Catch 22 was a well-written piece of literature, from the viewpoint of a group of soldiers in World War II. I enjoyed reading the book itself, and learning more about Yossarian and the acquaintances he makes during the span of the novel. Heller uses many different rhetorical strategies to bring his story to life, and to spark an interest in the story.
His words are satirical and humorous, in a form of Juvenalian satire showing a stark contrast to the brutality of World War II in its last few months, given the situation that Yossarian and his fellow soldiers are in. However, Yossarian and the others that he is stationed with on the Italian coast are still young, and cause much more trouble, especially because of Yossarian's blunt effort to avoid having to go out and do anything. He goes as far as faking a liver condition, just so that he can stay in the hospital and rest, instead of having to worry for his life as a bombardier.
Eventually, Yossarian realizes that there is no such thing as a "catch-22". It never existed, but it was a tactic to keep soldiers in their place. I liked the way Heller was able to “paint” images by elucidating his words, and how he was able to keep a general interest in the plot, without it getting stale. Overall, I would definitely recommend the book to anyone, as it kept my interest.
I like how you analyzed Yossarian's discovery of the non-existent (or rather multi-faceted) Catch-22, and the reality of the manipulation of the soldiers, and their loss of humanity by the bureaucratic head of the Army. The resistance of power the soldiers have and the eminent power the army has over them is an overall theme of the book. The existence of the Catch-22 is in its intangibility, in that its figurative nature is open to interpretation, or rather open to manipulation, as is seen here.
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