Catch-22 becomes more than what is seen on the cover. Through Catch-22 Joseph Heller permeates the idea that there is no single definitive truth, that the world is the form of a continual clash of truths. Heller permeates his ideas of existentialism throughout the novel. Each character lives within his/her own world where each creates their individual ideas of right and wrong. Through this no single truth remains a constant.

The principal behind existentialism states that oneself is the only definitive reference to what may be perceived of the world. The only truths that remain become those created by the individual. Each character within Catch-22 lives within the world perceived by their mind, the ideas of right and wrong perpetuated by the individual. From the start this idea is clearly e

Each man becomes blind to the views of other men. Colonel Cathcart, the general, continues to increase the number of missions necessary to get out of the army. In his eyes he sees this as a perfectly acceptable sacrifice to increase his rank. Within his mind the drive to increase his rank becomes his absolute truth. Although this drive is Colonel Cathcart's truth, his actions have a drastically different implication within the world and truths perceived by the soldiers. In contrary, the soldier's truth becomes the fight to escape. Even relationships between soldiers become paradoxical conflicts between their individual truths; each man having an exponentially different perspective of their world. The contradictory truth that is Catch-22 comes to define every man in their conflict with each other, an eternal "catch-22."

vident. The novel begins with the main character

Some common words found in the essay are:
Joseph Heller, Colonel Cathcart's, Colonel Cathcart, , ideas wrong, single truth, conflicting truths, world truths, increase rank, heller permeates, catch-22 comes, definitive truth,
Approximate Word count = 594
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)