Slaughter House 5 and Catch 22
It is very difficult for any writer to successfully communicate the true nature of war in a work of literature. However, Slaughter House-5 by Kurt Vonnegut and Catch-22 by Joseph Heller both are triumphant in their attempts to convey that singular experience. Both authors accomplish their undertaking in very analogous styles. Their works run along parallel lines and thus each is quite anti-war. From start to finish, irony is woven into each story, exemplifying the idiocy and folly of military institutions, a theme throughout the novels. Almost as prevalent is the subject of sex. Yossarian and Billy both are overly preoccupied with sex and women's bodies. No less important are the characters Hungry Joe and Edgar Derby, who transmit the authors' knowledge of war's casualties that bear no battle wounds. The two authors use these motifs in similar ways to convey their anti-war message. The picture of war that is painted by Vonnegut and Heller is highlighted by their utilization of irony. Their careful strokes of irony on the canvases of their novels help to prove one of their numerous shared themes. The institutions and organizations created by war are bizarre. Many comparisons can be made between M & M Enterprises of Catch-22 and
While the Englishmen can afford to put on plays, Billy and his fellows are so terribly destitute that the props used in this production are better than what they themselves have. She is "Montana Wildhack, a motion picture star" (Vonnegut 132) of the adult variety. " So Billy is able to get himself a pair of boots; a pair of silver boots from a production of Cinderella. Hungry Joe, of Catch-22, is without a doubt the only man in Yossarian's squadron who sleeps better knowing he has a mission to fly the next day. When compared, it is interesting to notice that the Englishmen profit greatly from a mistake of military bureaucracy and Snowden suffers greatly from a conscious decision that "is good for the country. Like Joe, he followed the same path as the protagonist for most of the novel. This pointless death is disheartening and reminds the reader that there are no guarantees in war. Perhaps, Heller intended M & M Enterprises to symbolize the ridiculous quality of wartime enterprises for profit. Interestingly, although Billy Pilgrim's experience seems to be completely opposite to Snowden's, it is actually extraordinarily similar. " 'Darling, we're going to have a baby again,' she would say to Yossarian every month. " (Heller 80) His implied opinion is identical to Vonnegut's. Each reflects with irony on the madness of military institutions and the harm they cause. Trying to make a profit in war can only result in pain and suffering such as Snowden's and is one of the most cold-blooded undertakings that is known. Both protagonists have quite ironic experiences with the group that exists within their particular universe.
Common topics in this essay:
Billy Pilgrim's,
Englishmen Cinderella,
Montana Wildhack,
Scheisskopf Yossarian's,
Kurt Vonnegut,
Joe Catch-22,
Joseph Heller,
Edgar Derby,
Hungry Joes,
English Nazi,
hungry joe,
billy pilgrim's,
edgar derby,
military institutions,
m enterprises,
joe edgar derby,
billy able,
anti-war message,
create life,
prison camp,
vonnegut 132,
hungry joe edgar,
catch-22 joseph heller,
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Acceptance Essays
