Ever since its publication in 1961, Joseph Heller’s satirical novel Catch-22 has been a beloved classic for generations of readers, especially during the turbulent 1960s, when its depictions of the atrocities of war captured the attention of Vietnam War protesters. Joseph Luzzi, a professor of literature at Bard College, guides participants through the literary techniques and key themes that give Heller’s work its enduring appeal, especially its astonishing use of humor and piercing psychological insights. Drawing on Heller’s experiences as a fighter pilot in World War II, Catch-22 narrates how military bureaucracy can lead to absurdist situations that often endanger soldiers’ lives. Luzzi explores the stylistic elements and qualities that make Catch-22 one of the most important works in American literature in the second half of the 20th century.
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