Page 46 - The Language of Humour
P. 46

THE SHOCK OF THE NEW 33
            bombing missions that he decides that he will go crazy in order to be
            ‘grounded’. Briefly explain the  conditions  of Catch-22, to  show the
            contradictions that make it impossible for anyone to benefit from the
            rule.

                 ‘You’re wasting your time/ Doc Daneeka was forced to tell him.
                 ‘Can’t you ground someone who’s crazy?
                 ‘Oh, sure. I have to. There’s a rule saying I have to ground anyone
                 who’s crazy.’
                 ‘Then why don’t you ground me? I’m crazy. Ask Clevinger.’
                 ‘Clevinger? Where is  Clevinger? You find Clevinger  and I’ll ask
               him.’
                 ‘Then ask any of the others. They’ll tell you how crazy I am.’
                 They’re crazy.’
                 ‘Then why don’t you ground them?’
                 ‘Why don’t they ask me to ground them?’
                 “Because they’re crazy, that’s why.’
                 ‘Of course,  they’re crazy/ Doc  Daneeka replied. ‘I  just told you
               they’re crazy, didn’t I? And you can’t let crazy people decide whether
               you’re crazy or not, can you?’
                 Yossarian looked at him soberly and tried another approach. ‘Is Orr
               crazy?’
                 ‘He sure is/ Doc Daneeka said.
                 ‘Can you ground him?’
                 ‘I sure can. But first he has to ask me to. That’s part of the rule.’
                 ‘Then why doesn’t he ask you to?’


                 ‘Because he’s crazy/ Doc Daneeka said. ‘He has to be crazy to keep
               flying combat mssions after all the close calls he’s had. Sure, I can
               ground Orr. But first he has to ask me to.’
                 ‘That’s all he has to do to be grounded?’
                 ‘That’s all. Let him ask me.’
                 ‘And then you can ground him?’ Yossarian asked.
                 ‘No. Then I can’t ground him.’
                 ‘You mean there’s a catch?’
                 ‘Sure, there’s a catch/ Doc Daneeka replied. ‘Catch-22. Anyone who
               wants to get out of combat duty isn’t really crazy.’
                 There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified
               that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were
               real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy
               and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did,
               he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr
               would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t, but if he was
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