Society

Catch-22

In Catch-22, Yossarian exists in a military society. The American military operates in a very strict, regimented way. It tries to fit all soldiers into the same round hole, but Yossarian is a square peg. He does not fit his society's expectations or standards. His rantings border on the traitorous, yet he comes across as the most sane character in the book. A key aspect to any military operation running smoothly is the assumption that the participants are actively willing to follow their orders for the good of their country. Yossarian does not fit this standard. He points out many double-thinks,  perfectly accepting two contrary beliefs at the same time, that actually exist in the military world. Yossarian does not want to die for his country, not because he is unpatriotic but because he simply does not want to die. He makes the point, "It doesn't make a dammed bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead." (Heller 134) This is completely true but gets him a label as "crazy" or "insane". He does not what to be a part of the military system. His will to survive is instinct and natural among the military minds in his society he is crazy, creating yet another paradox, a catch-22.