A comparison of the presentation of the psychological impact of war in Regeneration and Catch 22.
A comparison of the presentation of the psychological impact of war in Regeneration and Catch 22.
Many of the young offices who enlisted in both armies saw the war as a noble task, a journey filled with honour and glory. 'There was only one catch', many of the men would suffer mental and physical effects from what they had seen and been part of. These effects ranged from nightmares to mutism and shaking. Many of those who did not partake in the action did not understand that the horrors the soldiers were witnessing would alter their lives forever.
Regeneration by Pat Barker deals with the psychological impact of trench warfare in British soldiers in the First World War, whereas Catch 22 by Joseph Heller depicts the absurd and futile life in the American army in the Second World War.
Not only were lives lost during both wars, but also soldiers suffered loss of their mental health and loss of their individuality.
Within both novels there are two big contrasts in the way that Barker and Heller present us with the impact of war. Heller wrote Catch 22 from his own memories and understood how ridiculous the U.S government was and so in his novel he uses humour to show this and also Heller uses fictional characters in his plot, whereas Barker has used historical facts and the characters in her novel did exist and did fight in the war. For Barker to use humour in her novel to portray the impact of war would be seen as insulting by many people.
Many of the soldiers fighting in the war knew that one of the only ways to get through the war was with your comrades whether it would be drinking or companionship and understanding in a world without meaning. At the end of Catch 22, Yossarian is able to plan his escape with the help of the chaplain.
Catch 22 follows many unknown soldiers: a dead man in Yossarian's tent, an anonymous soldier in white and another who sees everything twice and another who touches Yossarian personally by ding in his arms. The recurrence of the unknown soldiers is one of Catch 22 themes, the loss of individuality, which as the novel progresses becomes more obvious.
The soldier in white, in Catch 22, is a bandage-wrapped, faceless, nameless body that lies in the hospital in the first chapter of the novel, represents the way the army treats men as transferable objects. When, months after his death, he is replaced by another, identical soldier in white, everyone assumes it is the same person.
Many of the young offices who enlisted in both armies saw the war as a noble task, a journey filled with honour and glory. 'There was only one catch', many of the men would suffer mental and physical effects from what they had seen and been part of. These effects ranged from nightmares to mutism and shaking. Many of those who did not partake in the action did not understand that the horrors the soldiers were witnessing would alter their lives forever.
Regeneration by Pat Barker deals with the psychological impact of trench warfare in British soldiers in the First World War, whereas Catch 22 by Joseph Heller depicts the absurd and futile life in the American army in the Second World War.
Not only were lives lost during both wars, but also soldiers suffered loss of their mental health and loss of their individuality.
Within both novels there are two big contrasts in the way that Barker and Heller present us with the impact of war. Heller wrote Catch 22 from his own memories and understood how ridiculous the U.S government was and so in his novel he uses humour to show this and also Heller uses fictional characters in his plot, whereas Barker has used historical facts and the characters in her novel did exist and did fight in the war. For Barker to use humour in her novel to portray the impact of war would be seen as insulting by many people.
Many of the soldiers fighting in the war knew that one of the only ways to get through the war was with your comrades whether it would be drinking or companionship and understanding in a world without meaning. At the end of Catch 22, Yossarian is able to plan his escape with the help of the chaplain.
Catch 22 follows many unknown soldiers: a dead man in Yossarian's tent, an anonymous soldier in white and another who sees everything twice and another who touches Yossarian personally by ding in his arms. The recurrence of the unknown soldiers is one of Catch 22 themes, the loss of individuality, which as the novel progresses becomes more obvious.
The soldier in white, in Catch 22, is a bandage-wrapped, faceless, nameless body that lies in the hospital in the first chapter of the novel, represents the way the army treats men as transferable objects. When, months after his death, he is replaced by another, identical soldier in white, everyone assumes it is the same person.
