Essays on Yossarian

Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 is arguably one of the most influential books of its time. Written during a very difficult period in Heller’s life, the novel captures what was to be a pivotal moment for American culture, as well as American history. Catch-22 follows Captain John Yossarian as he peels back the traditional heroism of war to reveal sheer madness. With heavy notes of satire, Heller presents several different themes throughout the novel as we see Yossarian thrust into the insane trappings of a real catch-22, sometimes masking the symbolism of what the book really stands for, which is what war ...

The novel ‘Catch-22’ was published in November 11th 1961 authored written by Joseph Heller mainly focus on satire in the military and political establishments. The writer presents his argument by showing how individuals in the book distort reality and logic for their personal gains and interests. The most significant characters in the novel include Captain John Yossarian, Colonel Cathcart, and Nately The novel opens and we meet the novel’s protagonist Captain John Yossarian, a bombardier of the 256th squadron who is hospitalized on the islands of pianosa in the squadron hospital with a temperature of 101 degrees Celsius. However, ...

Book Review: Catch-22

This book, written by Joseph Heller and published in 1961, is perhaps best known for its title alone, which has become a familiar expression in the English language, meaning any “no-win” situation, originally derived from a specific set of circumstances occurring in the novel. Heller set his novel in 1943 in World War II, much of the action located on a small island called Pianosa, near to Elba on the Italian Tuscan coast in the Mediterranean Sea. (The island is real, but much smaller than this work of fiction purported it to be). The main character is Captain John Yossarian, a B-25 bombardier ...