Alicia kim's blog

Introduction:

Catch-22 is a historical novel by Joseph Heller, published in 1961. This book follows military soldiers in a hospital camp due to injuries during World War II. It shares the story of Yossarian, who makes excuses and lies about staying in the hospital rather than going back to fight for his country. However, even the hospital life is hard, he and his friends face many challenges and present the bittersweet ending he chooses for himself. 

Plot: 

During World War II, Yossarian, a young soldier, is stuck on a tiny island off the coast of Italy, just trying to stay alive. Every day feels like a nightmare, with commanders who care more about taking good pictures of bombings than protecting their men. They keep raising the number of missions needed to go home, trapping Yossarian and his friends in endless danger. Yossarian is terrified and furious — he knows the war could kill him at any moment, and no one else seems to care. He spends as much time as he can faking illnesses, hiding out in the hospital, where at least he feels safe. The memory of Snowden, a fellow soldier who bled to death in his arms, haunts him and makes the war feel even more pointless. Yossarian feels trapped by “Catch-22,” a cruel rule that says if you’re smart enough to say you’re crazy, you’re sane enough to keep flying dangerous missions. Around him, life keeps falling apart. His friend Nately falls in love with a girl in Rome who only loves him back right before he’s killed, leaving her heartbroken and furious, blaming Yossarian. Meanwhile, their mess officer, Milo, gets rich by running shady deals, showing how greed wins over loyalty. As Yossarian wanders the streets of Rome, he sees nothing but violence, sadness, and cruelty. When his commanders offer him a way out if he betrays his friends, he refuses, even though he’s desperate for freedom. In the end, Yossarian decides to run away to Sweden, choosing to save himself rather than stay trapped in a system that doesn’t value human life. It’s a risky choice, but it’s the only way he can hold on to his soul.

Analysis:

The novel presents the injustice of the missions and the standards towards the soldiers. Through the many missions given to accomplish, they were forced to complete them even if they didn’t want to. This act showed unfairness and cruelty, forbidding the soldiers from going back home and meeting their families by increasing the number of missions. Because of this, this led to Yossarian, the main character, lies and stays in the hospital. Also, the concept of Catch-22 is harsh and immoral as it handles craziness and insanity, and flying on more missions. Yossarian’s life is diminishing in happiness as his friend, Nately, dies, and his officer, Milo, chooses greed over them. This portrays how the people around are falling in life, ethically and tragically. During the time of urges for freedom, he stays on the moral track, preventing other desires from swaying him from his path. However, this path comes to an end when he runs away to Sweden, basically choosing the path to save himself from these awful rules and procedures that had to be followed. Through the hardships, Yossarian was able to gain and earn ethics and freedom. 

Conclusion:

Catch-22 is a historical novel by Joseph Heller, published in 1961. It follows a military soldier during World War II who is trapped on an island near Italy, struggling to survive a brutal system where commanders care more about appearances than lives. Cruel rules like Catch-22 make escape nearly impossible. Haunted by loss and determined to live, he ultimately rejects the system’s lies and runs away to Sweden to save his soul. The novel shows ethics and freedom when Yossarian resists his temptations and the need for him to go outside. The book also presented the injustice towards the soldiers, forbidding them from returning to their homes.