Joseph Heller’s Catch-22is one of the most influential black humor novels of the 20th century. Set on a U.S. Air Force base in Pianosa, Mediterranean, during World War II, it weaves the cruelty of war, corruption of bureaucracy, and struggle of individuals into a stinging fable. The core symbol—Catch-22—a self-contradictory logical trap—has transcended war to become a metaphor for modern absurdity.

I. Main Content: The Embodiment of Absurd Systems

The novel centers on the 256th U.S. Air Force Squadron: soldiers carry out dangerous bombing missions yet are trapped by Catch-22—want to avoid combat? Prove you’re crazy. But apply to be grounded? That proves you’re sane. Yossarian, a bombardier, witnesses comrades die one by one. From fear to awakening, he eventually refuses to return to “normal” society, choosing exile in Italy. Other characters are equally devoured by the system: Orr feigns madness to escape, Milo builds a war-profiteering empire, and Doc Daneeka is declared “dead” by bureaucracy yet alive. All tragedies point to a truth: large systems use “rational” rules to dehumanize individuals.

II. Ten Enlightening Fragments: Sanity in Absurdity

1. The Logical Paradox of Catch-22

Original (En): "Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn’t really crazy." Doc Daneeka’s words haunt Yossarian. The catch? To be grounded for insanity, you must ask—and asking proves sanity.Scene: Yossarian tries to stop flying but is trapped, watching comrades die.Enlightenment: Modern “institutional paradoxes” persist—take sick leave requires proving illness (which hurts performance); wanting to “lie flat” fears being eliminated (“hustle culture” is survival). Systems use “rational” rules to create cycles of meaninglessness.

2. Yossarian’s Escape: From Fear to Resistance

Original (En): "I’m not running from the war—I’m running from those who want me to fight it." Yossarian admits his “cowardice” is courage to preserve humanity.Scene: Yossarian fakes illness, called a “coward,” but awakens before war’s end: living matters more than “heroism.”Enlightenment: Modern “lying flat” isn’t decadence—it’s gentle resistance to over-competition. When systems demand health for “success,” escape saves self.

3. Orr’s “Foolishness”: The Logic of Meaningless Acts

Original (En): Orr crashed his plane into the sea every mission, grinning. Everyone thought him mad—until he escaped to Sweden in a raft.Scene: Orr’s “clumsiness” was a planned escape; “madness” masked evasion of system surveillance.Enlightenment: Modern “slacking” or “lying flat” may hold wisdom. Don’t dismiss absurd acts with surface “rationality”—they might lead to freedom.

4. Milo’s Empire: Capital’s Alienation Game

Original (En): Milo used army funds to buy planes, then bombed his own camp for profit. "What’s good for M&M is good for the country," he declared.Scene: Milo turns military resources into business, bombing his own men for profit—yet called an “entrepreneur.”Enlightenment: Corporate “social responsibility” may be a mask. Some companies greenwash or charity-wash exploitation—capital expands without ethics. Beware profit devouring morality.

5. Doc Daneeka’s “Death”: Institutional Erasure

Original (En): Milo declared Doc Daneeka dead after a bombing. Bureaucracy refused to correct it: "Dead men can’t collect paychecks."Scene: Daneeka lives but is “erased” by the system—unable to claim pay or medical care, becoming a “ghost.”Enlightenment: Individuals in modern systems may be “datafied.” Wrong household registrations, missing social security—alive yet treated as “nonexistent.” Systemic indifference devours personal value.

6. The Colonel’s Medal Obsession: Power’s Empty Performance

Original (En): Colonel Cathcart raised missions from 25 to 50 to impress his general. He didn’t care about deaths.Scene: The colonel boosts mission counts for promotion, sending men to die—while reaping benefits.Enlightenment: Modern “upward management” is sometimes futile. Leaders make employees加班 for performance, then leave—don’t pay for others’ vanity.

7. The Soldier’s “Disappearance”: Anonymity in Modern Society

Original (En): Clevinger was lost in a crash. No one remembered him—except Yossarian, who realized: "We’re all Clevingers now."Scene: Clevinger’s death goes unnoticed—symbolizing individual insignificance in systems.Enlightenment: Modern “traffic-first” culture erases individuals. Social media likes replace real connection; ordinary people’s pain is ignored. Beware becoming “nameless.”

8. Yossarian’s Awakening: Refusing Assimilation

Original (En): Yossarian refuses: "I’m staying here. I’m not going back to America." He chooses life over conformity.Scene: Yossarian rebels, staying in Italy—rejecting “normal” society.Enlightenment: Modern society needs “non-cooperation” courage. Reject 996, consumerism, echo chambers—stay true to self, resist assimilation.

9. Systemic Self-Justification: Everyone Knows, But Obeys

Original (En): Everyone knew Catch-22 was crazy—but followed it. "It’s the rules," they said.Scene: From soldiers to officers, no one questions the rule—it’s the system’s backbone.Enlightenment: Modern echo chambers work the same. Everyone knows a rule is wrong, but “everyone does it”—so default. Beware systemic “collective unconscious.”

10. Existential Void: Meaning Loss After War

Original (En): Post-war, Yossarian wanders Rome: "What’s the point?" No job, no home—only death memories.Scene: War destroys Yossarian’s sense of meaning—he falls into void.Enlightenment: Modern material abundance brings “meaning crisis.” Earn money but lose purpose. Seek internal value, not external success.

Conclusion: Hold Your Soul in Absurdity

Catch-22’s horror isn’t war—it’s systems making people “voluntarily” complicit in their own dehumanization. Moderns may not face air raids, but we face Catch-22 variants: 996, hustle culture, echo chambers. Yossarian’s choice tells us: recognizing absurdity is the start of resistance; refusing conformity keeps your soul. True courage isn’t defeating enemies—it’s being “abnormal” in an absurd system.