Catch 22 Satirical Analysis

After its publication in 1961, readers of Joseph Heller's first novel Catch-22 found themselves enamored with its unique style and approach to its subject matter. People all over the United States found it hilarious, sad, and horribly offensive. They howled with laughter only to pick up the phone, wiping tears from their eyes, and read pages to friends and family. When talking about the novel, many people focus on its merit as a satirical work. However, people often seem to forget the final chapters. Everything begins to make sense, and this leaves the reader missing the manic characters, light puns, and humurous vingnettes. Catch-22, while a satire first, also presents a unique blend of satire and horror while portraying the consequences of war. The novel's darker implications begin early on in the work. It starts slowly, subtly. One of the earliest of these implications occurs in the fourth chapter during an educational session. It begins to dissolve into confusion fairly quickly, as do most other things in the book, as people begin making up nonsense questions such as "Who is Spain?" (34). Yossarian interrupts this by asking "Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear?" (35). The first time someone reads Catch-22, this makes about as little sense as the other questions and exclamations listed. However, as the novel progresses,

As Snowden dies, he talks about being cold and gestures for Yossarian to open his flak suit, at which point Snowden's insides spill out of him, bringing a realization to Yossarian that "the spirit gone, man is garbage" (440). This affects his entire outlook on his situation and serves as a constant reminder of his own mortality. Throughout Josepr Heller's Catch-22, the author manages to mix satire with a creeping sense of horror as the story progresses in order to portray the consequences of