Quote by Joseph Heller
There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for ones own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didnt, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didnt have to; but if he didnt want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.
Summary
This quote, from Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22," highlights the paradoxical nature of the catch itself. A catch-22 refers to a situation where contradictory rules make it impossible to satisfy any requirement. In this case, the catch states that concern for one's safety deems them rational, yet in the context of a war setting, one can only be considered rational if they continue to fly dangerous missions. Orr's supposed madness allows him to escape these missions, but if he were to express his desire not to fly, he would be considered sane and thus compelled to do so. The quote emphasizes the absurdity and complexity of the catch, leaving Yossarian in awe of its paradoxical simplicity.
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