Physical Death Ofthe Individual example essay topic

Within the genre of anti-war novels, none is surpassed by Johnny Got His Gun. This World War I novel uses stark realism to shock and literally bring the reader to consciousness about the consequences of war. On a lighter side, The Good Soldier Schweikwarmed the cockle of the heart of the reader with it's cynical, but comical, outlook on the illogic of war. Then came Catch 22. In a world gone mad, the madness of war is something we either laugh about, cry about, or join in the madness. Joseph Heller began work on Catch 22 shortly after leaving the Air Force, in 1953, and it was subsequently published in 1961.

"Rooted in World War II but developed during its aftermath, Catch-22 was published slightly in advance of a parallel and equally long-germinating American scenario: the novel's first and greatest sequel was to be the war in Vietnam" (Hoberman 9). Though comically pleasing, the book is an astute commentary ofthe times. The use of satire involves the reader in a confrontation with reality, the concepts of reality and the reasons that reality exists. "The world of Heller's fiction isan eerily insane one-perhaps an eerily sane one-filled with preposterous characters mired in outrageous circumstances. But long before (the) novel's end, the reader recognizes the connections between Heller's apparent absurdity and the target of his satire" (Reilly 507). The subject of death permeates the text of Catch 22.

Not only death of the body, but death of reason and of the ability to communicate or to rely on reality. The idiom, 'Catch-22 has been added to the American vernacular and as a new word in the dictionary: "a difficult situation or problem whose seemingly alternative solutions are logically invalid" (Hoberman 9). By invalidating the solutions, the problem dies, as does the logic and reason that most people base their lives on. When life ceases to make sense, does life itself continue In many scenes the idea of death is taken t the next level - where one wonders if death hasn't already occurred and it's now the Afterlife. That, at least, would allow reason to be accountable to logic.

There are moments in Yossarian's life at war that can only be described as 'other worldly'. In many instances, the characters released from reality by the assumption that he is not there. The Army regards Doc Daneeka's name appearing on the pilot " 's manifest as more real than his physical presence: " 'You " re dead, sir,' one of his two enlisted men explained... You " ve probably been dead all this time and we just didn't detect it... The records show that you went up in McWatt's plane to collect some flight time. You didn't come down in a parachute, so you must have been killed in the crash" (Heller 40).

In the case of the " soldier in white', it is just the opposite - he is not dead as long as no-one confirms his death:" ... if she had not read the thermometer and reported what she had found, the soldier in white might still be lying there alive... ". (Heller 171). Total disregard for the individual, as though he were dead in the context of being able to communicate, is shown in the following passage: " 'I don't want any special dishes. I want exactly what you serve all the other officers... Is that clear' 'Yes, sir,' said Milo.

'That's very clear. I've got some live Maine lobsters hidden away that I can serve you tonight with an excellent Roquefort salad and two frozen eclairs... Will that do for a start' 'No. ' 'Yes, sir.

I understand. ' For dinner that night Milo served him broiled lobster with excellent Roquefort salad and two frozen eclairs" (Heller 103). In the next scenario, disregard of the individual is combined with disregard for a life threatening situation: " 'Aarfy, help me,' he pleaded almost weeping. 'I'm hit! I'm hit!' Aarfy turned slowly with a blind, quizzical grin. 'What' 'I'm hit, Aarfy!

Help me!' Aarfy grinned again and shrugged amiably. 'I can't hear you,' he said. 'Can't you hear me' Yossarian cried incredulously, an dhe pointed to the deepening pool of blood... 'I'm wounded! Help me, for God's sake! Aarfy, help me!' 'I still can't hear you,' Aarfy complained tolerantly...

'What did you say" ' (Heller 297). In one instance, it is a denial of death itself: " 'Aarfy, are youinsane' Yossarian was almost speechless. 'You killed a girl. They " re going to put you in jail!' 'Oh, no,' Aarfy answered witha forced smile. 'Not me. They aren't going to put good oldAarfy in jail.

Not for killing her. ' 'But you threw her out the window. She's lying there dead in the street. ' 'She has no right to be there,' Aarfy answered.

'It's after curfew" ' (Heller 427-428). Aarfy has successfully denied the existence of death by denying responsibility for the consequences of his own actions. Re-defining reality (in modern 'psych speak':" re-framing") disallows death and perpetuates the death of reality. Throughout the book, the reader is confronted with "a world in which generals cheerfully send men to be slaughtered, officers lie and steal, whores become heroines, and, ... characters killed off in early passages pop up noisily in later chapters; dead men live on in empty tents; living men are "disappeared". Some characters get rich selling chocolate-covered cotton; others vault hundreds of miles in apparent seconds" (Reilly 507). Reality either dies, or is re-cast into a different dimension; which, in itself, is a death of the first concept of reality.

Yossarian had been diagnosed as suffering a "persecution complex" because he told an Air Force psychiatrist that people were trying to kill him. By admitting that there was a reason for the persecution complex, the diagnosis is no loner valid. The concept of "the enemy" becomes blurred between the one 'outthere' with a gun, ready to end the physical being and the one who is in control who, by disengaging all the components of a previous reality has caused the death of what once was. When confronted by a war with death, either literally or symbolically as in the death of logic and reason, it remains to each individual to determine who the enemy is.

Often, there is a valid opponent who is attempting to cause the physical death ofthe individual. In many instances it is "the system's uch as themilitary, that defines and controls all aspects of theindividual's life - causing an initial death of identity. In a society ruled by numbers this is encountered every day and in almost every aspect of life. To the commercial world, customers are account numbers and amounts added and subtracted ona ledger.

In the military, the individual loses his or her identity within the first moments after joining - the very concept of an individual is the antithesis of a 'war machine'. "The military is the single calling in the world with job specs that include a commitment to die for your nation... Themilitary has always combined the finest qualities of society withthe very worst of government. On the one hand, it brings out loyalty, bravery, inventiveness and even genius. Unfortunately, this goes hand in hand with a stupefying bureaucracy, and always has.

All government bureaucracies thrive on red tape and the cover-your-ass syndrome, but the military has traditionally been at the cutting edge of each... novels from The Good SoldierSchweik to Catch 22 brilliantly illustrate the worst aspects ofthe military mentality" (Amiel 8). It is easy to see themilitary as being the 'enemy'. The bottom line in any discussion that would include the concept of "enemy" however, has to include the idea of personal responsibility. The individual is responsible for all aspects of their life.

If they choose to define the enemy as the military, it must be considered how it was they came to be in the military. All behaviors are a process of choice and action. In this sense, the individual is not only their "own worst enemy" but also the only enemy. (Also the only source of redemption, if balance is important). Amiel, Barbara. "Whatever Happened To Military Honor" Maclean's, (1996): September, pp. 8 (1).

Heller, Joseph. Catch 22. (New York, NY: Dell, 1970). Hoberman, J. "Only One Catch".

Artforum, (1994): October, pp. 9 (2). Reilly, Charlie. "An Interview With Joseph Heller". Contemporary Literature, (1998): December, pp. 507 (10).