Banned Books: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller


                What is the measure of insanity? You’re insane if you fly a plane dropping bombs on people, while the enemy shoots counter fire at you. You’re sane the moment you refuse to fly because you fear for your own safety. It’s a Catch-22. In fact it is the Catch-22 that Captain Yossarian, the bombardier, has found himself stuck in during World War II, when he asks to be sent home and refuses to fly any more missions. Yossarian thinks everyone else is insane because they continue to fly without any concern for their own safety. Here they are, stuck on the island of Pianosa, because the Colonel in charge keeps raising the amount of missions required to return to the states. After watching planes being shot down, friends lose their life and having to escape some close calls of his own, Yossarian has had enough, but the country or at least his Colonel still wants more.
                Catch-22 was a hilarious novel, filled with wit, sarcasm and amazing wordplay that follows a year in the life of U.S. Captain Yossarian and his comrades near the end of World War II. It humorously observes the day to day life of all characters involved from trips to whore houses, to dangerous missions, even time in the Officer’s lounge. It downplays the significance of ranks, pokes holes in leadership roles and questions the sanity of all involved in the military world. Yossarian’s experiences throughout the book causes a wide range of emotions from bitterness, shock, outrage, fear and relief. I found it to be a fascinating, but not very encouraging, twist on life in the military.
                This novel was brilliant in delivery, written with a heavy hand in humor and sarcasm. Heller’s use of comedy and surrealism, along with his timing of events throughout the novel made it a well-paced adventure through the time. I’m finding it hard to describe how Heller managed to play on words and situations of his characters in a way that emphasized but joked with its severity. I was amused by the humor he put in each situation and the ease at which I was able to stay “in” on the joke. The American Library Association explains that the bans put on this book were because of its derogatory references to women. There are plenty of references in Catch-22 of whores, prostitutes, sex, brothels and even some of rape. I can admit that some of the casual references to some of these sexual acts can be a off-putting but censoring these references in the form of banning a book doesn't take away from the presence of these things in society. It simply stops you from experiencing what can be considered an amazing novel. The incredible writing in Catch-22 makes up for the crude and reckless behavior sometimes exhibited. It is an all around great and recommendable read. 



02/07/2014

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