the awakeningcomedy and tragedy
Comedy and tragedy have always been separation into separate genres. Certainly most tragedies had comedic moments, and even the craziest comedies were at times serious. However, even the development of supposed tragedies left the division intact. That is, until Catch-22. Joseph Heller does not deal with these issues in the normal fashion instead he criticizes them and the institutions that help carry these things out. Heller in fact goes beyond criticizing, he satirizes. Joseph Heller manages to bond humor and terror, comedy and tragedy, and reveals in the process the mean of the human character and of society gone mad. The first, is his presentation of outrageous characters, acting outrageously. From the first chapter, we are presented with a mass of unbelievable characters whose actions and beliefs are uproariously funny, and horrifically disturbing. In fact, the manner in which the reader recognizes the character's dual nature will serve as the first example of Heller's combination of comedy and tragedy. Dunbar's theory of life is first received with a burst of laughter from the audience. Life is short, and Dunbar wishes to extend it as much as possible. If time flies when one is having fun, then conversely, time must s
The genius of Heller's characterization is further enhanced. With this revelation, Heller compels the audience to follow the rebellious path of Yossarian, or fall victim to the indoctrination of society, and meet the same fate as the deluded. As the audience is attack with insanely comedic ironies of Catch-22, they are further aware of its horror. Perhaps the most memorable attribute of Catch-22 is its paradoxes, catches. These paradoxes range from the absurd, to the catastrophic. When Yossarian and his friends begin asking clever questions to disrupt boring educational sessions, Colonel Korn decides that only those who never ask questions may ask questions. When they want to discuss a problem with Major Major, they are allowed into his office only when he is out. Even when Yossarian is offered an apparently harmless deal that would allow him to go home as a hero, there is a catch. He must betray his friends by praising the officers who caused many of them to die. And as Heller shows, life is reduced to one frustrating paradox after another. The most notable instance of the paradox is Catch-22. The first solid reference is Doc Daneeka's version, presented to Yossarian on the matter of groundings. To be grounded, one must be insane, but one must also ask to be grounded. However, asking
Some common words found in the essay are:
Doc Daneeka, Joseph Heller, Major Major, Mc Watt's, Doc Daneeka's, , Hungry Joe's, Colonel Korn, comedy tragedy, joseph heller, leaves audience, combination comedy, trying kill, combination comedy tragedy,
Approximate Word count = 876
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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