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Comedy and tragedy have always been separation into separate genres. Certainly most tragedies had comedic moments, and even the craziest comedies were at times serious. However, even the development of supposed tragedies left the division intact. That is, until Catch-22. Joseph Heller does not deal with these issues in the normal fashion instead he criticizes them and the institutions that help carry these things out. Heller in fact goes beyond criticizing, he satirizes. Joseph Heller manages to bond humor and terror, comedy and tragedy, and reveals in the process the mean of the human character and of society gone mad.
The first, is his presentation of outrageous characters, acting outrageously. From the first chapter, we are presented with a mass of unbelievable characters whose actions and beliefs are uproariously funny, and horrifically disturbing. In fact, the manner in which the reader recognizes the character's dual nature will serve as the first example of Heller's combination of comedy and tragedy.
Dunbar's theory of life is first received with a burst of laughter from the audience. Life is short, and Dunbar wishes to extend it as much as possible. If time flies when one is having fun, then conversely, time must slow when one is bored. Dunbar endeavors to make his life as boring as possible, thus increasing the length of its passing. Indeed, it is understandable why such an attitude should elicit a laugh, but the further implications are horrific. Society's emphasis on life over meaning comes as a shocking revelation to the audience. Heller further reinforces that idea with characters such as Doc Daneeka, who values resistance and money over responsibility and friendship, and Milo who values strength and fortune over the lives of thousands of others. The design that follows gives us characters that are, above all else, more interested in themselves. Though they are initially humorous, their nature is ultimately revealed to be false and horrific, arousing disgust and pity, a brilliant combination of comedy and tragedy.
The parody of society is revealed further in a second major type of character, the deluded. Though most serve largely as hold back to Yossarian and his viewpoint, much can still be made of their condition. Clevinger is perhaps the best example of a deluded character. His debate with Yossarian serves as an insightful evaluation of their psyche. He argues that, although everyone is trying to kill him, everyone is not trying to kill him. The humor of the debate cannot be denied, but horror and tragedy are equally present. The debate leaves the audience struggling to decide who is crazy. Clevinger falls into an obvious contradiction, but his argument still strikes as common sense. In face of Yossarian's What difference does that make? the audience is left not only with the realization of its speciousness, but of the realization that they believed it. The terror evoked by the deluded lies mainly in that the audience is equally deluded.
The genius of Heller's characterization is further enhanced. With this revelation, Heller compels the audience to follow the rebellious path of Yossarian, or fall victim to the indoctrination of society, and meet the same fate as the deluded. As the audience is attack with insanely comedic ironies of Catch-22, they are further aware of its horror.
A primary example of irony is found in Milo, when he is praised for bombing his own company when it is learned that he made a great deal of money. Again, this evokes a laugh, and then leaves the audience aghast with horror. Exaggeration makes this funny, an event such as this occurring, and then inciting such a reaction by those affected is almost incomprehensible, but the truth provides the terror. Society truly does reward persons for profit, even if it results, as it often does, in terrible distress. The further instances of ridiculously backward behavior Hungry Joe's screaming, Havermeyer's disregard for life, Mc Watt's destructive flying, and so on, further provide the audience with humorous instances of exaggeration, whose proves to be horrifying.
Perhaps the most memorable attribute of Catch-22 is its paradoxes, catches. These paradoxes range from the absurd, to the catastrophic. When Yossarian and his friends begin asking clever questions to disrupt boring educational sessions, Colonel Korn decides that only those who never ask questions may ask questions. When they want to discuss a problem with Major Major, they are allowed into his office only when he is out. Even when Yossarian is offered an apparently harmless deal that would allow him to go home as a hero, there is a catch. He must betray his friends by praising the officers who caused many of them to die. And as Heller shows, life is reduced to one frustrating paradox after another.
The most notable instance of the paradox is Catch-22. The first solid reference is Doc Daneeka's version, presented to Yossarian on the matter of groundings. To be grounded, one must be insane, but one must also ask to be grounded. However, asking to be grounded shows the desire for protection, a sure sign of sanity. For, if one were truly insane, one would fly the missions voluntarily. Thus, no one is grounded. As the novel continues, the paradoxes remain equally humorous, but their implications even more gruesome.
Word Count: 875
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