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

ridicule, Sarcasm, and mockery 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 bear a view of the irrationality of mans behavior. The horror that is visualized in Catch-22 is increase by the humorous way in which it is portrayed. Distortion and exaggeration play up the characters and scenario while magnifying the confusion. Parallel structure and repetition serve to reinforce the novels themes. The just about important and prevalent 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 such(prenominal) more than effectively than he could by simply coming out and stating his opinion. Satire is particularly important in Catch-22. It is often apply to highlight the fatuity of the military hierarchy. It also conveys a sense of humor that opposes and intensifies the dark sincerity 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 faint with the blatant sarcasm used by both Yossarian and the narrator ...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 worshipful system of creation?( 98) Irony is another 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 cold, Snowden express softly. Im cold Youre spill 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, bare(a) voice. Im cold. There, there, Yo ssarian said, because he did 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 have 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.