The Post Second World War literature heralded a new outlook in the literal world with authors focusing on darker themes (Augustyn, 2011). The horror that had visited the world had profound implications on authors and how they perceived the society. Joseph Heller in his book Catch-22 employed satirized the soldier mindset with controversial dark comedy that was fused with horror. The book stripped the war narrative off any honor and glory instead dwelling on bureaucracy, violence and madness. The book did not celebrate the American feat in the Second World War which many people deemed just and heroic. It, however, dwelled on dark notions which were prophetic as the Vietnam War that followed changed the Americans perception of war. The novel was a far cry from other fiction works as it failed to celebrate the achievements of the war by the American government. Using its chief protagonist, Yossarian, the novel questions institutional order and the essence of war to any nation (Buckley & Heller, 2014). It also investigates the motives of war and how it affects its participants such as soldiers who end up being disillusioned and put in harm’s way in a war that should not be in existence in the first place. As for bureaucracy, the ugly side of the war is highlighted through the power struggles. The military just like any institution is shown to be affected by capitalistic tendencies that are manifested in individual greed in the course of the war (Buckley & Heller, 2014).
The fictitious narrative was used to condemn war, and the carnage brought about by the powers involved. The use of irony in the book was used to drive the point home regarding the wars and their negative implication as well as the negative reasons that they are waged on. In a nutshell, it investigates the choices one must make when faced with an authority that is irrational and immoral.