Essay on Language and Dialogue in Catch-22 -- Catch-22

Use of Language and Dialogue Catch-22 Catch-22 is probably best discussed in terms of its language. The prose style Heller employs is original and distinctive, discriminate and well implemented (Pearson 277). One application of that prose style is discourse Heller uses dialogue to manifest the themes of the novel. Some of the themes best shown in the dialogue of the characters argon Hellers hate of war, and his perceived idiocy in military and in bureaucracy. Scattered throughout the book are several dialogues which share numerous characteristics. Some particular conversations are especially demonstrative of these elements. Heller uses these dialogues to communicate his ideas to the reader. In chapter XXXVI, several military police officers pick up the camps Chaplain, take him to The Cellar, and interrogate him. The dialogue between the tercet MPs and the Chaplain is typical of dialogues throughout the book in many ways and the conversation reflects numerous themes central toCat ch-22. The interrogation scene offers many insights into the meaning of Catch-22and the dialogue therein is especially important. The camp Heller describes is bureaucratic in the worst possible way and the conversation exhibits those characteristics of bureaucracy that Heller most loathes illogical operation, softness to take action, lateral actions (in which no real gain is made), and a maelstrom of regulations which work against each other. One way the interrogation scene mirrors the themes of the book is that the logicemployed by the military police officers is totally illogical. Heller presents thisas a major theme in his novel throughout the book, the thought processes of agents of themilitary make no sense any(prenominal) and tho... ...ph Heller Copyright 1996 by Charles Scribners and Sons New York, NY. Frank, Mike. Enos and Thanatos in Catch-22. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Roger Matuz. Vol.11. (77-87) Detroit Gale, 1990. Hasley, Louis. Dramatic Tension in Catc h-22. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Vol. 8 (173) , Ed. Roger Matuz. Detroit Gale. 1990. Heller, Joseph. The Chelsea sign Library of Literary Criticism. Twentieth-Century American Literature Vol. 3. New York. Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. New York Dell Publishing, 1955, 1961 Kennard, Jean E. Joseph Heller At War with Absurdity. Contemporary Literary Criticism.(75-87) Ed. Roger Matuz. DetroitL Gale 1990. Pearson, Carol. Catch-22 & the Debasement of Language.Contemporary Literary Criticism. (277) Matuz . Detroit L Gale 1990.