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by attributing unusual qualities to objects, making the reader take a second look at familiar objects and feelings. Consistent with this, the descriptions oftentimes become totally surrealistic, abandoning realism altogether, as in the portraits of voluptuousness in the Rome apartment or the description of Yossarian's walk through the Eternal City. And this, too, serves to "overthrow" the reader's preconceptions, allowing the novel to develop the theme of increased, new and altered perceptions of the world. |
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The second of these styles is that employed in the dialogue, particularly the comic dialogue. Because both the comedy and the dialogue in the novel revolve around conflicts in perspectives, much of the dialogue takes the form of an altercation or disputation. When such dialogues take the form of alternating retorts, each not much more than a word or a line and playing on the opponents' own words, this is called stichomythia, and the style of such dialogue in Catch-22 is often stichomythic. This style dominates such dialogues as the arguments between Clevinger and Orr and the interrogation of Clevinger. In the former case there are even elaborations on this in which the opposing line is inserted mid-way in the line of the protagonist, as for example: |
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Yossarian: He was —
Clevinger: Crazy . . .
Yossarian: — immense. |
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This style of dialogue accomplishes a dual goal; it makes it possible for the author to raise two distinct lines of thought while at the same time casting doubt on both lines and on the clarity of those who argue for each line. Thus, while the reader can see issues being drawn, the characters are often left befuddled. In this way the stichomythia creates the context for the novel's investigation of alternative ideas about life. As Orr is already present with the men so are the alternatives imbedded in their own thinking. This lends itself to the exploitation of this stylistic device which employs an opponent's own words against him. |
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Thus the style itself always suggests that there is more than meets the eye, and this in turn is not only a theme of the novel but the necessary framework for breaking out of the cynical, materialistic hedonism which pervades the mentality of the characters and locks the characters in a world barren of courage and hope. |
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Although the surface of chapter one is simple, this appearance is quite deceiving. The reader should note the details of time, place, and character |
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