Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Book Analysis) E-Book

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• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: BrightSummaries.com
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 24

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of Catch-22 with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, a highly complex novel which brings together a wide range of characters and seemingly random, jumbled episodes in a non-linear timeline. However, the plot is anchored in the character of Yossarian, a bombardier in the Air Forces who spends the novel constantly searching for a way to be dismissed from the military, usually on grounds of insanity, only to be perpetually rebuffed by his superiors due to a paradoxical bureaucratic loophole known as Catch-22. This satirical novel about the deep psychological scars left by the trauma of war was heavily inspired by Heller’s own experiences as a soldier during the Second World War, and is generally considered his masterpiece.

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This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:

• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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Leseprobe

JOSEPH HELLER

AMERICAN NOVELIST

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1923.Died in East Hampton, New York State in 1999.Notable works:Something Happened (1974), novelGood as Gold (1979), novelClosing Time (1994), novel and sequel to Catch-22

Rudyard Kipling is considered one of the most eminent English writers of his generation, and is remembered for his writings on the British Empire and India and his children’s stories. Though his infamous celebration of European imperialism means that he is sometimes regarded as antiquated and problematic in the context of increasingly socially liberal Western societies, his novels, stories and poetry are highly regarded for their expertise, ingenuity and vibrancy. He was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1965 to English parents and, after being educated in England, returned to India to work as a journalist. It was here that he began publishing his poetry and short stories, and he returned to England in 1889 to fanfare about the quality and popularity of his writing. In England Kipling found himself increasingly well-regarded as a writer and embarked on a prolific career that included a huge number of short stories and poetry collections, as well as four novels. In 1907, he became the first English person to win the coveted Nobel Prize for Literature and continued to write right up to his death in 1936, at the age of 70.

CATCH-22

A SATIRE ON THE INSANITY OF WAR

Genre: novelReference edition: Heller, J. (1991) Catch-22. London: Vintage.1stedition: 1961Themes: insanity, hypocrisy, bureaucracy, irony, humour, contradiction

Catch-22 is a novel which is as hilariously funny as it is deeply tragic. It tells the story of a squadron of men sent to bomb German targets in Nazi-occupied Europe. The novel’s protagonist, Captain Yossarian, is terrified of dying and is desperate to be grounded, but time and again his requests are refused and he is told he must fly an ever-increasing number of missions. The novel explores the boundaries between sanity and insanity through its eponymous catch, which is based on the kind of paradox and circular reasoning which all too often allows the unjustifiable to be justified. Heller’s novel left critics divided when it was first published, although the New York Times described it as “a dazzling performance that will outrage nearly as many readers as it delights”. It also struck a particular chord with American university students of the early 1960s, who saw resonances between the insane world of Catch-22 and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). Although it won no awards at the time, Catch-22 has since become a literary classic; it remains Heller’s masterpiece, and whenever the author was accused of not writing anything quite as good, he is said to have replied: “Who has?”

SUMMARY

AN UNCONVENTIONAL NARRATIVE

At the time of its publication, critics derided Catch-22