Absurdity in Catch-22

Of all the insane actions society thrusts upon human beings, war has to be the most pointless and detrimental to our existence. In Catch-22, Joseph Heller explores the insane nature of war by placing his characters in ridiculous situations while in the face of combat. Catch-22 is different from most war stories in many regards and raises the question: is war absurd? Throughout the novel, Heller uses Yossarian and his experiences to demonstrate how it is so.

                Yossarrian, our main character, is one of the most interesting characters I have encountered. His Machiavellian schemes to remain alive in war despite his superior´s attempts to make him remain in combat are so pointless they reflects the whole meaninglessness of war as a whole. Many people describe Yossarian as insane but I don’t agree, with his strange quirks aside I would say Yossarian is forced into an insane situation rather than being insane himself. His end goal is to remain alive, which I would say makes a lot of sense to me. It is when you see the absurdity of his situation or rather his “Catch-22” that war begins to seem pointless. To Yossarian his enemy is anyone one who can get him killed, which doesn’t necessarily mean the Germans. This creates conflict in the novel as Yossarian´s greatest enemy becomes Colonel Cathcart. If in war the person who you consider you “enemy” is on your side then something strange is happening. When the main goal is to live then everything about war becomes an absurd situation, Yossarian exemplifies this by his illogical dialogue and irrational actions. Yossarian is so set on his task he is determined to “live forever, or die in the attempt.” The contradictory and pointless nature of that statement greatly represents Catch-22´s views on war.

                In Catch-22, Joseph Heller uses Yossarian as a vehicle to expresses the thoughts of the everyday solder in war. Yossarian makes us realize how war makes fools out of everyone and in the end is meaningless and absurd.

               

Procrastination: The Silent Killer

  No one knows the dangers of procrastination more than a student currently going through high school. As I sit writing this response at 10:30 pm I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of irony which I find somewhat humorous. However there is nothing funny about procrastination, in several occasions it has been the cause for  my lack of sleep, horrible grades, and the quintessential “I told you so” delivered by my mom. Procrastination truly is the silent killer.

            Procrastination is in my opinion one of the most relatable topics, as certainly we have all done it at some point or another. We imagine the deadlines to be in the distant future and consequently harm ourselves. To me procrastination has been my final hurdle in reaching maturity. I have always hoped to become responsible and successful yet I can’t seem to start my assignments until I absolutely have too. Over time I have improved but I still have a long way to go. I know that life is full of goals, and even after I finish my education, procrastination will still be there waiting for me when I get a job. There is simply no way of escaping; it has to be dealt with. In a way that is actually a positive thing, as it forces us to face our problems and if we don’t accomplish what we need to, then we deserve everything we get.

            In the end procrastination is somewhat of a test. As with any test we can either pass or fail it is completely up to us. Should we chose to rise to the occasion and complete whatever assignment we have to complete then it’s one step closer to maturity on the other hand we can also choose to wallow in incompetence for as long as we see fit. Procrastination forces us to look at how we conduct ourselves and hopefully change us for the better.

             

Hamlet Podcast Response

In a way, theater is all about pretending. A good actor can embody the personality of any one character and make the audience member believe it. However Jack Hitt could offer a counterpoint to this observation. In the podcast, Jack recalls his experiences as he interview a group of prisoners who put on a Hamlet performance and how their personal experiences alone are more than enough to aid them in their endeavor.

Hamlet, as we know is very commonly linked with indecision and hesitation. Most of us who read the play are very critical of the prince because of this. This is where an interesting parallel can be drawn between hamlet and the prisoners. No one can understand better than them the uncertainty of a decision of that magnitude. This is where real life experience can aid them in their acting, as they can draw from their past and connect with the play in an entirely new level.  As I listened to the podcast i found it to be very interesting, especially the interviews with the prisoners. The way in which they progress into making a legitimate production and their personal insight make their version of Hamlet one of the more entertaining and original.

Indecision In Literature

The inability to decide is considered by many a more condemnable deed than any action. Why do some men choose to sit idle while their counterparts live in infamy? Similar to the hollow men in T. S Elliot’s people every day seem to shuffle on without any consequence what so ever. Several literary works explore this theme and attempt to offer an explanation to this behavior. By the standards of literature taking action is the preferable course for most characters yet we still see their inner struggle when forced to make a decision.

            Two of the most notable literary works who deal with the theme of indecision are “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T S Elliot, and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare. Prufrock and Hamlet are in a way kindred spirits as they are both protagonists who are sabotaged by their own inability to take action. T S Elliot’s poem comes across as humorous but upon close reading I found it to be a tragedy quite like Hamlet. In several passages such as these: “And indeed there will be time to wonder, Do I dare? and Do I dare?” I was struck by the reality of Prufrock´s situation. There is a thinly veiled sense of desperation and regret riddled thought the poem which reminds deeply of Hamlet. There is clearly a parallel between these two characters which can be drawn at several moments between their stories. In Hamlet the most definitive moment of indecision would have to be his soliloquy in which he delivers his quintessential “to be or not to be” line. Here Hamlet wonders if living is even worthwhile as he seems to be unable to bring his uncle to justice. Whether it is asking out a girl or avenging the death of his father both Hamlet and Prufrock seem to be stumped by the mere thought of taking action. Despite all their similarities there is a major point that separates Hamlet from Prufrock. Hamlet at the end was able to achieve what Prufrock never could. After a moment of enlightenment Hamlet goes through with his plan and the play resolves itself. This cannot be said for Prufrock who sadly never can muster anything more than regret. However the tragic ending in Hamlet raises the question: was taking action really worth it?

In my opinon regardless of the outcome, action is always preferable to indecision. One has to remember deciding to do nothing is still an action, Hamlet could have chosen to give up his quest for revenge and move on with his life. However indecision will never yield tranquility only frustration, which can be a worse consequence than making a choice. These two works of literature urge us to look at our lives and finally make those decisions that we so love to pospone, unless we would rather end up like Prufkrock wondering if we would dare eat a peach.

Ted Talk Blog Response

             In the Ted Talk Chimamanda Adichie recounts her rather “American” experience despite being a native Nigerian, and how she discovered how generalized Africans were as she studied literature. I would say that out of the ignorance she was forced to deal with something positive arose. She realized she was partly ignorant herself to her own roots, which allowed her to reflect on and recognize her African heritage. Her talk made me reflect on the dangers of globalization. Pop culture and the media are dangerous tool by which we as a people are tricked into believing false stereotypes like the “lazy Mexican”. Everyone should be proud of their cultural background and make the effort to not stereotype or assume about someone elses.

Heart of Darkness Setting

            Setting is always a key component in a novel. However in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad the vast jungles of the Congo transcend the ordinary role a setting plays and become much more significant. In a way the dense jungles are more of a character than most of the ones who are present in the play. The importance of the setting raises the question: can setting truly be more important than characters? In the novel the jungle holds far more importance than any of the characters, and is what symbolizes the “Heart of Darkness”.

            Conrad does not rely heavily on characters to convey his message. We can see in the begging of the novel how we doesn’t even give name to a great number of characters including the narrator. On the other hand he spends a great deal of time describing the setting and using vivid imagery to make it come alive, a distinction none of the characters share, with the possible exception of Kurtz. Here is a quote for example: “the creek, the mud, the river-seemed to beckon with a dishonoring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart.”(102). Aside from the imagery proposed by Conrad the Jungle holds a lot literary value. It is debatable whether the “Heart of Darkness” is actually the Jungle or if it is the colonial mentality shared by the colonizers. This could mean the heart of darkness is interchangeable and the Thames could be the real heart of darkness as it is the way in which the colonizers are connected towards the rest of the world.

            Joseph Conrad has done a unique thing in this novel. He created a setting which outshines all other elements in the novel as far as importance. The unique nature of the jungle resembles its darkness and encourages us readers to find where the “Heart of Darkness” resides in our lives.

Heart of Darkness Symbolization

            Darkness is a universal symbol of alarm, when used correctly it instills fear and dread into the minds of those who picture it. In Heart of Darkness, darkness is very significant as it relates to the characters, setting, and plot. Through the use of symbolization Joseph Conrad intelligently uses darkness to represent the lack of morals displayed in the novel.

            In the novel darkness is often talked about in reference to the jungle. However I don’t believe it is the setting itself that provokes this evil. It is the advance of the colonizers into the jungle that is can be thought of as “dark”. I first came to this observation when I read this quote in part II:” The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief”. Marlow does not seem to realize although he attempts to disassociate from the actions of the company he is still involved with them and very much a part of “the darkness”. The darkness is not necessarily is something tangible I believe it can be interpreted as the colonial mentality found in the “heart” of every colonizer.

            Exactly what is represented by darkness in the novel can be left up to interpretation. However there is no denial that the darkness must be linked to the actions that Marlow and the rest of the colonizers do unto the innocent Africans. Heart of Darkness forces us to look into the reality of colonization and realize the truly dark nature of it.