Catch 22 Epigraph Analysis

Reading Journals: Total Word Count of 1397

Journal One: Analyzing the Epigraph

“This island of Pianosa lies in the Mediterranean Sea eight miles south of Elba. It is very small and obviously could not accommodate all of the actions described. Like the setting of this novel, the characters, too, are fictitious” (Heller 1)

The epigraph to Catch 22 provides a great amount of information on what to expect from the novel ahead of them, despite the small number of words that comprise the epigraph. Specifically, it tells the reader how they should treat this novel: as a satire. Heller does this by explaining that the island of Pianosa, of which the novel is set in, is far too small for the events that take place on it. This is presented to further

Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was sane he would have to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle. “That’s some catch, that Catch-22,” he observed. “It’s the best there is,” Doc Daneeka agreed” (Heller

He speaks of this fear several times and even acts upon the fear near the end of the novel by running away to Sweden. Strangely, many of his comrades and fellow soldiers feel him to be insane and paranoid for his fear in dying. This causes Yossarian to feel estranged, even among the men who are supposed to support him till the end. It should be noted that this paranoia that Yossarian’s comrades see in him has the purpose of showing how corrupt the system is, as it is possible of changing the natural instincts of humans in favour of these stupid and often life threatening laws that the military enacts. However, this is not the only purpose that Yossarian’s fear of death serves. As a matter of fact, it is utilized as a way of developing Yossarian as a dynamic character in regards to his fear of death. Initially in the novel, Yossarian is so fearful of death that it is the only thing that he can concentrate on, even getting to the point where he would rather spend months on end in a cramped hospital rather than risk death. As the novel progresses, though, the reader is able to see his transformation in regards to his fear. He still admits to his fear and even acts upon it on the occasion, but it can be seen that his attitude as a whole has changed because of it. No longer is the only focus of his life, as the fear he holds for death has made him all the more acutely aware