The Importance of Catch-22
“Catch-22” by Joseph Heller has cultural value as one of the most popular post-modern novels of the 20th century and has been a concept used in literature as a satirical representation of the contradictions found in war as well as a way to relate these paradoxes to everyday life. Understanding these paradoxes and relating them to one’s everyday life is not simple, yet “Catch-22” provides the reader with a way to do so. These “catches” hold key elements that are extremely important for a one to understand and reflect on. Many of the “catches” in this novel are related to war. These “catches” hold key elements that are extremely important for a one to understand and reflect on. The importance of “Catch-22’s” ironic…show more content… Examples of this would be when the catch first appears in the novel. Yossarian, the protagonist, goes to speak with Doc Daneeka about grounding his roommate Orr out of the army. He explains that Orr is crazy and is constantly crashing his plane. Doc Daneeka replies with the rule that states that Orr may ask to be grounded, but as soon as he asks he cannot receive a leave. This is due to the law of Catch-22, which states that only an insane person may be grounded, but the minute someone asks to be drafted the automatically become sane, therefore preventing men like Orr from ever leaving the military…show more content… Cancer patients are often denied insurance once admitting to having it. Even people who have backgrounds of cancer are denied the privilege to have insurance. Insurance companies often do not offer coverage over patients with cancer for economic reasons. Patients believe that they are entitled to coverage, but insurance companies are in fact businesses. If they believe the patient’s claims will be too risky, they turn the patient down. (Wales) Although this is just one example of a “Catch-22” found in our everyday lives, it isn’t the only one. There are plenty of examples that one can relate