In five pages this paper considers how Yossarian's opposition of the military majority has ethical implications for society as well as himself or the individual. There are no other sources listed.
Name of Research Paper File: TG15_TGyossar.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Societys Will by Tracy Gregory, August 2001 -- properly! In life, conflict arises when the will
of an individual opposes the will of the majority, and refuses to conform to the norms established by society. Art is a reflection of life, and this conflict of
the will is a recurring theme in many novels. There is, perhaps, no novel that more poignantly explores this plight from the individuals perspective than Joseph Hellers classic Catch-22,
first published in 1961. It is the story of Air Force Captain John Yossarian, a World War II bombardier stationed with the 256th Squadron on an Italian island off
the Mediterranean coast. Unlike his fellow soldiers who have been conditioned by the military to become "fighting machines," Yossarian refuses to sacrifice his humanity for a patriotic ideal perpetuated
by society. He takes the war personally; after are, it is about killing people he doesnt know who are also trying to kill him. Yossarian has no interest
in the ethical reasons behind the war. He is only concerned with how it affects his own life, and how it is his life at risk every time he
goes out on a bombing mission. His commanding officer, Colonel Cathcart, is constantly volunteering Yossarians services, which he accepts at first because he thinks that will get him home
sooner. However, the absurdity of it all weighs heavily upon his conscience. When Yossarian suddenly blurts out, "Theyre trying to kill me" (11), he is reassured by Clevinger,
a member of his squadron who accepts authority and societys concept of citizen responsibility without question, that nobodys trying to kill him specifically, but rather, "Theyre shooting at everyone... Theyre