Essay on Satire, Sarcasm, and Irony in Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Satire, Sarcasm, and Irony in Catch-22 Joseph Hellers narration, dialogue, and characterization in Catch-22 all create a unique perspective of war and our societys bureaucracy. The satire, sarcasm, irony, and general absurdity of the novel provide a view of the irrationality of mans behavior. The horror that is portrayed in Catch-22 is intensified by the humorous way in which it is portrayed. Distortion and exaggeration highlight the characters and scenario while magnifying the confusion. Parallel structure and repetition serve to reinforce the novels themes. The most important and predominant aspects of Hellers style are satire, sarcasm, and irony. Heller pokes fun at the faults of society. At the same time, this humor emphasizes Hellers social commentary much more effectively than he could by simply coming out and stating his opinion. Satire is particularly important in Catch-22. It is often used to highlight the idiocy of the military hierarchy. It also conveys a good sense of humor that opposes and intensifies the dark seriousness of the book. Language is also satirized when Heller makes fun of the official jargon used by military personnel. Sarcasm could be considered a counterpart of satire. The characters portrayed in the novel use sarcasm profusely. The authors view is made clear with the blatant sarcasm used by both Yossarian and the fibber ...how much reverence can you have for a supreme Being who finds it necessary to include such phenomena as phlegm and tooth decay in His nobleman system of creation?( 98) Irony is a nonher important aspect of the novel. Irony is an integral part of the Catch-22 philosophy. The irony of the catch is that it perpetuates itsel... ... in the novel. For example Im coolness, Snowden said softly. Im cold Youre going to be all right, kid, Yossarian reassured him with a grin. Youre going to be all right. Im cold, Snowden said again in a frail, childlike voice. Im cold. There, there, Yossarian said, because he d id not know what else to say. There, there. Im cold, Snowden whispered. Im cold. There, there. There, there. All of these aspects of style come together very well. They play off of each other and are combined easily and appropriately. It is this culmination of styles that makes Catch-22 so effective. Works Cited and Consulted Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. New York. Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Kennard, Jean E. Joseph Heller At War with Absurdity. Contemporary Literary Criticism.(75-87) Ed. Roger Matuz. DetroitL Gale 1990.