Catch-22 and the Theme of Death Essay -- Catch-22

Catch-22 and the Theme of Death There are many ways for a man to die, but there is no way to bring him post after he has entered the world of dead. Catch-22 is a novel satirizing war, and beca manipulation of this, it inevitably has a strong underlying theme of end. But unlike many war novels, Catch-22 doesnt use violent depictions of fighting or bloody death scenes to denounce the evils of war it utilizes humor and irony to make an arguably more effective point. And even more importantly, Catch-22 is ultimately a novel about hope, not death. Although the inevitability of death is still a prominent motif, it eventually break downs the main character, Yossarian, to realize that the desire to pop off is important and also that he cant simply recognise he must live free of hypocrisy and oppression. Natelys whore plays a major part in conveying the message about life and death in Catch-22, even though she doesnt become an important character until the novel nears i ts climax. Although Yossarian is only the messenger attitude the bad news of Natelys death, Natelys whore holds him responsible and follows him back to Pianosa in an attempt to murder him. Yossarian manages to repeatedly escape from her, but only as long as he continues to disobey the illogical and immoral rules of the war machine. When he agrees to meet with Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn, she catches him and seriously injures him. This may imply that by submitting to the oppression of the bureaucratic military system, Yossarian is only headed towards death and disaster. And in the midst of Yossarians final revelation and his decision to desert the military, Natelys whore was hiding behind a door, ready to stab him. But ... ...but the desire to live is the most important impulse a man can have. But Yossarian cant live a life of hypocrisy or oppression under the military this is what lastly pushes him to desert. The knowledge that Orr finally paddled all the way t o Sweden gives him hope, and he sees the only path he can take to be free. He knows it will be difficult, but he knows there is no alternative for him. Although Catch-22 is a novel about war, it is not only about death. The message it ultimately conveys is one of hope. Yossarian finally realizes that the basic instinct to survive is the most important quality of a man, and that he must follow his impulse and escape from the military, which will only lead him to his death. Catch-22 may allow the military to do whatever the people cant stop it from doing, but it cant destroy hope.