Sunday, May 3, 2009
Chronology in Catch-22
Nice dancing there Forest. From the looks of it, you thoroughly enjoyed yourself over the weekend. I hope the rest of you did as well.
Here is a topic for you guys to consider after completing the reading tonight: how is the story of Catch-22 told differently from say, Dorian Gray or A Farewell to Arms? Why might Heller present Catch-22 in the order that he does? How might the form( or way in which the story is told) reflect the content( what is actually being said)? How does this affect your understanding of the story?
Please give thorough responses; I am taking notice.
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I believe that Catch 22 is presented in a lighter way. It shows and proves many horrible parts of war, however it adds a bit of humor to the presentation of the dark sides of war. Heller uses this technique to give the reader a laugh but after they are finished reading they realize that in that humor there were bits of darkness. Thus those bits of darkness become more meaningful. During the story Yossarian may not realize all of the effects of war on him thus this is the humor that the reader, undergoes at the time of reading. However after the war Yossarian will come to realize what has happened. This gives me a deeper and better understanding of the story because after reading certain parts I can think back and say "wow that wasn't really all that funny if I come to think of it".
ReplyDeleteA.R.Sandy
Go Celtis
Catch 22 unlike Farewell to Arms and Dorian Grey is a much more upbeat and better flowing novel in the sense that Heller uses a balance of seriousness and humor to bring feelings, thoughts, and the truth about what he is talking about to our attention. Heller presents his book in the way he does so that he can keep the reader entertained enough for the reader to develop a true interest for the novel. Leading the reader to want to read more in depth and understand what Heller is really trying to say without being bored to death.
ReplyDeleteFW
ReplyDeleteYes, i do think that Heller's writing flows better and adds some humor to the dark description he gives about war. Though, i think farewell to arms gave a better depiction and scene of war because Heller seems to tell it from one direction, crazy soldiers. Hemingway, to me, seemed to tell it better by showing us the times when soldiers are gathered together in their off time drinking, talking about women, and talking about the war being over one day and also the fighting side to it. So far i think i've enjoyed A Farewell to Arms better.
ReplyDelete-WL
Go Magic
I agree with Will in saying that I feel Hemingway does a better job depicting the war. Catch-22 can be more related to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in my opinion because it is a story of crazy people in a crazy situation. The only difference in the novel's is that Heller describes crazy soldiers fighting against another army in a crazy war. Meanwhile Ken Kesey (author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) describes a ward of crazy people fighting against the terrible staff of the mental institution in a crazy place.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the other posts too in that Heller does provide humor to a non-humorous situation (as does Kesey). Heller tells the story of the war and the hardships of war but he writes in a way that the reader can better connect with the humor than shy away from the violence and sadness that the war also shows.
-ZR
Go Jesusssss
I would also agree that Catch 22 flows better then A Farewell To Arms, however I believe A Farewell To Arms is more descriptive in some scenarios and really puts you into the book.
ReplyDelete-G. Swaim
Hemingway definitely does a better job in depicting the war and describing what happens. I think that A Farewell to Arms is a more serious novel in which Hemingway illustrates war. Heller utilizes humor, in Catch 22, to make it a little bit easier to read. However, I still think that A Farewell to Arms is an easier book to read, considering Hemingway's writing. I still get a bit confused in Catch 22 because of the switch between humor and seriousness. Catch 22 is a much more upbeat and flowing novel that can catch the attention of the reader better than A Farewell to Arms.
ReplyDelete-CR
Yeah Magiccc
In my opinion, the main difference that we can find between A Farewell to Arms and Catch 22 is that Hemingway is more objective (stoic) in his descriptions what gives the reader a better idea about how the scenery looked like. On the other hand, Heller tells the story from different points of view which helps the reader understanding what the soldiers were feeling during war. The fact that Heller plays with the chronology of the events makes the book more interesting to read and catch the attention of the reader. The use of the irony, satire and humor by Heller makes Catch 22 a relatively easy book to read.
ReplyDeleteA Sanchez
Heller portrays war much more realistically than Hemingway in a Catch 22. Heller has seen war and because of his writing abalities is able to descripe its brutallity. Hemingway can only tell what he's heard he has no real life experience as being a soldier. This makes Catch 22 a better read.
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