Essay on Abuse of Power in Catch-22 - 1246 Words

The Abuse of Power Exposed in Catch-22 In 1955, Joseph Heller wrote Catch-22. The story takes place on a small island in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy. As the story progresses, it follows the actions of a man named Yosarrian and his companions in his squadron. Many of the men begin with high rank and others are promoted throughout the novel. As these men come into power, one of Hellers themes is explicitly shown; as men achieve power, they become compelled to abuse it. The story begins with Yosarrian in a hospital. He is there with a pain in his liver that fell just short of being jaundice. The doctors were puzzled by the fact that it wasnt quite jaundice. If it became jaundice they could treat it. If it†¦show more content†¦Which one is the scalpel? Is this one the scalpel? No, the other one is the scalpel. Well, go ahead and cut already if youre going to. Make the incision (420). The doctors have no regard for Yosarrians wishes, they just want to do what ever they want. The problem is that they are able to. As doctors, they are assumed to be trustworthy people, but they abuse that trust and use their position of power to do as they please. One of the most incompetent men in the outfit is Colonel Cathcart. He is a man who is obsessed with improving his own rank at any cost, including the lives of the men he commands. Throughout the story, Colonel Cathcart tries to think up of schemes that could get his picture in The Saturday Evening Post. Maybe if we say prayers, theyll put my picture in The Saturday Evening Post (188). Throughout the novel, Colonel Cathcart also raises the number of missions needed to go home. He does this to make his unit look superior to others. He has no regard for the lives of his men, he only thinks of himself. Men like Colonel Cathcart become corrupt with power and crave more of it. They abuse their high rank to promote themselves. They are willing to sacrifice almost anything to make a small gain in power. Lieutenant Scheisskopf is one of the most absurd characters in Catch-22. He is obsessed with making his men marchShow MoreRelatedLabor Is Not A Simple Construct2398 Words   |  10 PagesEssay #3: Labor is not a simple construct. It is made up of a multitude of people with unique background and traits. While these people worked hard, it was not always easy to be treated justly. Many important events arose along labor’s growth in the United States encompassing identifiers such as race, class and gender. These different areas are an integral part of labor and will continue to be. Most of these identities overlap at certain points but it is worth mentioning them separately as eachRead MoreBroken Windows Or Community Policing1508 Words   |  7 Pagespractical long-term. This paper will start with an explanation as to what the â€Å"broken windows† theory is. Furthermore, this paper will cover some of advantages and disadvantages of that theory when put into practical application. Additionally, this essay will explain what â€Å"community policing† as defined by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This is followed by a brief discussion some advantages and challenges that are unique to that approach. LastlyRead MoreHow Effective Is Terrorism Is For Achieving Its Political Objectives3701 Words   |  15 PagesPOL 10002 International Politics E. Pasimaloku Assessment 3: Major Essay Topic: How effective has terrorism being in achieving its political objectives. This essay will discuss how effective the terrorism has been in achieving its political objectives and will base its arguments on Political Terrorism by Schmid AP and Alberts J 1988 case study and supported by the 9/11 attack by Webster 2011 and the Siege operation by Cathy 2013. In unpacking the topic, key areas such as history and definingRead MoreAbortion Essay1909 Words   |  8 PagesSean Woods Professor Hunt Ethics 304 1/21/2013 Abortion Essay To draw a line in the sand and say this is when a person becomes a person is arbitrary. The argument in itself is supercilious to me but it still has its moral context, yet there is a bigger picture to abortions. If we all agree that a fetus is a person or an egg is a person, there is still an ethical decision to be made, and there is still the consequence of your actionsRead MoreThe Importance Of School Shootings1858 Words   |  8 Pagesor shoot themselves and others in the school. This essay will talk about reason why students do these crazy school shootings and how we can create better schooling for our future children, so they will not go on a ram page and kill innocent people. The book I will be highlighting the book, â€Å"The Bully Society† by Jessie Klein. On December 1, 1997, Micheal Carneal rode to school with his sister and brought two shot guns, two rifles, and a .22 caliber semiautomatic pistol. When his sister droppedRead MoreThe Case Of The Prosecution Of Wartime Sexual Violence During The Break Up Of Yugoslavia1925 Words   |  8 PagesIn this essay I will argue that it is important we move away from a sense of identity as essential, primary and cohesive because the emergence of more complex schools of thought has allowed us to see the multiplicity of the groups in which people belong. By doing so, the oppression of more groups of people can be noticed and mitigated. However, in saying this it is also crucial we come to understand that in some circumstances, pointing out all of the numerous identities that can exist may also proveRead MoreAssignment : Vulnerable Clients Homelessness 3252 Words   |  14 PagesThe University of Queensland School of Medicine Bachelor of Paramedic Science ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET Course Code PMDC1202 Course Title Preparation for Paramedic Practice 2 Course Coordinator David Kelly Due Date 26th September 2014 Assessment Title Essay – Vulnerable Clients - Homelessness Word Count Date Submitted Extension Applied for? ☠Yes ☠No Revised Date: ____________ Student(s) Details Student Number 43502958 Surname Horswill First Name Nathan Declaration of Original Ownership VulnerableRead MoreEssay about Analysis of Good Will Hunting4243 Words   |  17 Pagesmakes at the expense of Morgan Ââ€" to even agreeing with Morgans racist comment about that fuckin Guinea at the ballgame. However, this is all how Will Hunting seems, and not how he truly is inside. We catch our first glimpse of Wills real personality and a hint of the influence in past abuse in this snippet of the film, when he states, That fuckhead Carmine Scarpaglia? That kid used to beat the shit outta me in kindergarten. (Affleck and Damon, 1997) A little later in the film, Will deliberatelyRead More Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five Essays3848 Words   |  16 Pagesabsurd circus that their world has become. Such satirists use their creative work to reveal the comic elements of an absurd world and incite a change in society; examples include Stanley Kubrick’s film, Dr. Strangelove, and Joseph Heller’s novel, Catch-22. Both works rose above their more serious counterparts to capture the critical voice of a generation dissatisfied with a nation of warmongers. Completing this triumvirate of anti-war classics is Kurt Vonnegut’s novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. InfusingRead More The Apocalypse of William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch Essay5453 Words   |  22 Pageshuman artifact’ (p. 24). This speech constitutes Burroughs’ first appearance in the scene as an apocalyptist. Previous to this, he was best known as one of the fundamental members of the Beat Generation movement, as the exponent of disorder and drug abuse, or, along with Brion Gysin, as one of the first practitioners of ‘cut-ups’ in literature. But he was never considered to be an apocalyptist before this speech. As I shall argue in this paper, in Naked Lunch (1959), Burroughs serves us a naked apocalypse