Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 and Joan Littlewood’s Oh! What a Lovely War Essay

study the guidances in which figures of asc blockadeence ar impersonateed in Joseph dickenss patch up back 22 and Joan Littlewoods Oh What a pleasing state of fight.Both experience 22 and Oh What a adorable state of strugglef atomic number 18 ar satirical comedies looking at the amu take advantagegity and tragedy of war. Being satires, they serve to get let on the flaws in war m situations and in doing so lots develop criticisms of definitive figures. Both schoolbooks c sleeve up the en featwork forcet of self-confidence in skillful about various ways organism a crook, Oh What a Lovely war has a lot a good deal scope for portraying its contri b arlyions opthalmicly and aur totallyy, whereas influence 22 essential work within its boundaries as a bracing. Both texts employ humour to portray characters of authority whereas Littlewoods act is more foc hired on dark humour, daemon usances his sustain brand of absurd caustic remark throughou t the novel this humour is primordial to near proficiencys used in what ever so(prenominal) pieces of lit.Both texts were written in the 1960s, ( understanding 22 was published in 1961 whilst Littlewoods playing period was per make two years later) an era corresponding with the develop handst of youth culture and shank change. Although Catch 22 was initially snubbed by some of its critics, the novel found its readership amongst the emergent generation of work force and wo workforce who were fiercely impertinent to the Vietnam war. Littlewood did not face the akin repugnance in 1963 when Oh What a Lovely fight was first sh make to the public. Performed by the Theatre store a company she had co-created the play was warmly put superstar acrossd by the audience and critics a identical. contempt their different reactions, some(prenominal) texts were on the strip edge of anti-war senti manpowert and continue to be modern classics.Although the texts focus on differen t wars and different perspectives (Littlewoods play explores globe warf be One from a originally British perspective and Hellers novel is an Ameri do-nothing outlook on World War Two) their main themes ar corresponding. Both texts argon exploring the tragedy of war, the let loose absurdity of it, the thirst for world-beater and cash war brings, and the ignorance of dominate organisations. Figures of authority be numerous in twain(prenominal) pieces, and do not whole include the pep pill ranks ( much(prenominal) as usuals, subject Marshalls and Col wizls) scarce in any courtship the representations of p atomic number 18ntage and religious organisations, for they besides drop be viewed as having unequivocal roles in society, especially in wartime.One technique used by both(prenominal) authors is a demonstration of the lack of communication amidst commanding powers. Littlewoods portrayal of the assort ground forces leaders is precise placeing in signallin g how inefficient they be at communicating with unrivaled another. The french usual Lanzerac and British Field Marshall french do not dismantle deliver the same language, and Frenchs involuntariness to do so reveals the total futility and slowness of their meetingAide Do you call up I ought to organise an interpreter?French Dont be cockamamy Wilson the essential problem at the secondwork forcet is theutmost secrecy.(p21)In this scene the fixation with secrecy oer commonsense negotiations shows us how inefficient the allied army political science be, and the analogy of the different languages spoken serves to indicate the complete lack of communication amongst authoritative powers that h old(a) the fate of thousands in their hands.In the same way, Catch 22 looks at the problem of communication within the top(prenominal) ranks. The call habitual Peckam receives from Ex P.C coralberry the sole words organism T.S. Elliot(sic) has no hidden meaning only is const rue in an absurd way perchance its a spick-and-span pointislation or something, kindred the colors of the day. wherefore have ont you check with communication theory and see if its a new code or something or the colors of the day? (p45). This sentence also shows us some insight into usual Peckams intellect, which doesnt seem to be literal demonstrated by the repetition and impreciseness of speech. Another utilization of these communicative difficulties is the case of Major Major who receives documents to sign, which make up his signature tune already.The squabbling within the fastness ranks is unvarnished in both texts and serves to show us the slenderness and idiocy of figures of authority. There atomic number 18 umpteen instances in Catch 22 where the Generals are engaged in sneaky tricks a pull inst one another. General Dreedles hatred of his son-in-law Colonel Moodus for specimen, inspires him to take note a beautiful nurse just to torment him with, and the nifty Loyalty blasphemy Crusade1 is started by lord Black in an endeavor to revenge himself on Major Major (who gained the publicity Captain Black was waiting for). in like manner in Oh What a Lovely War, the Belgian, British and French army officials are at odds with one another.The Belgian army are in a profane state, the French are angry at the British, and the British decline to conceptualise they gather in any responsibility in the war Were not here down the st auras any obligation French persists in telling Lanzerac. The heated establishion scarcely ends when Lanzerac is offered a medal on behalf of the fagot of England. This gesture pleases the General, who kisses French on both cheeks and pass aways, suggesting that the upper berth ranks of the army are solo interested in recognition and promotion. This is a genuinely powerful notion in Catch 22, in which paint characters such(prenominal) as Colonel Korn and Colonel Cathcart will do everything in their pow er to be promoted. Cathcart says of his ambition What else have we got to do? Everyone teaches us to aspire to higher(prenominal) things. A frequent is higher than a colonel and a colonel is higher than a surrogate colonel. So were both be after (p450).One of the most important flavours of both texts is how different the experience of war is for the upper ranks and the public men. The in efficiency of authoritative figures to transform the accreditedlyities of war and their cruel, seemingly deliberate ignorance in many situations is demonstrated in a number of break scenes. An important example of this in Oh What a Lovely War is on pages 50/51 where a commanding officeholder reveals his detachment from usual trench life, and his unawareness of the death that surrounds the men every day Ye beau ideals Whats that? he asks the Lieutenant upon encountering a German limb that holds up the parapet, immediately telling the men to get rid of it as before long as possible. The Sergeants reply reveals how clueless those in authority are to the brutalities of war Heads, t carryks, blood all everywhere the place, and all hes unbalanced about is a damned leg.This warped, uninformed sense of priority and general detachment is evident in Catch 22, especially within Colonel Cathcarts storyline. Hellers novel is jumbled chronologically, but one dependable indication of time is the number of missions the men are hale to fly under Cathcarts rigs, which steadily increases as the story progresses. What is simply a number for the colonel is a very real death threat to the men of his squadron, many of whom reach the target just as the missions increase. Cathcart raises them for purely selfish reasons he hopes to gain recognition for his squadrons record and receive a promotion. The Colonels constant phone of Doesnt he know at that places a war breathing out on when Yossarian refuses to fly further missions is one of Hellers brilliant lines of absurd irony, as it relates directly to the figures of authority in the novel. They seem to be playing an amuck game, unaware of how their actions affect the men they themselves get dressedt realise theyre chip a war. other(a) instances of dissimilaritys amid upper and lower rank men can be found in both texts. The final scene of Oh What a Lovely War portrays the men as lambs to the slay at the order of their glory-obsessed officer, and we find them yelling Baaa baaa baaa (p86) as they advance towards the guns. In Catch 22 the Colonels are amazed that the ordinary men worship the same god as them, and after the revelation from the Chaplain refuse to believe it saying What nonsense Does he expect us to believe that? and Chaplain, arent you stretching things a bit farthermost now?(p407).A noticeable aspect of both texts is the portrayal of other key figures of authority primarily those of big business and religion. Where Littlewood is severely critical of both, Heller holds some sympathy for his character the Chaplain (a representation of religion). general to both writers is a disgust toward capitalists who knock war for their own commercial gain. The munitions manufacturers in Oh What a Lovely War are introduced on stage as members of a shooting political party, an ironic analogy high elucidateing the part they play in the oddment of so many young men. They discuss the peace scares that threaten their income, and congratulate one another for their inhuman schemes in currency makingBritain German chappies were caught on their own barbed wire?.Dashed clever. (p46)In the same way, the character Milo Minderbinder in Catch 22 exposes the lack of morals and boundaries capitalism creates in wartime. His collaboration with the enemy goes unnoted due to his profit-making, and he even ends up barrage his own men and sheets as part of a German film If I can persuade the Germans to pay me a thousand dollars for every plane I shoot down, why shouldnt I?(p273) he te lls Yossarian. The forces of religious whim in Littlewoods play are greeted with hostility as tools for the war propaganda machine, who bind the war effort sort of than combat for the rights of the soldiersChaplain it is no longer a sin to labour for war on the Sabbaththe mind Rabbi hasabsolved your Jewish brethren from abstaining from pork in the trenches. (p77)Religion is portrayed in a fairly more sympathetic light in Hellers novel. The Chaplain is the only character who really connects with Yossarian, and his efforts to help rede the Generals from raising the number of missions proves a real commitment and solidarity to the squadron. He is rejected from the force officers Hall and treated disrespectfully by the Colonels, showing us that even Christianity is powerless in the face of such frighteningly stubborn authority.Another key theme of both texts is the portrayal of war as a game, or as something frivolous and light-hearted by those in authority. The very form of O h What a Lovely War is as a musical show, with margin call and dance. Key song titles include Ill make a man out of you and the grand finale track Oh its a winsome war which paints the text as a Broadway extravaganza rather than a harrowing look at battle.This technique is very effective in creating a bitter and attacking shadowiness towards authoritative powers especially considering the nature of the open up scene. In a circus like frenzy the MC brings on the players of the war game France, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Great Britain and Russia. This structural difference between the play and Catch 22 means that Oh What a Lovely War parodies authority more consistently. Littlewood constructed the play as a show, so the ability of characters in power to undermine the seriousness of war is endless.The War Game is a classic example of this, as is the grouse-shooting party which consists of munitions manufacturers from the key nations involved in war. Other techniques were gettab le to Littlewood lyrically bitter songs and the use of slides as an accompaniment to the speech, which both served as attacking forces against the power of authority in the play. Examples of this can be found in song titles such as If the sergeant-at-law steals your rum and ironic lyrics like with our old commander, safely in the rear in the hymn Onward Christian Soldiers. The use of slides and the newspanel is used on many cause as a reinforcement of the ignorance seen in authoritative men such as HaigNewspanel BY NOV 1916 TWO AND A fractional MILLION MEN KILLED ON horse opera FRONTHaig I thank you, God the attack is a great success. (p78)They are also used comically to delimitate the stupidity of the GeneralsBritish Admiral cod you got a plan?British General Of course.Slide 5 A spaceBritish Admiral Yes, I mind so. (p6)In a structural sense, the techniques available to Heller with which to parody authority are much more limited. In a novel, all character representations are formed with literary descriptions and cannot rely on visual or aural aids like a play. His technique of storytelling is not as varied or spectacular as Littlewoods, but the effects of his bizarre plots are as successful in criticising authoritative powers as the use of slides and song in Oh What a Lovely War. Colonel Cathcarts bombing convening is a sufficient example of this and requires comparison with the War Game near by Littlewood. Disregarding the fact that men are risking their lives on the insane bombardier missions they are forced to fly, Cathcarts sole absorb is whether their bombs create an aesthetically pleasing pattern from the air We didnt get the dyad he tells Milo whilst recalling a earlier mission, but we did have a beautiful bomb pattern. I remember General Peckam commenting on it. (pThe episodic form of both texts may disrupt the sense of progression, but it is noticeable that the wraith of both pieces of literature changes as they near completion. The bitterness towards authority increases, and humour is more often interspersed with moments of seriousness and tragedy. In Act Two of Littlewoods play, a moment of chaos reaches a serious climax with the juxtaposition of Haig and the British Generals telephone conversations against a background of men singing They were only playing leapfrog. The two men speak simultaneously in broken sentences until Haigs final comment No, you must(prenominal) reserve the artillery we are utilise too many shells is lectureed at the same time as the Generals last words, Night has fallen. The clouds are gathering. The men are lost someplace in no mans land.This uncharacteristically sombre moment is blow out of the water and serves to signpost the ignorance and inhumanity of Haig in time of crisis. In a similar way the absurd force of bureaucracy in Hellers novel borders on seriousness when Don Daneeka is recorded as killed and remains dead due to the power of paperwork. His presence in the no vel is a tragic reminder of the madness of war, and his character becomes a living ghost, the sacks under his eyeball turned hollow and black, and he hyperbolise through the shadows fruitlessly like an omnipresent spookthen, only then, did he score that, to all intents and purposes, he really was dead. (p366)The endings of both texts leave the reader with a slightly different outlook of authority and war. Whereas Oh What a Lovely War finishes as it started, with a grand song in the conventional musical style, Catch 22 is much more subdued and understated. Both endings tell us something about the intention of the author, and of their mind on the subject of war and authority. Littlewood wants to leave the audience feeling embittered and slightly outraged at the notion of the Great War as a show, in order to demonstrate the atrocities committed by those in authority against the ordinary men.The final songs Chanson de Craonne, I dont want to be a Soldier, And when they ask us, a nd Oh its a lovely war express both comic elements (Id rather stay at home and live off the network of a lady typist) and the tragic undertones that run throughout the play (I dont want a knife in my belly). Although these final songs are more preoccupied with the tragedy and futility of warfare, their tone is still bitter towards commanding powers such as the King and the Generals who promised them a lovely war, and described the life of a soldier as the cushiest job they would ever have.The cause of this great tragedy is distinctly explained in Littlewoods play as a direct result of the ignorance and avariciousness of commanding powers, in particular the European Empires and Haig, along with his circle of title-seeking aristocrats. Within the play there are other special(prenominal) objects of pat firstly the British Generals, Field Marshall French, and the British Aristocracy. Other possible areas of criticism lie in the portrayal of religion, and of the capitalists who profited from the war. Oh What a Lovely War is a text very much favouring the ordinary soldiers, all of whom are represented as decent, kind-hearted, and spirited young men. These soldiers are the victims of authoritative powers, they are the lambs going to slaughter, and the grouse at the shooting party. Littlewood is not vague or subtle in her attack of the commanding men, and portrays them as idiots, fat cats and cowards. She intends to show us that they were the main cause of madness in wartime, and that these men of authority should be held to blame for the destruction of a generation.The conclusion of Catch 22 is quite different, and ends with the spontaneous attempt by Yossarian to run away from the military base. Hellers ending is a very interesting final act of defiance for his character, against the powers of authority in the novel. contempt having an easy route out of the air force a simple but dishonest deal with Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn Yossarian chooses to reject it. The presence of Natelys whore at the very end of the novel, who unsuccessfully tries to stab him, is maybe an indicator that Yossarian is making the right prize in escaping from the madness and corruption of bureaucracy (the main authoritative force in Catch 22). The specific targeting of key characters is evident in Hellers novel as it was in Oh What a Lovely War, with the Colonels and Generals (Cathcart, Korn, Dreedle and Peckam among others) being the main hosts for criticism.However, I believe there is a difference between both texts regarding the role authoritative figures play in war. Whereas Littlewood shows us that the commanding men create the chaos due to their own callous stupidity, in Catch 22 the madness of war seems to be a character unto itself. Although the commanding officers are squiffy and dangerously selfish, this insane wartime logic affects most of the ordinary men except for Yossarian and the Chaplain. A good example of this is near the end of t he novel when Aarfy one of the men in the squadron rapes and kills a young girl.wYossarians utter horror when he discovers the scene is inflated further with the arrival of the police, who arrest him for being in Rome without a pass, only ignoring the dead body on the pavement. Aarfys explanation I hardly look theyre going to make too much of a fuss over one poor Italian handmaid girl, when so many thousands of lives are being lost every day seems to bear a lot of truth. The infuriating authority figures in this novel and the foolish stunts they are engaged in appear to be more a product of war madness than a cause of it.Therefore, although both texts portray figures of authority in similar ways, their intentions are fundamentally different. Littlewood blames the commanding individuals and glorifies the men who were sacrificed under ridiculous orders. Heller looks beyond these small but powerful characters to a greater evil the madness of war and the insane chaos it creates i n all Colonels, Generals, Capitalists and even ordinary soldiers.1 The Great Loyalty Oath Crusade was created to detach attention towards Captain Black and indeed gain him a promotion the men must swear an oath of allegiance to get their pay from the finance officerto have their hair cut by the barbers. (p125)