Abstract
This article examines how Joseph Heller uses the third-person omniscient narrator in Catch-22 as a subtle weapon in his satiric attack on American business. While Catch-22’s numerous characters and seemingly non-chronological events present a rather convoluted plot, its third-person omniscient narrator helps Heller avoid preachy rhetoric in his satiric attack on American business. The study focuses on the character of First Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder, a mess officer whose M & M Enterprises syndicate serves as a satire of the expansionist model of American business, the relationship between corporations and war, and the corporate insistence on sharing that masks ruthless pursuit of profit.
Keywords: Joseph Heller, Catch-22, satire, American business, omniscient narrator, Milo Minderbinder, corporations, war, capitalism
The Catch-22 Paradox
A Catch-22 is a rule that makes two opposing and contradictory claims, both of which are true. For example, a man who wants to fly many missions is insane because a sane man would not risk his life in this manner. Simultaneously, a man who does not want to go on flying missions is not insane because, if he were really insane, he would not mind flying the missions. This paradox is at the heart of Joseph Heller’s novel which explores the absurdity of military life during World War II.
Milo Minderbinder and M & M Enterprises
Heller launches his attack against one of the most important American institutions using the character of First Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder, a mess officer at the US Army Air Corps. Milo started a business called M & M Enterprises. The two M’s stood for Milo and Minderbinder and the ”&” was inserted “to nullify any impression that the syndicate was a one-man operation.” Milo’s corporate model is the quintessential American business. The syndicate grew into “an international cartel” and expanded its operations into fancy pastries.
Satirizing the Corporate-War Relationship
Besides satirizing the expansionist model of American business, Heller also satirizes the relationship between corporations and war. In chapter 24, Milo makes two deals, one with American authorities to bomb a bridge held by the Germans and another with German authorities to defend the bridge against his own bombing. As a character, Milo is the embodiment of capitalism and his willingness to contract with both sides of the war is a scathing satire of corporate America’s uncompromising business tactics.
The Narrator’s Role in the Satire
The third person limited omniscient narrator allows Heller to portray Yossarian as someone with a kind of sick fascination with Milo. This portrayal is similar to American society’s view of investment bankers. On one hand, society is astonished by Wall Street’s lack of allegiance to the nation. On the other hand, society is impressed by Wall Street’s single-minded pursuit of profit. By portraying Milo and his business ventures from the perspective of a third person omniscient narrator, Heller is able to present the readers with an overarching point of view, grounded in facts, figures and details, and the result is a highly effective satire of one the most important American institutions.
Works Cited
- Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.
- “Our History.” Ally.com. Ally Financial, n.d. Web. 20 October, 2011. http://www.ally.com/about/company-structure/history/
- Stern, Gary & Feldman, Ron. (2004). Too Big to Fail: The Hazards of Bank Bailouts. Maryland: The Brookings Institution, 2004. Print.