The Role of Morality and Ethics in Catch-22: A Study of How the Characters Face Moral Dilemmas in a War-Torn World
The Role of Morality and Ethics in Catch-22: A Study of How the Characters Face Moral Dilemmas in a War-Torn World
In Catch-22, Joseph Heller presents characters faced with complex moral dilemmas in a war-torn world. The absurdity of the situation they find themselves in forces them to constantly question their ethics and the morality of their actions. The characters’ decisions—whether to obey orders, resist authority, or engage in self-preservation—reflect the tensions between individual conscience and institutional demands.
The protagonist, Yossarian, is constantly torn between his desire to survive and his moral belief that the war is senseless. His actions, such as his attempts to avoid flying dangerous missions, reflect his struggle to balance personal survival with a deeper sense of right and wrong. The character of Major Major Major Major, who is promoted through bureaucratic absurdity and is too frightened to act, embodies the moral compromises soldiers must make to survive in a dehumanizing system.
Through these moral quandaries, Heller critiques the ethical implications of war, blind obedience, and institutionalized violence. Catch-22 forces readers to consider the complex moral choices that individuals face when their survival is at stake, highlighting the personal and social consequences of war.
