The Theme of Absurdity and Existentialism in Catch-22: A Study of the Meaning of Life in a Wartime Context

One of the core themes of Catch-22 is the absurdity of life, particularly in the context of war. Joseph Heller uses the chaotic and irrational environment of World War II to explore existential questions about the meaning of life, survival, and death. The novel portrays war as an absurd spectacle, where logic and reason are turned upside down, and human lives are expendable.

The absurdity of the characters' situations—where the rules of war and the nature of survival are governed by contradictory forces—reflects the existentialist idea that life often lacks inherent meaning. Yossarian, the protagonist, becomes obsessed with the idea of survival, yet he is forced to confront the futility of trying to make sense of an irrational world. The characters in Catch-22 struggle with the meaning of their actions, knowing that the war itself, along with the bureaucracy that controls their lives, is absurd and beyond their control.

Heller's use of dark humor and satire in depicting war’s absurdity echoes existentialist philosophies, where individuals must create their own meaning in a world that seems arbitrary and indifferent. Catch-22 portrays existential themes such as isolation, the quest for meaning, and the fear of death, all against the backdrop of an overwhelming, nonsensical system of war.