In Joseph Heller's Catch 22, scattered through the pages are hints about a man named Snowden. From the beginning of the novel, we know he's dead; we know his death haunts the protagonist Yossarian, but the storyteller masterfully holds back the full scene of Snowden's death until the very end. When the question "What happened to Snowden," is finally answered, it's a tough scene--like many of the book's other scenes.
As WWII bombardiers, the aircraft crew members responsible for targeting bombs, both Snowden and Yossarian worked at one of the most dangerous and high-mortality-rate jobs.
In one of the last chapters, when Snowden is hit by flak, Yossarian crawls to him and tries to treat the wound in his leg. Yet, the reader senses from Snowden's haunting last words, "I'm cold, I'm cold," and ample foreshadowing, that Yossarian's treatment won't be enough. All along, Yossarian has been treating the wrong wound. Just when he thinks he's adequately bandaged his friend's wounds, he unzips his jacket, and Snowden's inner wounds come gushing out. He never could have saved Snowden.
Yet, there is something poignant in "treating the wrong wound." Heller's plot, cynicism, metaphors, satire, are too convoluted, too well planned, to have his main character treating the wrong wound without a deeper meaning.
Catch-22 is a satire on war. It speaks irreverently of men's ambitions, his goals, his very reasons for war. Within the novel is broad speaking commentary on war for profit, Cold War insanity, and a nation who cares more about war games than the men who will brutally die in those games.
When the culminating scene focuses on our main character treating the "wrong wound," the author is pointing to us and yelling at the top of his lungs, "Look deeper; you're straining at a gnat when there's a beam in your eye.”
War is a patch, a temporary band-aid. A fix that often makes things worse: WWI, the war to end all wars, in less than 20 years became WWII. WWII led to the Berlin Blockade, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the fight against Russia in Afghanistan helped to fuel the jihadists that eventually perpetrated 9-11, which led to the war against the Taliban, the war in Iraq, the deployments in the Middle East...
Silent Scream by Edward Munch.
We need to treat the right wounds.
Poverty, inequality, religious misunderstandings--treatable only by dialogue, example, love. When and only when, we've done all we can, defense.
As WWII bombardiers, the aircraft crew members responsible for targeting bombs, both Snowden and Yossarian worked at one of the most dangerous and high-mortality-rate jobs.
In one of the last chapters, when Snowden is hit by flak, Yossarian crawls to him and tries to treat the wound in his leg. Yet, the reader senses from Snowden's haunting last words, "I'm cold, I'm cold," and ample foreshadowing, that Yossarian's treatment won't be enough. All along, Yossarian has been treating the wrong wound. Just when he thinks he's adequately bandaged his friend's wounds, he unzips his jacket, and Snowden's inner wounds come gushing out. He never could have saved Snowden.
Yet, there is something poignant in "treating the wrong wound." Heller's plot, cynicism, metaphors, satire, are too convoluted, too well planned, to have his main character treating the wrong wound without a deeper meaning.
Catch-22 is a satire on war. It speaks irreverently of men's ambitions, his goals, his very reasons for war. Within the novel is broad speaking commentary on war for profit, Cold War insanity, and a nation who cares more about war games than the men who will brutally die in those games.
When the culminating scene focuses on our main character treating the "wrong wound," the author is pointing to us and yelling at the top of his lungs, "Look deeper; you're straining at a gnat when there's a beam in your eye.”
War is a patch, a temporary band-aid. A fix that often makes things worse: WWI, the war to end all wars, in less than 20 years became WWII. WWII led to the Berlin Blockade, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the fight against Russia in Afghanistan helped to fuel the jihadists that eventually perpetrated 9-11, which led to the war against the Taliban, the war in Iraq, the deployments in the Middle East...
Silent Scream by Edward Munch.
We need to treat the right wounds.
Poverty, inequality, religious misunderstandings--treatable only by dialogue, example, love. When and only when, we've done all we can, defense.
Comments