Do you consider the ending of Catch-22 a happy or sad one? How might it be construed as a triumph or a defeat for Yossarian? Is it the only way out of the mad system of Catch-22?
I consider the end of Catch-22 to be a sad one. When all is said and done, nothing has really been accomplished. Yossarian is only running away from his problems, all his friends (except Orr) have been killed, and there is no relief for the other soldiers who must continue to fly missions. No character has really made any personal progress in making some personal growth except the chaplain, but even that is debatable, since this is not the first time in the novel he has decided to stand up for himself, and it is very possible that he will again back down from that commitment. However, though nothing has really been solved, yossarian really does seem to have found the only way out of the system. There is no logical solution to the problem of the "catch-22" for soldiers, because the system is inherently illogical. So though I believe the ending to be a sad one, it is probably the only ending that ends in Yossarian's freedom.
I consider the Catch-22 ending to be a happy one. I belive all the points John emphasized above could be used as justification for it being a happy ending. The system is so inherently flawed, a "fairytale" ending would not have made sense or connected to the rest of the novel. There was no happily ever after, nor should there have been.
That said, Yossarian now has hope. Through the entire novel he has "gone through the motions" out of fear. As the novel progressed, he lost seemingly everyone who was close to him. He would have been forced to decide between flying more missions, going to prison or being sent home to live an empty life.
But then, Heller threw him a life line. The happiness begins when Orr, one of Yossarian's best friends, is discovered to be alive weeks after being thought dead. Sensing he now has something to live for, Yossarian decides to embark on his own path to "freedom."
We have no idea whether he'll make it, or what the ramifications of his decision will be. But he has a chance, which is more than could be said for nearly every other character in the novel, and thus it is a happy ending.
The ending of Catch-22 is bittersweet. As previously mentioned, Catch-22 is so inherently illogical that a truly happy ending is absurd. However, Yossarian has found an out. Even though he will be hunted like a dog, he is escaping his enemies. Throughout the novel, it has been people in the American Army – Cathcart, Black, Korn – who have been Yossarian’s opposition. It has been Yossarian’s commanding officers who have been out to kill him, not the Germans. Even Natley’s whore, who got closest to physically harming Yossarian, failed to inflict the death blow that would have been a permanent out Therefore, Yossarian’s only hope for survival is to run. While he could not outrun the war, there is a definite possibility that he could outrun the long arms of the Americans.
As to the fates of Yossarian’s friends, they are all dead save Orr, and for all sorts of reasons. Towards the end of the book, the deaths of Yossarian’s friends shift from combat related to random happenings. Especially with the deaths of McWatt, Kid Sampson, and Doc Daneeka, it is clear that that people’s lives are ending for no real reason. Yossarian could very well be the next to go in some freak fireplace accident. Therefore, the chance to escape from unnecessary death like Orr is a chance well taken. Yossarian escapes death in the army, but not necessarily Catch-22.
I do not think there is a real escape from Catch-22. In Yossarian’s final visit to Rome, the police were citing Catch-22 as justification to run all of the prostitutes out of the apartments, a sign that Catch-22 spanned way beyond the jurisdiction of the Army. I believe Catch-22 would continue to spread to even advanced, civilized countries like Sweden. Wherever there is order, Catch-22 can thrive.
I consider the ending of Catch-22 to be a happy one. Though true that nothing is certain - Yossarian may not survive, the Chaplain may fail yet again,and it may already be too late for Nately's whore's kid sister - at least the characters walk out of the final scene with a sense of hope, something they have lacked throughout the entire rest of the novel. Up until the final chapter when Yossarian decides to run away to Sweden, he hasbeen without hope of escaping the dreaded Catch-22, cowering behind ever-weakening excuses while everyone around him dies or tells him that there is nothing he can do but fly more missons. So when in the end Yossarian finds a solution that does not involve flying or making a shady deal with hated officers, and someone finally shares his optimism and agrees to help him (even if his likelyhood of sucess is slim) it is quite uplifting.
There are three escapes from Catch-22 : die, make a deal to get sent home, or run away. I think Yossarian took the only sane option.
It is sort of a defeat, that in the end the only way Yossarian was able to come up with to acheive his goal of escaping Catch-22 was to desert and run away, since Yossarian initially thought of running at the start of the book, but ruled it out as too dangerous and shameful. However, it is also a sucess. Yossarian didn't think he could make it all the way to Sweden before, and now he does. I think the real triumph for Yossarian is that he is finally taking a firm stand against Catch-22 instead of just hiding in the hospital or looking for loopholes.
I think that the emotions pervading the end of this story hinge upon the word “despite”. In the end, I don’t think that the events that take place around Yossarian at the end of the story are inherently happy or sad; they just are what they are: part of the maddening system that surrounds Yossarian. Even all of Yossarian’s actions up until those at the very end of the novel suffer this abysmal fate; Yossarian tried to work within the system and found neither happiness nor sadness, but only madness. I don’t think any real emotion can survive for long in the illogical and inflexible world of Catch-22. Yet despite this sobering consequence, Yossarian never waivers in his efforts to find an out from the horrible situation he finds himself in. Despite the fact that it appears that the whole world is out to get him, he never gives up. Despite all the truly insane surroundings he finds himself in, he never relinquishes his hold on what he believes to be sanity. Despite all the horrible things that have happened to Yossarian, and despite all the horrible things that will likely happen to him when he decides to run away, he is simply too stubborn to give up fighting for what he believes in—himself. So when it comes down to it I don’t really look to what has befallen Yossarian to determine whether or not this was a happy ending. To me, this story was never really about what was happening around Yossarian, but rather what was happening to Yossarian on the inside. Because despite how paranoid and twisted he had become on the inside, Yossarian never gave up on himself, and stayed true to himself until the very end. Every time I look at that end, I see it in a different light—bitter, sweet, or a combination of the two. But no matter how I think about the ending I feel optimistic when I think about what Yossarian has done. After all, if someone as cowardly as Yossarian can stay true to himself in the face of such disturbing situations, I believe I can too.
In my opinion, the ending is a sad one. Yossarian has struggled through the entire book to be at the very least content with his life. In the end of the book, when he at last finds a way out of the monotony of war, he is attacked again by Nately's whore, who i feel symbolizes the injustices that plague Yossarian throughout the novel. The ending suggests that Yossarian's life will continue on in the same pattern; as soon as he catches a break, his chances are snatched away by the cruel and unusual ways of the war. Yossarian has definitely been defeated by the power of catch 22 because he has no other means of escape than to run and the benefits of that are only temporary. The deal he strikes up with Colonels Korn and Cathcart show just how trivial the war is to them and how ridiculous the rules and regulations set by them are. This makes Yossarians struggles to get out of the war even more desperate and sad because though his fears and troubles are true, the authority and reasoning behind it are very flawed. All in all, the ending of this book is sad because it shows the continuation of the pattern we've seen in Yossarian through the whole book, trying and failing repeatedly with no success in sight.
I find the ending of Catch-22 to be hopeful. And for me, happiness and hope go hand in hand. Yet it’s difficult to say that the ending of this novel is entirely happy, and I totally agree with Fiona’s and Tyler’s comments that the catch-22 will remain prevalent in all aspects of Yossarian’s life. Yossarian’s experiences throughout the novel can best be described as a roller coaster ride – going mostly downhill. Like Michael pointed out, Yossarian often just went through the motions of war because of his fear of death. He finally broke the monotonous cycle of fear and struggle in the ending when he hears of Orr’s escape. I found the ending to be a huge relief, like I was holding my breath the entire novel, just waiting for Yossarian to see the light and fight to stay in it. I think the reason I find the ending to be hopeful and happy as opposed to sad is because I actually believe Yossarian. Throughout the novel, many characters have a tendency to be flaky or insincere. Milo is a great example of this. He flakes out on Yossarian when Nately’s whore’s kid sister is missing and he is insincere to the war effort in his capitalistic efforts to further advance his syndicate. But in the end, Yossarian says to Major Danby: “there’s a young kid in Rome whose life I’d like to save if I can find her.” To me, this signifies Yossarian’s commitment to actually escape. If Yossarian had not mentioned the young girl, it would be easy for me to imagine Yossarian attempting to flee the war but failing due to lack of drive. But factor in another person’s life and Yossarian suddenly becomes seriously dedicated to his effort to get to Sweden. The other aspect of Yossarian’s behavior in the end that made me believe in his sincerity was the fact that he was realistic about the whole thing. When Major Danby voices his uncertainty by saying “Your conscience will never let you rest”, Yossarian counters with, “I wouldn’t want to live without strong misgivings.” I find so much power and hope from this statement. Yossarian has suddenly gained the strength to not only escape the war and its constant catch-22, but he has also gained the down to earth realism to know that escape won’t be easy and he’s accepted that. The best things in life are worth fighting for.
When I turned the last page of Catch-22 I was excited; excited that Yossarian was free and that he was going to go live happily ever after with Orr in civilized and advanced Sweden. Then I thought about the whole situation realistically. I saw Heller's ending as giving reades false hope. Yossarian has to fly to Rome without a pass and avoid the Italian police and the American's pursuing him. This is no simple task because, as we all should know, if America is looking for someone then they can't hide for long. Yossarian then had to cross the entirety of central/eastern Europe during WW II. The war wasn't over quite yet so reaching Sweden meant either flying north through Germany, going west through the Allied countries, or going east through Austria and Poland. If he flies over Germany I see no situation in which he won't be shot down. Going over France is a no go either because it is filled with Americans who will be looking for him. His only chance is to fly east over the Russian-German front. Even if I'm wrong and Yossarian actually manages to make it all the way to Sweden safely, it would be naive to assume that he would arrive right at Orr's location. All Yossarian knows is that Orr is in Sweden, he doesn't know where. Heller's ending may seem hopeful and full of great possibilities, but when realistically analyzed Heller just seems to be setting up another high-spirited, jubilant character for death. Yossarian would become another McWatt or another Nately.
I find the ending of Catch 22 to have a hopeful resonance to it and I was pleased to notice that Yossarian was given a chance to escape. Yossarian was finally given hope to succeed and escape the capitalistic manifestation that resembled Colonel Cathcart and Korn’s horrific reign. He then is met a by Natley’s whore who I believe resembles his past and when he is able to escape death from her by a narrow margin, I believe this opens a new chapter in Yossarian’s new life. Although the deaths of Natley, Dobbs, Hungry Joe and Mcwatt appeared to happen in rapid succession and in random cases he begins to remember Snowden. He realizes that this was the time he was traumatized by death and that it caused him to relive a moment in his life where he was uncertain on the manner to deal with the calamities. Although he encountered that flashback, he is reinsured by the chaplain that faith led him to escape the brutality of death and has given him hope. He then realizes that his “pals” which were Colonel Korn and Cathcart resembled capitalistic ideals; he realizes he must fight for the morals of his fallen soldiers. I agree with Fiona that the deaths started happening in weird succession and that anything could happen to Yossarian at anytime. However when the Major Danby arrives to explain to Yossarian that escaping is futile, hope is renewed when the Chaplain explains Orr’s exuberant escape plan worked. With this in mind, I believe the author was exhibiting crazy manners about the way the other soldiers died in order to give Yossarian a more preposterous idea of escaping the camp. I believe the author. This starts creating new hope for a highly composed Yossarian which begins to enhance the character and morale of the rest in camp such as Major Danby and the Chaplain for his new sense of hope. However, I agree with Tyler that Catch-22 may be prevalent in his life even though his more composed due to the new hope towards his morale. Although the actions in Italy and how Catch- 22 is growing in a more prevalent manner, Sweden has not experienced the effects and thus renewing confidence in Yossarian that he could find solace and peace in a more neutral country. His life has been disrupted and disastrous till the end of the book until he was reformed into a more confident spirit after he heard of Orr’s escape and as Michael and Alex explained earlier, he was able to break out of the bleak, tumultuous cycle by receiving hope at the end of the novel.
The ending of Catch-22 was a sad one. Even though Yossarian found a way to escape, he never wanted to do it the way that he did. All Yossarian wanted to do was leave the military and go to Rome to find one of the many women that he had fallen in love with. By leaving dishonorably and fleeing his post, he betrayed the army and himself. Even when he finally got the courage to leave, he still barely did it alive. Nately's whore almost killed him on the way out. Even though Yossarian has the hope that he can find Orr in Sweden, it is highly unlikely that he would make it across enemy lines and with the impending doom of his murder via Nately's whore, his outlook on survival is increasingly weak. Like Kammie said, all that Yossarian wanted to do was to be content with his life. The way that he was forced to finally make the decision to leave did not set him up for happiness. His life, like it was in the military will be plagued with Catch-22. He could never overcome it and this will make him miserable for the rest of his life. I guess on a positive note, Yossarian will finally be away from all the people that he fantasized were out to kill him.
I would have to say that the ending to Catch-22 is a deceivingly happy one. Yes as John said Yossarian may be running away from his problems but what other choice does he have? He is using an illogical solution (because the army could search for him) to an illogical problem in the supposedly unavoidable Catch-22. I would have to start agreeing with Scott on this one, yes Yossarian COULD escape and COULD find Orr but there is still a lot of what Ifs. My one big point that I think Scott may have forgot to mention is the never-ending search that would still occur IF Yossarian would make it out of the camp. If you think about it the corporal would have to be pretty mad about Yossarian not following through on their "deal" so he would I think almost go at nothing to get Yossarian back again and serve. So yes it may seem like Yossarian has hope and is giving the other soldiers hope for escape as well, but ultimately by running away Yossarian is creating more troubles and a life that would be filled with running away. To answer if there is a different way to get out of catch-22 I would say yes. You could crash your plane in enemy territory and run to a safe haven with a new look. So in total I would say that the ending is full of false hope. But it is a proper ending for a book such as catch-22
I can see both sides of the argument, as all of my classmates have presented them very well above. Heller was extremely clever in the way he left this novel's ending ambiguous, letting his readers take what they may from the 453 pages and countless instances that comprise the notion of Catch-22 that he has presented them with.
I can understand those who believe the ending to be more of a happy one as our hero if you will, Yossarian, is finally able to spot a light at the end of the tunnel that is this war for him; if the plot is looked at in a more simple light, the champion does indeed triumph. However, I believe the underlying struggles Yossarian has had to face throughout the novel remain in full functionality even after he is no longer a factor and the ending therefore leaves me feeling unaccomplished and disappointed. The criticisms Heller emphasizes repeatedly throughout Catch 22, such as the inefficiency of our government and the plague of sycophants in our society, see no solution as we flip the last page.
The sad truth is that there is no way to win in a Catch-22 situation as a victory would negate the very nature of the phrase itself. Yossarian did the best he could with a bad hand and as a reader rooting for him at each cumbersome turn I was happy that he succeeded in surviving the combat missions that terrified him so. Unfortunately his victory saw him going against an oath he made to his country and without having effectively confronted any of the faulty social institutions that put him in between the rock and hard place to begin with. In essence, Yossarian won the battle but the war that is Catch-22 was allowed to continue to wage against those unlucky enough to fall across its path; a minor victory in a much bigger picture.
Personally I thought there was no good way to end the book because Yossarian is stuck in a never ending cycle but the ending definitely leans more towards happy than sad. In the end, Yossarian managed to beat the system by realizing he can simply leave it like his friend Orr. This is better than Yossarian accepting Colonel Korn’s deal which would ultimately be accepting defeat. The ending could have easily ended with Yossarian dead. Natley’s Whore could have killed him or Yossarian could have killed himself losing hope of an option out of the system.
Instead Heller gave Yossarian a chance to not only live but meet up with his friend Orr in what would be considered his promise land. Sure the journey will be difficult with the military out to capture him and Nately’s Whore out to murder him but Heller has shown us over and over that Yossarian is a survivor and is willing to do anything to stay alive.
My instincts told me that the book was happy in the end, at least for Yossarian. He finally has hope- something to strive for, and only himself to let down and rely on. Running away is suddenly a noble enterprise, and the characterization and outcome of Orr’s trip shows the reader that maybe the idea is not too insane. I sincerely believe that if Orr could do it, so could Yossarian. I don’t think that whether or not he will make it is the question. I think the emphasis of analysis should be placed on how everybody else will do, and how Yossarian will handle life in a different world.
However, in light of the rest of the characters and the general environment, I don’t think Catch-22 can ever be escaped. The war goes on, the Chaplain perseveres, and the people are stuck under the same stupid authority they were on page 1. Yossarian will never forget the horrors of war. Nearly all his friends died. I sometimes wonder if the Chaplain was only his favorite because he seemed to be the only one who stuck around—the only one who survived.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that escaping his particular situation means escaping Catch-22 altogether. As we have applied the concept to other institutions, there is no doubt that Yossarian will run into more issues, whether they are in his head or in his new life.
In response to Scott’s comment: I think the ending is no less unrealistic than the rest of the novel. I also think the concept of escape and empowerment through escape is more powerful than the actual act, making Heller’s lack of follow through a better ending than getting into the factual aspect of escape as you did. To me, it seems like a lot of people take Yossarian’s assumed failure and death as a sad ending, but for me they do not necessarily go hand in hand. I think even if Yossarian dies or not after his escape, he still makes a point that death cannot take away. Yossarian escaped and he can feel fulfillment from the fact that he chose to live his life without the oppression of the army. Even if Yossarian dies, his death will be symbolic. It will show that Yossarian has chosen to take his life into his own hands rather than let death happen to him like most of the other people in the war (ex: Doc Daneeka). So, if we were to all think as realistically as Scott, the ending could still be a happy one. Sure Yossarian might die. But he has given us all hope: we don’t have to live how others tell us to. We can all escape from our catch-22, or at least attempt to.
In response to Elise: Yossarian did not leave dishonorably in my opinion. He left with all the pride he had. He took charge and threw spite in the faces of his oppressors. Undoubtedly he will create a lot of ruckus and hopefully he will get a semblance of revenge by planting a seed of discontent in the remaining enlisted men. Yossarian might have even started a mini revolution on the island.
In response to Kammie and Elise: Nately’s whore might symbolize the injustices Yossarian faces in life, but I feel like Yossarian’s narrow escape from her knife at the end of the novel shows how resilient he is, and how empowered he feels. It gives me hope for him to evade her blade again and again. To me, this part of the novel says that nothing can stop Yossarian now.
The end of Catch-22 was both happy and sad for certain reasons. Happy because the Chaplain finally got the courage he needed to finally stand up to the people that were being so rude to him and also that Yossarian finally found a perfect option of how to get out of the army without sacrificing his morals and without dying which was his goal to begin with. The reasons this book ended on a sad note is because all of Yossarians friends (except Orr and Chaplain) have all died or been disspeared. Yossarian now has only himself to care for which he says he has been doing for a while, but honestly every one needs a friend at some point.
Again I am going to sit on the fence about whether this was a triumph or defeat for Yossarian and say both. He is a success because he has started a revolution within the Squadron about how rising the flight missions all the time is crazy and he finally got people to realize it by being the one person to refuse to fly missions. He is also a success because after finally thinking about it, he decides to save himself and not go through with the deal because not only does he not like the Colonels, but that deal is not something that goes with his morals and he stands up for it.
Yossarian is also defeated because well, he has to end up running away and watching his back for every minute of the day so he won't be killed for leaving the army. He is also defeated because everyone around him that he cared about (except Chaplain and Orr) is gone and he is now alone to battle this out himself.
I agree with Jessica on how there are only three ways to get out of the ridiculous Catch-22 and the Yossarian did choose the only sane option which was running away. If he had died then he would have started all that troube for nothing, and if he has gone through with that deal then sure he would have whatever he needed to love comfortably but he would live with his guilty state of mind forever.
The end of Catch-22 was both happy and sad for certain reasons. Happy because the Chaplain finally got the courage he needed to finally stand up to the people that were being so rude to him and also that Yossarian finally found a perfect option of how to get out of the army without sacrificing his morals and without dying which was his goal to begin with. The reasons this book ended on a sad note is because all of Yossarians friends (except Orr and Chaplain) have all died or been disspeared. Yossarian now has only himself to care for which he says he has been doing for a while, but honestly every one needs a friend at some point.
Again I am going to sit on the fence about whether this was a triumph or defeat for Yossarian and say both. He is a success because he has started a revolution within the Squadron about how rising the flight missions all the time is crazy and he finally got people to realize it by being the one person to refuse to fly missions. He is also a success because after finally thinking about it, he decides to save himself and not go through with the deal because not only does he not like the Colonels, but that deal is not something that goes with his morals and he stands up for it.
Yossarian is also defeated because well, he has to end up running away and watching his back for every minute of the day so he won't be killed for leaving the army. He is also defeated because everyone around him that he cared about (except Chaplain and Orr) is gone and he is now alone to battle this out himself.
I agree with Jessica on how there are only three ways to get out of the ridiculous Catch-22 and the Yossarian did choose the only sane option which was running away. If he had died then he would have started all that troube for nothing, and if he has gone through with that deal then sure he would have whatever he needed to love comfortably but he would live with his guilty state of mind forever
I find the ending of Catch-22 to be a hopeful one, because for the first time it allows readers to be optimistic for Yossarian. Although he is not guaranteed freedom from the system of Catch-22, it allows for him to make an effort to escape the war with both his life and his dignity. Just the fact that Orr, previously believed to be dead, has found a way to free himself and escape a neutral country gives readers hope that Yossarian can also find a way to free himself of the paranoia that war has infected him with. In addition, Orr’s survival simply breaks the cycle of deaths that occur in the later portion of the book, which allows readers to feel some level satisfaction, no matter how small. The chaplain, although not running away, has also found a way to renew himself and his courage to help others. He decides that he is no longer willing to just be a piece in Cathcart’s and Peckam’s games, and that he wants to make a difference in the lives of those around him. His first act of defiance is to help Yossarian to escape the confines of the military, thus enabling the latter to save his own live, and rescuing both of their souls from the depths of depression that they have been feeling. The reappearance of Nately’s whore, although on the surface is written to add a level of hilarity, acts as a means to show readers that Yossarian has decided to continure fighting for his freedom, and will not stop, no matter the difficulties. The end of book, although not the end of the story of Yossarian’s struggle, communicates to readers that no matter what happens next, Yossarian will never again submit to the rule of Catch-22, and will remain free of the clutches of government and bureaucracy.
There is no realistic way to end Catch-22 that sends everyone into their perfect future. That being said, the ending of Heller's novel is still positive and happy. Had the novel ended by Yossarian taken the deal from Colonel Cathcart, the ending would have been bittersweet. Yossarian would have been freed of the army; however, he would have been forced to capitulate to the absurdity of Catch-22. Yossarian would not have been released because he should be released, but because it was easier for the upper management.
The news of Orr's survival and Yossarians decision to run away from the army provides a happy alternative to what I thought was going to be for sure a disappointing ending. While it may seem that Yossarian is running away from the problem of the army and Catch-22, this is really the only noble way he can escape the system. Catch-22, because of its flawed logic, is impossible to defeat, and Yossarian is left with only the options of running away or giving in to the system. By running away, Yossarian has both freedom and hope, something he never had throughout the rest of the novel. Had he taken the deal, he would still be subject to the army's wishes and he would never truly escape the system. The ending Heller chose instilled freedom in Yossarian, which is what Yossarian wanted all along.
The ending to Catch 22 I think was a happy one. Even though there was no guaranteed safety for Yossarian, he still got out of the Catch 22. The ending also held some hope and clarity for Yossarian: Orr was able to escape the camp safely. And Yossarian also understood why Orr behaved the way he did back in the tent. He now has a brighter outlook than he did at any other point in the novel. That being said, this novel is too twisted to have a happily-ever-after, so leaving everything open ended for Yossarian was a very appropriate way to end the book. I would say that this way out of the Catch 22 is a triumph for Yossarian. He never said that he wanted to escape in a noble fashion, and had he taken Korn’s deal, he would have held up the Catch 22 for other soldiers to suffer under. Running away and scorning his commanding officers was a successful and fulfilling way for Yossarian to leave. And he could have left in a number of ways, being discharged from the team by completing his missions (impossible due to catch 22), or running away from the camp which poses the risk of being caught and punished or dying. Yossarian ran away and I think that he is a better man at the end of the book, but not by much. Like John wrote, not much has been accomplished since the beginning of the novel. The ending was more positive than negative but there is still and will always be a looming threat over Yossarian.
I think of the ending of Catch-22 a bitter sweet. I say this because us readers are left asking many questions, and have no clue what will come to Yossarian next. It could easily be believed a happy one because Yossarian finally got what he wanted: to fly no more missions. He will also, if things go as planned, be able to rescue Nateley's whores kid sister, and take care of her when he goes to Sweden. In Sweden, Yossarian plans to live a happier life, and could possibly even meet up with Orr. The future could be very bright for Yossarian, if everything goes as planned.
On the flip side, so many things could go wrong. Major Danby could tattle-tale on Yossarian, and send men out to find and make him miserable. Also, Nateley's whore seems to be very good at finding Yossarian, so she could be the cause to his premature death, possibly even get her kid sister in on the action, which would result in the ultimate defeat.
Running away seemed to be the only way to escape Catch-22. The men who stood up to Colonel Cathcart never seemed to be successful, and nobody sane was willing to murder him.
I find the ending of Catch-22 to be a happy one. Yossarian spends most of his time in this novel surviving, but for a long while he is like Dunbar in that he has nothing but survival to live for. Just as Dunbar would do anything, including be generally miserable as often as possible, to increase his lifespan, Yossarian would put himself in all sorts of crappy positions with the officials to avoid death. By the end of it all most of his friends are dead, and he has an irrational whore after him. That's a hard knock life.
However, as most people have mentioned, in the tail end of the story Yossarian discovers Orr has survived, and begins to have some hope for a life worth risking his safety to try and attain. There's some serious hope at work if you can get Yossarian to risk his life flying or boating across vast distances and fleeing the army after all 400 some pages of his self-preservation tactics. This glimmer of optimism is a triumph in itself, regardless off the fact that Yossarian's success is realistically a long shot. While it's not the sugar coated happily ever after we're used to being force fed by princess stories, it IS the only way Yossarian can truly take control of his own life. If he stays in the army he is a puppet, and if he leaves under the terms of his odious deal then he is still controlled by those who have the ability to grant him his desires.
What Scott refers to as an ending that gives false hope to readers, is exactly the kind of ending Yossarian's army acquaintances need to continue rebellious thoughts and actions. It's an ending that lets those Yossarian left behind believe that there is a chance of escaping the cruelty that is Catch-22. That hope is necessary if they are ever to even imagine being free of its' illogical ways and in this way the ending is a triumph of sorts.
For now though, my fellow students are right in that Catch-22 will probably catch up to Yossarian one way or another. We can only hope that he will continue to be a survivor when it does.
I believe that the ending of Catch-22 is a happy one. There was an undeniable insanity and unpredictability throughout the entirety of the book and therefor the end should be and was no different. The news that Yossarian’s roommate Orr is alive and has escaped to Sweden gives Yossarian the will to escape so he won’t die in the war. I think it is construed as a triumph because it gives Yossarian a new will to live his life as well as the opportunity to follow Orr and escape so he won’t have to fly anymore missions and run the risk of dying in the war. I feel like the ending for Catch-22 was a fitting one for the book. Having Yossarian die on the battlefield would seem like an abrupt ending and wouldn’t have been cohesive with the book’s craziness. Yossarian running away symbolized not only him running away from the risk of dying in war but also running away from the idea of Catch-22. And in the end we are left wondering what becomes of Yossarian in the future while also feeling a sense of hope.
I think that Fiona's choice of the word 'bittersweet' is perfect to describe the ending of Catch-22. On one hand, Yossarian is free. He has escaped the paradox that is Catch-22 and he no longer has to fight in this war that he takes so personally. He has achieved his goal to survive the war, and it will be much easier to complete his goal of immortality when he doesn't find himself knocking on death's door regularly. He also did not betray his squadron by taking the deal, and should be proud of his loyalty. However, the means to get to this point were very sad. He lost many companions - Snowden, Nately, McWatt, Kid Sampson. There's no way that Yossarian would be able to just forget about how many lives had been lost in this war. There's too much sadness to be a happy ending, and too much freedom to be a sad ending. So therefore I also declare it to be bittersweet.
I believe that the ending to the novel is an extremely sad one because of the fact that everyone except for two people has died. Orr was brilliant enough to plan his escape to Sweden but Yossarian is now running away from all of his problems and it is not very likely that he will make sit away from the war ever. Yossarian found a way out but no one has made progress in the book at all. This being said, Yossarian does have hope, however small it is, that he will make it to Sweden, to a neutral country and be rid of the war for all time. Yossarian may be able to get to a nuetral country if he is lucky but how could he ever be able to move past all of his lost friends and fellow troops.
I consider the end of Catch-22 to be a sad one. When all is said and done, nothing has really been accomplished. Yossarian is only running away from his problems, all his friends (except Orr) have been killed, and there is no relief for the other soldiers who must continue to fly missions. No character has really made any personal progress in making some personal growth except the chaplain, but even that is debatable, since this is not the first time in the novel he has decided to stand up for himself, and it is very possible that he will again back down from that commitment. However, though nothing has really been solved, yossarian really does seem to have found the only way out of the system. There is no logical solution to the problem of the "catch-22" for soldiers, because the system is inherently illogical. So though I believe the ending to be a sad one, it is probably the only ending that ends in Yossarian's freedom.
ReplyDeleteI consider the Catch-22 ending to be a happy one. I belive all the points John emphasized above could be used as justification for it being a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteThe system is so inherently flawed, a "fairytale" ending would not have made sense or connected to the rest of the novel. There was no happily ever after, nor should there have been.
That said, Yossarian now has hope. Through the entire novel he has "gone through the motions" out of fear. As the novel progressed, he lost seemingly everyone who was close to him. He would have been forced to decide between flying more missions, going to prison or being sent home to live an empty life.
But then, Heller threw him a life line.
The happiness begins when Orr, one of Yossarian's best friends, is discovered to be alive weeks after being thought dead. Sensing he now has something to live for, Yossarian decides to embark on his own path to "freedom."
We have no idea whether he'll make it, or what the ramifications of his decision will be. But he has a chance, which is more than could be said for nearly every other character in the novel, and thus it is a happy ending.
The ending of Catch-22 is bittersweet. As previously mentioned, Catch-22 is so inherently illogical that a truly happy ending is absurd. However, Yossarian has found an out. Even though he will be hunted like a dog, he is escaping his enemies. Throughout the novel, it has been people in the American Army – Cathcart, Black, Korn – who have been Yossarian’s opposition. It has been Yossarian’s commanding officers who have been out to kill him, not the Germans. Even Natley’s whore, who got closest to physically harming Yossarian, failed to inflict the death blow that would have been a permanent out Therefore, Yossarian’s only hope for survival is to run. While he could not outrun the war, there is a definite possibility that he could outrun the long arms of the Americans.
ReplyDeleteAs to the fates of Yossarian’s friends, they are all dead save Orr, and for all sorts of reasons. Towards the end of the book, the deaths of Yossarian’s friends shift from combat related to random happenings. Especially with the deaths of McWatt, Kid Sampson, and Doc Daneeka, it is clear that that people’s lives are ending for no real reason. Yossarian could very well be the next to go in some freak fireplace accident. Therefore, the chance to escape from unnecessary death like Orr is a chance well taken. Yossarian escapes death in the army, but not necessarily Catch-22.
I do not think there is a real escape from Catch-22. In Yossarian’s final visit to Rome, the police were citing Catch-22 as justification to run all of the prostitutes out of the apartments, a sign that Catch-22 spanned way beyond the jurisdiction of the Army. I believe Catch-22 would continue to spread to even advanced, civilized countries like Sweden. Wherever there is order, Catch-22 can thrive.
I consider the ending of Catch-22 to be a happy one. Though true that nothing is certain - Yossarian may not survive, the Chaplain may fail yet again,and it may already be too late for Nately's whore's kid sister - at least the characters walk out of the final scene with a sense of hope, something they have lacked throughout the entire rest of the novel. Up until the final chapter when Yossarian decides to run away to Sweden, he hasbeen without hope of escaping the dreaded Catch-22, cowering behind ever-weakening excuses while everyone around him dies or tells him that there is nothing he can do but fly more missons. So when in the end Yossarian finds a solution that does not involve flying or making a shady deal with hated officers, and someone finally shares his optimism and agrees to help him (even if his likelyhood of sucess is slim) it is quite uplifting.
ReplyDeleteThere are three escapes from Catch-22 : die, make a deal to get sent home, or run away. I think Yossarian took the only sane option.
It is sort of a defeat, that in the end the only way Yossarian was able to come up with to acheive his goal of escaping Catch-22 was to desert and run away, since Yossarian initially thought of running at the start of the book, but ruled it out as too dangerous and shameful. However, it is also a sucess. Yossarian didn't think he could make it all the way to Sweden before, and now he does.
I think the real triumph for Yossarian is that he is finally taking a firm stand against Catch-22 instead of just hiding in the hospital or looking for loopholes.
I think that the emotions pervading the end of this story hinge upon the word “despite”. In the end, I don’t think that the events that take place around Yossarian at the end of the story are inherently happy or sad; they just are what they are: part of the maddening system that surrounds Yossarian. Even all of Yossarian’s actions up until those at the very end of the novel suffer this abysmal fate; Yossarian tried to work within the system and found neither happiness nor sadness, but only madness. I don’t think any real emotion can survive for long in the illogical and inflexible world of Catch-22.
ReplyDeleteYet despite this sobering consequence, Yossarian never waivers in his efforts to find an out from the horrible situation he finds himself in. Despite the fact that it appears that the whole world is out to get him, he never gives up. Despite all the truly insane surroundings he finds himself in, he never relinquishes his hold on what he believes to be sanity. Despite all the horrible things that have happened to Yossarian, and despite all the horrible things that will likely happen to him when he decides to run away, he is simply too stubborn to give up fighting for what he believes in—himself.
So when it comes down to it I don’t really look to what has befallen Yossarian to determine whether or not this was a happy ending. To me, this story was never really about what was happening around Yossarian, but rather what was happening to Yossarian on the inside. Because despite how paranoid and twisted he had become on the inside, Yossarian never gave up on himself, and stayed true to himself until the very end.
Every time I look at that end, I see it in a different light—bitter, sweet, or a combination of the two. But no matter how I think about the ending I feel optimistic when I think about what Yossarian has done. After all, if someone as cowardly as Yossarian can stay true to himself in the face of such disturbing situations, I believe I can too.
In my opinion, the ending is a sad one. Yossarian has struggled through the entire book to be at the very least content with his life. In the end of the book, when he at last finds a way out of the monotony of war, he is attacked again by Nately's whore, who i feel symbolizes the injustices that plague Yossarian throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteThe ending suggests that Yossarian's life will continue on in the same pattern; as soon as he catches a break, his chances are snatched away by the cruel and unusual ways of the war.
Yossarian has definitely been defeated by the power of catch 22 because he has no other means of escape than to run and the benefits of that are only temporary. The deal he strikes up with Colonels Korn and Cathcart show just how trivial the war is to them and how ridiculous the rules and regulations set by them are. This makes Yossarians struggles to get out of the war even more desperate and sad because though his fears and troubles are true, the authority and reasoning behind it are very flawed.
All in all, the ending of this book is sad because it shows the continuation of the pattern we've seen in Yossarian through the whole book, trying and failing repeatedly with no success in sight.
I find the ending of Catch-22 to be hopeful. And for me, happiness and hope go hand in hand. Yet it’s difficult to say that the ending of this novel is entirely happy, and I totally agree with Fiona’s and Tyler’s comments that the catch-22 will remain prevalent in all aspects of Yossarian’s life. Yossarian’s experiences throughout the novel can best be described as a roller coaster ride – going mostly downhill. Like Michael pointed out, Yossarian often just went through the motions of war because of his fear of death. He finally broke the monotonous cycle of fear and struggle in the ending when he hears of Orr’s escape. I found the ending to be a huge relief, like I was holding my breath the entire novel, just waiting for Yossarian to see the light and fight to stay in it.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason I find the ending to be hopeful and happy as opposed to sad is because I actually believe Yossarian. Throughout the novel, many characters have a tendency to be flaky or insincere. Milo is a great example of this. He flakes out on Yossarian when Nately’s whore’s kid sister is missing and he is insincere to the war effort in his capitalistic efforts to further advance his syndicate. But in the end, Yossarian says to Major Danby: “there’s a young kid in Rome whose life I’d like to save if I can find her.” To me, this signifies Yossarian’s commitment to actually escape. If Yossarian had not mentioned the young girl, it would be easy for me to imagine Yossarian attempting to flee the war but failing due to lack of drive. But factor in another person’s life and Yossarian suddenly becomes seriously dedicated to his effort to get to Sweden.
The other aspect of Yossarian’s behavior in the end that made me believe in his sincerity was the fact that he was realistic about the whole thing. When Major Danby voices his uncertainty by saying “Your conscience will never let you rest”, Yossarian counters with, “I wouldn’t want to live without strong misgivings.” I find so much power and hope from this statement. Yossarian has suddenly gained the strength to not only escape the war and its constant catch-22, but he has also gained the down to earth realism to know that escape won’t be easy and he’s accepted that. The best things in life are worth fighting for.
When I turned the last page of Catch-22 I was excited; excited that Yossarian was free and that he was going to go live happily ever after with Orr in civilized and advanced Sweden. Then I thought about the whole situation realistically. I saw Heller's ending as giving reades false hope. Yossarian has to fly to Rome without a pass and avoid the Italian police and the American's pursuing him. This is no simple task because, as we all should know, if America is looking for someone then they can't hide for long. Yossarian then had to cross the entirety of central/eastern Europe during WW II. The war wasn't over quite yet so reaching Sweden meant either flying north through Germany, going west through the Allied countries, or going east through Austria and Poland. If he flies over Germany I see no situation in which he won't be shot down. Going over France is a no go either because it is filled with Americans who will be looking for him. His only chance is to fly east over the Russian-German front. Even if I'm wrong and Yossarian actually manages to make it all the way to Sweden safely, it would be naive to assume that he would arrive right at Orr's location. All Yossarian knows is that Orr is in Sweden, he doesn't know where. Heller's ending may seem hopeful and full of great possibilities, but when realistically analyzed Heller just seems to be setting up another high-spirited, jubilant character for death. Yossarian would become another McWatt or another Nately.
ReplyDeleteI find the ending of Catch 22 to have a hopeful resonance to it and I was pleased to notice that Yossarian was given a chance to escape. Yossarian was finally given hope to succeed and escape the capitalistic manifestation that resembled Colonel Cathcart and Korn’s horrific reign. He then is met a by Natley’s whore who I believe resembles his past and when he is able to escape death from her by a narrow margin, I believe this opens a new chapter in Yossarian’s new life.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the deaths of Natley, Dobbs, Hungry Joe and Mcwatt appeared to happen in rapid succession and in random cases he begins to remember Snowden. He realizes that this was the time he was traumatized by death and that it caused him to relive a moment in his life where he was uncertain on the manner to deal with the calamities. Although he encountered that flashback, he is reinsured by the chaplain that faith led him to escape the brutality of death and has given him hope. He then realizes that his “pals” which were Colonel Korn and Cathcart resembled capitalistic ideals; he realizes he must fight for the morals of his fallen soldiers. I agree with Fiona that the deaths started happening in weird succession and that anything could happen to Yossarian at anytime. However when the Major Danby arrives to explain to Yossarian that escaping is futile, hope is renewed when the Chaplain explains Orr’s exuberant escape plan worked. With this in mind, I believe the author was exhibiting crazy manners about the way the other soldiers died in order to give Yossarian a more preposterous idea of escaping the camp. I believe the author. This starts creating new hope for a highly composed Yossarian which begins to enhance the character and morale of the rest in camp such as Major Danby and the Chaplain for his new sense of hope.
However, I agree with Tyler that Catch-22 may be prevalent in his life even though his more composed due to the new hope towards his morale. Although the actions in Italy and how Catch- 22 is growing in a more prevalent manner, Sweden has not experienced the effects and thus renewing confidence in Yossarian that he could find solace and peace in a more neutral country. His life has been disrupted and disastrous till the end of the book until he was reformed into a more confident spirit after he heard of Orr’s escape and as Michael and Alex explained earlier, he was able to break out of the bleak, tumultuous cycle by receiving hope at the end of the novel.
The ending of Catch-22 was a sad one. Even though Yossarian found a way to escape, he never wanted to do it the way that he did. All Yossarian wanted to do was leave the military and go to Rome to find one of the many women that he had fallen in love with. By leaving dishonorably and fleeing his post, he betrayed the army and himself.
ReplyDeleteEven when he finally got the courage to leave, he still barely did it alive. Nately's whore almost killed him on the way out. Even though Yossarian has the hope that he can find Orr in Sweden, it is highly unlikely that he would make it across enemy lines and with the impending doom of his murder via Nately's whore, his outlook on survival is increasingly weak.
Like Kammie said, all that Yossarian wanted to do was to be content with his life. The way that he was forced to finally make the decision to leave did not set him up for happiness. His life, like it was in the military will be plagued with Catch-22. He could never overcome it and this will make him miserable for the rest of his life.
I guess on a positive note, Yossarian will finally be away from all the people that he fantasized were out to kill him.
I would have to say that the ending to Catch-22 is a deceivingly happy one. Yes as John said Yossarian may be running away from his problems but what other choice does he have? He is using an illogical solution (because the army could search for him) to an illogical problem in the supposedly unavoidable Catch-22. I would have to start agreeing with Scott on this one, yes Yossarian COULD escape and COULD find Orr but there is still a lot of what Ifs. My one big point that I think Scott may have forgot to mention is the never-ending search that would still occur IF Yossarian would make it out of the camp. If you think about it the corporal would have to be pretty mad about Yossarian not following through on their "deal" so he would I think almost go at nothing to get Yossarian back again and serve. So yes it may seem like Yossarian has hope and is giving the other soldiers hope for escape as well, but ultimately by running away Yossarian is creating more troubles and a life that would be filled with running away. To answer if there is a different way to get out of catch-22 I would say yes. You could crash your plane in enemy territory and run to a safe haven with a new look. So in total I would say that the ending is full of false hope. But it is a proper ending for a book such as catch-22
ReplyDeleteI can see both sides of the argument, as all of my classmates have presented them very well above. Heller was extremely clever in the way he left this novel's ending ambiguous, letting his readers take what they may from the 453 pages and countless instances that comprise the notion of Catch-22 that he has presented them with.
ReplyDeleteI can understand those who believe the ending to be more of a happy one as our hero if you will, Yossarian, is finally able to spot a light at the end of the tunnel that is this war for him; if the plot is looked at in a more simple light, the champion does indeed triumph. However, I believe the underlying struggles Yossarian has had to face throughout the novel remain in full functionality even after he is no longer a factor and the ending therefore leaves me feeling unaccomplished and disappointed. The criticisms Heller emphasizes repeatedly throughout Catch 22, such as the inefficiency of our government and the plague of sycophants in our society, see no solution as we flip the last page.
The sad truth is that there is no way to win in a Catch-22 situation as a victory would negate the very nature of the phrase itself. Yossarian did the best he could with a bad hand and as a reader rooting for him at each cumbersome turn I was happy that he succeeded in surviving the combat missions that terrified him so. Unfortunately his victory saw him going against an oath he made to his country and without having effectively confronted any of the faulty social institutions that put him in between the rock and hard place to begin with. In essence, Yossarian won the battle but the war that is Catch-22 was allowed to continue to wage against those unlucky enough to fall across its path; a minor victory in a much bigger picture.
Personally I thought there was no good way to end the book because Yossarian is stuck in a never ending cycle but the ending definitely leans more towards happy than sad. In the end, Yossarian managed to beat the system by realizing he can simply leave it like his friend Orr. This is better than Yossarian accepting Colonel Korn’s deal which would ultimately be accepting defeat. The ending could have easily ended with Yossarian dead. Natley’s Whore could have killed him or Yossarian could have killed himself losing hope of an option out of the system.
ReplyDeleteInstead Heller gave Yossarian a chance to not only live but meet up with his friend Orr in what would be considered his promise land. Sure the journey will be difficult with the military out to capture him and Nately’s Whore out to murder him but Heller has shown us over and over that Yossarian is a survivor and is willing to do anything to stay alive.
My instincts told me that the book was happy in the end, at least for Yossarian. He finally has hope- something to strive for, and only himself to let down and rely on. Running away is suddenly a noble enterprise, and the characterization and outcome of Orr’s trip shows the reader that maybe the idea is not too insane. I sincerely believe that if Orr could do it, so could Yossarian. I don’t think that whether or not he will make it is the question. I think the emphasis of analysis should be placed on how everybody else will do, and how Yossarian will handle life in a different world.
ReplyDeleteHowever, in light of the rest of the characters and the general environment, I don’t think Catch-22 can ever be escaped. The war goes on, the Chaplain perseveres, and the people are stuck under the same stupid authority they were on page 1. Yossarian will never forget the horrors of war. Nearly all his friends died. I sometimes wonder if the Chaplain was only his favorite because he seemed to be the only one who stuck around—the only one who survived.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that escaping his particular situation means escaping Catch-22 altogether. As we have applied the concept to other institutions, there is no doubt that Yossarian will run into more issues, whether they are in his head or in his new life.
In response to Scott’s comment: I think the ending is no less unrealistic than the rest of the novel. I also think the concept of escape and empowerment through escape is more powerful than the actual act, making Heller’s lack of follow through a better ending than getting into the factual aspect of escape as you did.
ReplyDeleteTo me, it seems like a lot of people take Yossarian’s assumed failure and death as a sad ending, but for me they do not necessarily go hand in hand. I think even if Yossarian dies or not after his escape, he still makes a point that death cannot take away. Yossarian escaped and he can feel fulfillment from the fact that he chose to live his life without the oppression of the army. Even if Yossarian dies, his death will be symbolic. It will show that Yossarian has chosen to take his life into his own hands rather than let death happen to him like most of the other people in the war (ex: Doc Daneeka). So, if we were to all think as realistically as Scott, the ending could still be a happy one. Sure Yossarian might die. But he has given us all hope: we don’t have to live how others tell us to. We can all escape from our catch-22, or at least attempt to.
In response to Elise: Yossarian did not leave dishonorably in my opinion. He left with all the pride he had. He took charge and threw spite in the faces of his oppressors. Undoubtedly he will create a lot of ruckus and hopefully he will get a semblance of revenge by planting a seed of discontent in the remaining enlisted men. Yossarian might have even started a mini revolution on the island.
In response to Kammie and Elise: Nately’s whore might symbolize the injustices Yossarian faces in life, but I feel like Yossarian’s narrow escape from her knife at the end of the novel shows how resilient he is, and how empowered he feels. It gives me hope for him to evade her blade again and again. To me, this part of the novel says that nothing can stop Yossarian now.
The end of Catch-22 was both happy and sad for certain reasons. Happy because the Chaplain finally got the courage he needed to finally stand up to the people that were being so rude to him and also that Yossarian finally found a perfect option of how to get out of the army without sacrificing his morals and without dying which was his goal to begin with. The reasons this book ended on a sad note is because all of Yossarians friends (except Orr and Chaplain) have all died or been disspeared. Yossarian now has only himself to care for which he says he has been doing for a while, but honestly every one needs a friend at some point.
ReplyDeleteAgain I am going to sit on the fence about whether this was a triumph or defeat for Yossarian and say both. He is a success because he has started a revolution within the Squadron about how rising the flight missions all the time is crazy and he finally got people to realize it by being the one person to refuse to fly missions. He is also a success because after finally thinking about it, he decides to save himself and not go through with the deal because not only does he not like the Colonels, but that deal is not something that goes with his morals and he stands up for it.
Yossarian is also defeated because well, he has to end up running away and watching his back for every minute of the day so he won't be killed for leaving the army. He is also defeated because everyone around him that he cared about (except Chaplain and Orr) is gone and he is now alone to battle this out himself.
I agree with Jessica on how there are only three ways to get out of the ridiculous Catch-22 and the Yossarian did choose the only sane option which was running away. If he had died then he would have started all that troube for nothing, and if he has gone through with that deal then sure he would have whatever he needed to love comfortably but he would live with his guilty state of mind forever.
The end of Catch-22 was both happy and sad for certain reasons. Happy because the Chaplain finally got the courage he needed to finally stand up to the people that were being so rude to him and also that Yossarian finally found a perfect option of how to get out of the army without sacrificing his morals and without dying which was his goal to begin with. The reasons this book ended on a sad note is because all of Yossarians friends (except Orr and Chaplain) have all died or been disspeared. Yossarian now has only himself to care for which he says he has been doing for a while, but honestly every one needs a friend at some point.
ReplyDeleteAgain I am going to sit on the fence about whether this was a triumph or defeat for Yossarian and say both. He is a success because he has started a revolution within the Squadron about how rising the flight missions all the time is crazy and he finally got people to realize it by being the one person to refuse to fly missions. He is also a success because after finally thinking about it, he decides to save himself and not go through with the deal because not only does he not like the Colonels, but that deal is not something that goes with his morals and he stands up for it.
Yossarian is also defeated because well, he has to end up running away and watching his back for every minute of the day so he won't be killed for leaving the army. He is also defeated because everyone around him that he cared about (except Chaplain and Orr) is gone and he is now alone to battle this out himself.
I agree with Jessica on how there are only three ways to get out of the ridiculous Catch-22 and the Yossarian did choose the only sane option which was running away. If he had died then he would have started all that troube for nothing, and if he has gone through with that deal then sure he would have whatever he needed to love comfortably but he would live with his guilty state of mind forever
I find the ending of Catch-22 to be a hopeful one, because for the first time it allows readers to be optimistic for Yossarian. Although he is not guaranteed freedom from the system of Catch-22, it allows for him to make an effort to escape the war with both his life and his dignity. Just the fact that Orr, previously believed to be dead, has found a way to free himself and escape a neutral country gives readers hope that Yossarian can also find a way to free himself of the paranoia that war has infected him with. In addition, Orr’s survival simply breaks the cycle of deaths that occur in the later portion of the book, which allows readers to feel some level satisfaction, no matter how small.
ReplyDeleteThe chaplain, although not running away, has also found a way to renew himself and his courage to help others. He decides that he is no longer willing to just be a piece in Cathcart’s and Peckam’s games, and that he wants to make a difference in the lives of those around him. His first act of defiance is to help Yossarian to escape the confines of the military, thus enabling the latter to save his own live, and rescuing both of their souls from the depths of depression that they have been feeling.
The reappearance of Nately’s whore, although on the surface is written to add a level of hilarity, acts as a means to show readers that Yossarian has decided to continure fighting for his freedom, and will not stop, no matter the difficulties. The end of book, although not the end of the story of Yossarian’s struggle, communicates to readers that no matter what happens next, Yossarian will never again submit to the rule of Catch-22, and will remain free of the clutches of government and bureaucracy.
There is no realistic way to end Catch-22 that sends everyone into their perfect future. That being said, the ending of Heller's novel is still positive and happy. Had the novel ended by Yossarian taken the deal from Colonel Cathcart, the ending would have been bittersweet. Yossarian would have been freed of the army; however, he would have been forced to capitulate to the absurdity of Catch-22. Yossarian would not have been released because he should be released, but because it was easier for the upper management.
ReplyDeleteThe news of Orr's survival and Yossarians decision to run away from the army provides a happy alternative to what I thought was going to be for sure a disappointing ending. While it may seem that Yossarian is running away from the problem of the army and Catch-22, this is really the only noble way he can escape the system. Catch-22, because of its flawed logic, is impossible to defeat, and Yossarian is left with only the options of running away or giving in to the system. By running away, Yossarian has both freedom and hope, something he never had throughout the rest of the novel. Had he taken the deal, he would still be subject to the army's wishes and he would never truly escape the system. The ending Heller chose instilled freedom in Yossarian, which is what Yossarian wanted all along.
The ending to Catch 22 I think was a happy one. Even though there was no guaranteed safety for Yossarian, he still got out of the Catch 22. The ending also held some hope and clarity for Yossarian: Orr was able to escape the camp safely. And Yossarian also understood why Orr behaved the way he did back in the tent. He now has a brighter outlook than he did at any other point in the novel. That being said, this novel is too twisted to have a happily-ever-after, so leaving everything open ended for Yossarian was a very appropriate way to end the book.
ReplyDeleteI would say that this way out of the Catch 22 is a triumph for Yossarian. He never said that he wanted to escape in a noble fashion, and had he taken Korn’s deal, he would have held up the Catch 22 for other soldiers to suffer under. Running away and scorning his commanding officers was a successful and fulfilling way for Yossarian to leave. And he could have left in a number of ways, being discharged from the team by completing his missions (impossible due to catch 22), or running away from the camp which poses the risk of being caught and punished or dying. Yossarian ran away and I think that he is a better man at the end of the book, but not by much. Like John wrote, not much has been accomplished since the beginning of the novel. The ending was more positive than negative but there is still and will always be a looming threat over Yossarian.
I think of the ending of Catch-22 a bitter sweet. I say this because us readers are left asking many questions, and have no clue what will come to Yossarian next. It could easily be believed a happy one because Yossarian finally got what he wanted: to fly no more missions. He will also, if things go as planned, be able to rescue Nateley's whores kid sister, and take care of her when he goes to Sweden. In Sweden, Yossarian plans to live a happier life, and could possibly even meet up with Orr. The future could be very bright for Yossarian, if everything goes as planned.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, so many things could go wrong. Major Danby could tattle-tale on Yossarian, and send men out to find and make him miserable. Also, Nateley's whore seems to be very good at finding Yossarian, so she could be the cause to his premature death, possibly even get her kid sister in on the action, which would result in the ultimate defeat.
Running away seemed to be the only way to escape Catch-22. The men who stood up to Colonel Cathcart never seemed to be successful, and nobody sane was willing to murder him.
I find the ending of Catch-22 to be a happy one. Yossarian spends most of his time in this novel surviving, but for a long while he is like Dunbar in that he has nothing but survival to live for. Just as Dunbar would do anything, including be generally miserable as often as possible, to increase his lifespan, Yossarian would put himself in all sorts of crappy positions with the officials to avoid death. By the end of it all most of his friends are dead, and he has an irrational whore after him. That's a hard knock life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as most people have mentioned, in the tail end of the story Yossarian discovers Orr has survived, and begins to have some hope for a life worth risking his safety to try and attain. There's some serious hope at work if you can get Yossarian to risk his life flying or boating across vast distances and fleeing the army after all 400 some pages of his self-preservation tactics. This glimmer of optimism is a triumph in itself, regardless off the fact that Yossarian's success is realistically a long shot. While it's not the sugar coated happily ever after we're used to being force fed by princess stories, it IS the only way Yossarian can truly take control of his own life. If he stays in the army he is a puppet, and if he leaves under the terms of his odious deal then he is still controlled by those who have the ability to grant him his desires.
What Scott refers to as an ending that gives false hope to readers, is exactly the kind of ending Yossarian's army acquaintances need to continue rebellious thoughts and actions. It's an ending that lets those Yossarian left behind believe that there is a chance of escaping the cruelty that is Catch-22. That hope is necessary if they are ever to even imagine being free of its' illogical ways and in this way the ending is a triumph of sorts.
For now though, my fellow students are right in that Catch-22 will probably catch up to Yossarian one way or another. We can only hope that he will continue to be a survivor when it does.
I believe that the ending of Catch-22 is a happy one. There was an undeniable insanity and unpredictability throughout the entirety of the book and therefor the end should be and was no different. The news that Yossarian’s roommate Orr is alive and has escaped to Sweden gives Yossarian the will to escape so he won’t die in the war. I think it is construed as a triumph because it gives Yossarian a new will to live his life as well as the opportunity to follow Orr and escape so he won’t have to fly anymore missions and run the risk of dying in the war.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the ending for Catch-22 was a fitting one for the book. Having Yossarian die on the battlefield would seem like an abrupt ending and wouldn’t have been cohesive with the book’s craziness. Yossarian running away symbolized not only him running away from the risk of dying in war but also running away from the idea of Catch-22. And in the end we are left wondering what becomes of Yossarian in the future while also feeling a sense of hope.
I think that Fiona's choice of the word 'bittersweet' is perfect to describe the ending of Catch-22. On one hand, Yossarian is free. He has escaped the paradox that is Catch-22 and he no longer has to fight in this war that he takes so personally. He has achieved his goal to survive the war, and it will be much easier to complete his goal of immortality when he doesn't find himself knocking on death's door regularly. He also did not betray his squadron by taking the deal, and should be proud of his loyalty. However, the means to get to this point were very sad. He lost many companions - Snowden, Nately, McWatt, Kid Sampson. There's no way that Yossarian would be able to just forget about how many lives had been lost in this war. There's too much sadness to be a happy ending, and too much freedom to be a sad ending. So therefore I also declare it to be bittersweet.
ReplyDeleteDylan Holt said...
ReplyDeleteI believe that the ending to the novel is an extremely sad one because of the fact that everyone except for two people has died. Orr was brilliant enough to plan his escape to Sweden but Yossarian is now running away from all of his problems and it is not very likely that he will make sit away from the war ever. Yossarian found a way out but no one has made progress in the book at all. This being said, Yossarian does have hope, however small it is, that he will make it to Sweden, to a neutral country and be rid of the war for all time. Yossarian may be able to get to a nuetral country if he is lucky but how could he ever be able to move past all of his lost friends and fellow troops.