Catch 22: A Postmodern Archetype American author Joseph Heller is considered to be a part of the postmodern era of literature which occurred between the decades of 1940 and 1970. (“Postmodernism”). The decade of the release of Catch 22 and other novels such as Slaughterhouse Five, Lost in the Funhouse, and Gravity’s Rainbow is often marked as the peak decade of the postmodern era. (Matterson). The content of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 coincides highly with the typical characteristics of postmodern literature. Catch 22 contains the anti-hero archetype, unusual narrative techniques such as fragmentation, paradox, and unreliable narrator, as well as strong connections to WWII, which was a precursor to the postmodern era and a common topic of postmodern …show more content…
John Yossarian does not have the attributes of idealism, integrity, and courage often associated with the hero archetype. Instead he is cowardly, has very few morals, and does not trust in traditional values. Yossarian has no sense of honor or dignity in his attitude towards the war, but rather seeks to slither away from responsibility because he is so aware of his own mortality. Yossarian often seeks self preservation at the cost of others, especially on his flight missions, during which he avoids his own demise by sending the ranks of other bombardiers into chaos. Like Yossarian, the typical anti-hero of the postmodern era is often cynical, non-conformist, immoral, and often has a strong interest in self preservation. (“Postmodernism”). These qualities make Yossarian the protagonist of what can clearly be classified as a postmodern piece of …show more content…
Postmodern narratives often include fragmentation of the story line, the use of the paradox, and the enigma of the unreliable narrator. (Matterson). Catch 22 is an entirely fragmented story, pieced together with the deftness of a writer skilled in the techniques of postmodern literature. The 50th anniversary edition of Catch 22 contains a photograph of the blotter sheet that Heller used to masterfully weave the convoluted story line of arguably one of the most fragmented plots in the postmodern era. In addition to this, a particularly nasty clause from the book; “Catch 22,” has become its own idiomatic phrase, and is one of the most famous paradoxes in literature, especially the postmodern era. Catch 22 is also very similar to other famous postmodern works because of its highly unreliable narrator. It can be quickly determined by the reader that Yossarian’s perception of reality is highly unlikely, therefore the reader is forced to puzzle out the poignant wisdoms in Yossarian’s interpretation of his world. The fragmentation, paradox, and unreliable narrator of Catch 22 categorize it as a postmodern piece of