John Yossarian as an Antihero in Joseph Heller's Catch-22

Abstract

Joseph Heller's Catch-22 features the status of the protagonist, John Yossarian as an antihero because he lacks heroic ideals and virtues. Therefore, it is necessary to show contrast to Aristotelian typology of hero as set forth by Aristotle. Then the research leads to resemblances of antiheroic character traits with the attributes of Picaro, yet he is devoid of other essential qualities like immorality, self-centrism, anger and inaction of Yossarian regarding his activities and relationships with the people around him. So, the focus of this research is to study John Yossarian as an anti-hero thereby providing a necessary expanse of clarification. The protagonist in the novel desperately tries to avoid the combat mission on different pretensions. To achieve this goal, Yossarian fakes the doctors, which is his mockery. It is a trait of the protagonist to save the others, but he is a self-centered man, who wants to save himself rather than the nation and others. He behaves with the people in quarrelsome manner. He never regrets what he does. He is a selfish man. He neglects simple nature of human being. In this way, he never plays the heroic act. Selfishness, self-centrism, anger, passivity, and unregretful nature characterize his actions and attitude.