Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

No one could escape the vicious cycle of “catch-22”. But no matter how clear the futility of escape was, there were those who still attempted to escape. Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 clearly illustrated this situation. Catch-22 took place during World War II on an Italian island, Pianosa. Although the novel revolved around the protagonist, Captain John Yossarian, the story presented the different roles and perspectives of many other characters on the system. One such character was flight surgeon, Doc Daneeka, who clearly hated the way the military worked. However, in his attempts to escape or cheat the system, he was actually rid of everything at the end. The actions he took to show his opposition to the system was rather cowardly instead of heroic; he represented the men who tried to cheat the system that could not be cheated.

Doc Daneeka was at first benefited by the political state of the world, but his doomed future unveiled itself as he was drafted into the military and he found himself stuck in a situation he could not take advantage from. Doc Daneeka had been making money through illegal means, such as giving abortions in beauty parlors. When the war started, his legal practice picked up as other doctors in his neighborhood were drafted. He was glad because he was not affected; there was nothing for him to complain about. Doc Daneeka represented those who supported the war because they were ignorant of others’ sufferings until they got personally involved. However, when he was drafted, the war became more than what he wanted for himself with the war. In Pianosa, he was to fly missions just like any other member of the military. He understood he was trapped in a system he had no say over. He greatly opposed the notion that he was not allowed the freedom to choose, but he did not take any real actions that would free himself and the others. When Doc Daneeka clearly explained the concept of “catch-22” to Yossarian, he had already recognized the fact that he could not escape.

Doc Daneeka was not a man of great morals or was a man who had the courage to take drastic measures to change, but he had his own way of saying no even though they were not exactly righteous or actually would change anything for himself or anyone else. Doc Daneeka was rather selfish and self-interest orientated; he asked Yossarian to help him, but he never returned the favor. By having Yossarian put his name on the roster of the flight he was never