Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, his most famous work, was released in 1961. The novel’s title was so popular that it even made its way into the dictionary. Catch-22 shows Heller’s experiences in war through satirical humor. Heller, who actually liked the war he was in, used the experience he gained to create the novel Catch 22 which became popular and successful among anti-war activists. Many people wonder what made Heller change his mind about the war. Joseph Heller (born May 1st in 1923) is an American novelist. Isaac and Lena Heller were his parents. Sylvia and Lee Heller are two of his siblings. Heller enlisted in the army at 19 years old and served as a bombardier for World War II. He attended Columbia University for his Bachelor of Arts in English. Heller did not explain why he decided to change his view on war. Joseph Heller’s anti-war opinions made him popular. Heller used many jokes to keep the reader entertained and make them believe that it was anti-war. Not only that, but there are other reasons. Charlie Reilly asked Heller a few questions in an article. Before that, he wrote, “Heller composed a magnificent attack not only on the horror and craziness of a recent war, but on the hypocrisy ad savagery exhibited by the ongoing McCarthy witch hunts.” McCarthy’s witch-hunts involved the senator looking for communists to send to prison or to Russia. Heller was trying to show how the McCarthy witch-hunts robbed people of their First Amendment rights. He did not only focus on the McCarthy witch hunts but also on how horrible the war was. He shared stories about brutal war incidents, but also of wars that made American soldiers look like children. He wanted to share his views on war as well as his personal experiences. Heller stated, “I never wanted an autobiography. I was planning to write a story that had autobiographical features”. Heller said in an interview that “I never wanted to write an autobiography, but part of my plan was to write a novel which contained autobiographical elements”. This quote shows us how the military and war can either be cruel to other military personnel or drive them crazy. Heller initially enjoyed the idea of war and the justification for it, but as he watched the battle unfold, he realized how quickly everything could change. Heller’s novel was successful in part because he didn’t follow a storyline. Heller only related stories that he had known had occurred during the war. This quote by a critic describes the situation: “The chapters are not organized in a logical way; the narrative is confusing, and the chapters have no clear structure.” Muste stated that the confusion could lead to readers becoming hooked and wanting to keep reading the novel until they understand it. The cliffhangers were a big part of why the novel was successful. Heller had planned to write the novel in a similar style as an autobiography. Robert Merrill explained this in his Catch-22 critical essay. He said “there’s a peculiarity to Heller’s backwards.” The term “flashbacks” can be misleading because it implies a dramatic episode that is long and detailed. Heller presents a lot of relevant material through oblique remarks, dramatically shortened scenes and dialogue. Merrill, in a simplified form of this quote explains how Heller has exaggerated experiences. The anti-war movement was attracted to this because it did not seem exaggerated. Instead, it made war appear crazy. It was because of this that the novel became popular among anti-war activists, as it demonstrated, according to them, the validity of their views on war. Heller used this to illustrate how awful war can be. The tragedies of World War II affected every country involved. In World War II, the U.S. army suffered 1,218.820 tragedies ranging from death to injury (Kohler). World War II brought death, destruction and destruction across the globe. Heller didn’t use stats to explain war tragedy in his book, but he used different stories. A character named Snowden is killed in the novel. Heller said “I am cold, Snowden whined feebly and then cried out in anguish, Please help me, I am cold”. Snowden is a young boy who was injured by Dobbs’s insane attempt to take over the aircraft. Snowden’s left leg was cut when the plane crashed and everyone fell over. It is sad to hear him cry out for help and say he was cold. Yossarian who could be called the “main” character of the story, ran to him. But it was already too far gone. The reader can still feel the reality of this story, even though it is unclear if Heller actually experienced the same thing. Heller uses the theme that death is inevitable to show the dangers of war. Yossarian is primarily concerned with staying alive or dying while trying to remain alive. It was not the first time he had almost died. He was fortunate enough to survive. Heller gets to demonstrate that even though Yossarian is no longer in war, death still can affect you. Yossarian goes to Rome for a short break and then tries telling a dying soldier about his experience. She then accuses Yossarian for her death and tries killing him with a sabre. Heller’s books became very popular because of this. He demonstrated that death would still come, no matter what. Even if it didn’t reach you in the moment. Catch 22 was written by a former war enthusiast who enjoyed fighting and the war. Joseph Heller initially enjoyed the war. However, he turned it into a comedy novel and became popular with the anti-war movement. It was important to know what or how changed Joseph Heller’s opinion about war. The answer is simple. If you look back at the way Heller made his satirical novel and read what was said in previous paragraphs, it is clear that war changed Heller’s opinion about war. Catch-22 is based on the experiences Heller had in war. Heller encountered tragedy, near-death experiences, and corrupt people in his wartime experience. In order to convey the effects of war, Heller decided to create a fictionalized story. His plan initially did not go as he had hoped. His novel was initially not popular with critics, but it became one of his most successful plans.
