We Are Catch-22

"What is a country? A country is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by boundaries, usually unnatural. Englishmen are dying for England, Americans are dying for America, Germans are dying for Germany, Russians are dying for Russia. There are now fifty or sixty countries fighting in this war. Surely so many countries can't all be worth dying for." - Catch-22

   Joseph Heller's Catch-22 is possibly the awesomest book ever. It is a satire meant to explore the absurdity of authority that takes place in WWII, a time when different kinds of leaders were battling each other under their different kinds of authority. It is also hilarious.

  However, the more I think about Catch-22, and remember that it was written by an American author,  I also think more about how it seems to represent America and often times humanity as a whole.

  In the book, each chapter is devoted to a different character, all shown from the perspective of the main protagonist (and occasional antagonist), Yossarian. 

  To me at least, each character seems to represent a different aspect of American society in their actions, words, and personalities.

   Yossarian is the average guy, nothing too special, maybe a little weird, who is always confused by the decisions the government is making and doesn't understand why he can't just live his life.

   Milo Minderbinder is the ultimate capitalist businessman who will do anything for a profit and is good at getting others to hop on with him.

McWatt is the risk taker who lives in the moment and feels untouchable until he isn't.

Major Major Major Major is that next door neighbor who doesn't everything so normally that it's weird. 

Nately is the typical patriot, the idealistic dreamer who thinks he can better the world with a few words and a smile.

Chaplain Tappman is the epitome of the phrase "nice guys(or girls) finish last", he always tries to please people but keeps getting walked on.

Colonel Cathcart and his fellow officers reforest corruption and how absurd out leaders can sometimes be, they twist words and facts and use their positions to make situations better for themselves.

Aarfy is that obnoxious guy who wears tanks tops with the words "YOLO" written on them and thinks that Obamacare is a euphemism,

And lastly, Orr is that one person who seems so clumsy and misunderstood that you never understand how smart they were until they're gone.