First, I have finally encountered the meaning of Catch-22 in chapter five. Doc Daneeka has the responsibility to forbid the pilots from flying because he is crazy, but he says that everybody is crazy, however he cannot ground them. Why? Because there's a catch, and it is related to one of my significant quotes in the novel. Catch-22 specifies that a soldier can get out of combat duty by being grounded and "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" (46) . Catch-22 is practically a dilemma, because even if a soldier calls himself crazy, with a purpose to be discharged from the army, he must continue completing his missions. Meaning if a pilot asks to get out, then he isn't insane. therefore is suited to continue fighting. In my opinion, its a stupid yet simple process to keep soldiers stationed, that is why Yossarian, the protagonist, is trying to get out.
My second quote is related to how the soldiers are stationed, despite completing the missions they were given. For example, Hungry Joe, a member of Yossarian's squadron, has flown the most missions out of everyone, therefore he remains stationed. When he first completed his first combat tour of duty, which were, twenty five missions, he anticipated having to return home. However, colonel Cathcart would continue raising the number of missions, and Hungry Joe must remain in the army. I felt a strong sense of sympathy when Hungry Joe "unpacked his bags and rewrote the happy letters home", and he has to continue waiting for his return home (53). I felt that (that) quote is significant because it seemed unfair that despite a soldier's efforts (Hungry Joe completed fifty missions), he would still remain stationed and slowly watch his comrades suffer and die.
My third quote contributes to why Yossarian continues scheming his way out of the army. My first impression of him was because of his superior-complex. He thinks he must be immortal or die trying, because he was simply too good to die (aforementioned on my previous blog post on this novel). However as I continue reading on, I begin to realize the purpose of why Yossarian must escape his combat duties.
History did not demand Yossarian's premature demise, justice could be satisfied without it, progress did not hinge upon it, victory did not depend on it. That men would die was a matter of necessity; which men would die, though, was a matter of circumstance, and Yossarian was willing to be the victim of anything but circumstance. But that was war.
(p 68)He cannot endure having to continue witnessing the death of his comrades and also he does not wish to be among them. Yossarian's plans of leaving the army is not because of his narcissism but to escape the traumatic experiences of war.
This novel is focuses on the the idea of Anti-War, as most characters try to have themselves discharged the army by working hard to complete their combat duties, or simply by faking-illnesses or calling themselves mentally challenged.
Hey Roena,
ReplyDeleteI believe that your interpretation of the first and second quote were perfect--those that start flying do not stop flying. I think that the author, by putting these characters into a never-ending cycle such as this, is trying to show to us the reality of war and at the same time the corruptness of the army system. As stated in the third quote, people must die, but the ones who die are not predetermined. However, with the cycle that the army is currently making soldiers undergo, it would not be far-fetched to say that this system is setting up the circumstances so that the soldiers must die. While you say that Yossarian does not wish to continue witnessing the death of his comrades, which might be true, I still sense a slight bit of narcissism in his thoughts. Never throughout the quote was anyone else mentioned except Yossarian himself, and never did I feel that he was thinking of anyone else when the quote was stated.