Catch-22

Joseph Heller (1923-1999) American satirical novelist, short story writer and playwright when wrote a satirical novel based on this subject he never might have realized that the Queen’s English would adopt the title of his famous novel Catch-22 as a word to refer to logical paradoxes. But that was what precisely happened. Catch-22 became a more popular synonym for a situation in which either way you lose.

Now some background material for the un-initiated. This word in the modern dictionaries is defined as “an attempt to escape a predicament makes the escape impossible.” How can you explain this? Let me try.

Let us assume that you are put in to a situation in which the authorities forced you to undertake something which is very dangerous by your own assessments. The mission might be as suicidal as of now-a-day’s human-bomb situation in which you are the bomb. You want to wriggle out of this assignment and the only way out is to “declare yourself insane” because as per law governing you an insane man does not have to take up the mission. Now it is obvious -even to your authorities- that no sane person will undertake such a mission. So if you declare yourself insane in order to avoid that mission you are proving yourself to be sane enough to undertake the mission!!!

Let me explain the story line to drive home the aspect more vividly. Captain Yossarian is an American bombardier stationed off the Italian coast during the final months of World War II. Paranoid and odd, Yossarian believes that everyone around him is trying to kill him. All Yossarian wants is to complete his tour of duty and be sent home. However, glory-seeking Colonel Cathcart has other plans.

Yossarin finds during a discussion with the unit Doctor Dr. Daneeka that his colleague Orr can escape from undertaking the mission because according to the Doctor Orr is insane. But still he is undertaking the mission because again he is insane. Confused? Let us see the conversation (an excerpt) from the famous novel itself to clear the confusion. This conversation is between the Doctor and the main protagonist Yossarin.

“Yossarian looked at him soberly and tried another approach. "Is Orr crazy?"
"He sure is," Doc Daneeka said.
"Can you ground him?"
"I sure can. But first he has to ask me to. That's part of the rule."
"Then why doesn't he ask you to?"
"Because he's crazy," Doc Daneeka said. "He has to be crazy to keep flying combat missions after all the close calls he's had. Sure, I can ground Orr. But first he has to ask me to."
"That's all he has to do to be grounded?"
"That's all. Let him ask me."
"And then you can ground him?" Yossarian asked.
"No. Then I can't ground him."
"You mean there's a catch?"
"Sure there's a catch," Doc Daneeka replied. "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn't really crazy."

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be considered crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.”

Communist Party of India (Marxist) leadership in Kerala was in such a Catch-22 situation when they were facing the last assembly election. The CPI (M) leadership in Kerala wanted to deny Chief Minister Achuthanandan a party ticket for the election as they felt that evidently he was growing larger to his shoes. The party leadership wanted to clip his wings as they apprehended that it will be harmful for them if they allow a person like VS to lead the election and take away all the lime-light. But they also knew that denying a party ticket to VS will provide a cakewalk to the opposition at the election and that was the catch; the catch-22.

Writing about Joseph Heller and his masterpiece; the article will not be complete if I don’t give you a poem written by Kurt Vonnegut. It was his obituary in memory of his dear friend. It gives us the true picture of the kind of person Joseph Heller was.

1923-1999

“Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter island.
I said, "Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel 'Catch-22'
has earned in its entire history?"
And Joe said, "I've got something he can never have."
And I said, "What on earth could that be, Joe?"
And Joe said, "The knowledge that I've got enough."
Not bad! Rest in peace!”

The greatest having is to have ENOUGH; How profound; hats-off to you Joseph.