureaucrats. In comparison to Catch-22, The Help, directed by Tate Taylor,