Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
17th International IDEA Conference Studies in English, Elazığ, Türkiye, 7 - 09 Mayıs 2025, ss.47, (Özet Bildiri)
Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 masterfully intertwines humor and absurdity to construct a critique of the bureaucratic systems that govern modern life. Although the narrative is built upon a foundation of logical paradoxes, it is neither illogical nor meaningless. Instead, Heller employs a playful and evasive style that exposes the inherent contradictions within bureaucratic structures, inviting readers to not only laugh but also reflect critically on the assumptions underpinning the story. This paper positions Catch-22 as an archetype of postmodern literature, marked by its use of incredulity, parody, non-linear narrative, intertextuality, and deconstruction to challenge the traditional suspension of disbelief. In Heller’s narrative, bureaucracy operates both as a language - a means of articulating the absurdities of existence - and as a lens, a self-perpetuating ideological framework that perceives itself as the sole mode of understanding the world. This duality underscores the insidious nature of bureaucratic systems, which thrive on circumlocution and perpetuate their logic irrespective of their absurdities. Through an analysis of Heller’s stylistic techniques, including his use of circular reasoning and rhetorical ambiguity, this paper argues that Catch-22 not only critiques bureaucracy but mirrors its structure. By doing so, Heller blurs the lines between narrative and ideology, inviting readers to question the systems of power and authority that dominate both fiction and reality. This exploration emphasizes the enduring relevance of Catch-22 as a profound commentary on the absurdities of modern institutionalized life.