The Chaplain and The Crazy

The Chaplain and The Crazy

            The first two sentences of Catch-22 make the strangest first impression on the readers. “It was love at first sight. The first time Yossarian saw the chaplain he fell madly in love with him” (Heller, Catch-22 7). Coincidentally, these two characters are one of the most different pairs in the whole book. Both Yossarian and the chaplain present distinct purposes to the story line, and although Man vs. Society is their common conflict, the details are polar opposites.

Yossarian is the protagonist in this book by Joseph Heller. In this third-person-omniscient point of view, he is the main focus. As described by nearly everyone in the book, Yossarian is absolutely insane; he has few friends and can’t even get a girl to marry him because she states him as crazy. Yossarian is made out to be narcissistic and somewhat lazy. He provides an interesting standpoint on the war and the characters in his group since his mental state is abnormal. Heller uses Yossarian’s viewpoint to differentiate the common analysis of his leaders and squadron members and what he sees in them.

Albert T. Tappman, whose real name we find out in Heller’s sequel called Closing Time, is one of the most decent characters in the book (Heller, Closing Time 24). He is the group chaplain for the squadron and is there to help the men who are in the war with spiritual and physical needs. The chaplain loves his family dearly and is very thoughtful; although, he comes off as a very timid and ineffectual fool. He provides the book with a basis of sanity when everyone else has completely lost their metaphorical marbles.

Yossarian’s and the chaplain’s part of the story is extremely contrasting because Yossarian is in the story to be loud, insane, and self-preserving while Tappman shows a different side of gentleness, voice of reason, and generosity. The chaplain is a family man while Yossarian has no problem sleeping with any attractive woman that comes his way. Their difference in purpose continues all the way through the whole book. At the end when attitudes begin to change, Yossarian and the chaplain take a jump to their reverse standings. Tappman decides to become a bold and assertive force for justice and is capable of getting the attention of others when he puts himself out there. Yossarian, on the other hand, goes against what he’s been all along and chooses not to only think about himself, but to also say no to officials so that he could preserve the safety of the whole squadron. The end also proves to be a diversity, because Yossarian ended up running away from the problem he had been trying to face and the chaplain learns to stand up for himself.

The conflict of Man vs. Society is what Yossarian and Tappman face in this story, just in different ways.  Yossarian is having problems with being in the war, but the country makes men fight. Basically the only thing he wants is to stay alive, and he can’t do that very well if he’s forced to go on dangerous combat missions all the time. “[Yossarian] had decided to live forever or die in the attempt” (Heller, Catch-22 29). Even if he admits himself into the hospital, he knows he still won’t be able to go home until the forever rising number of missions is completed. His main conflict is with Colonel Cathcart: the one who keeps raising the number of missions.

The chaplain, on the other hand, is facing society as in the squadron. He is so shy that nobody respects him. Most of the guys that he has to be around take him for granted. Tappman sleeps in the woods, four miles from the base, because he won’t stand up to Colonel Korn. He has been embarrassed by Colonel Cathcart, Colonel Korn, and Corporal Whitcomb; although, the chaplain later is befriended by Yossarian and his friends (which is why Tappman takes the deaths of Yossarian’s friends so hard) (Heller, Catch-22 377).

Heller showed that Man vs. Society could be more subtle than loud rebellions or strict dictatorship. Using the same conflict gave them a sense of unity, but also made it easier to spot the differences. The things the characters put in to the story plot contributed to the whole meaning and the interesting variety of ideas. Maybe this is why the chaplain and Yossarian became such good friends; it’s because they balanced each other out. “‘If you will look about you (which most people won’t do),’ says Sergeant Cuff, ‘you will see that the nature of a man’s tastes is, most times, as opposite as possible to the nature of a man’s buisness’” (Collins 74).

Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone. Tinsely Brothers, 1868. Print.

Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 1955. Print.

Heller, Joseph. Closing Time. Simon & Schuster, 1994. Print.