Hello everyone, myself Latta Baraiya and today I'm going to do compare and contrast between two war novels. This task is assigned by Heenaba Zala ma'am. So let's talk about "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Catch 22".
War has regrettably been the answer to many conflicts in human history, ranging from the Sumerian’s conquests to the invasion of Iraq by the US and its allies. During its long history, war has been questioned and contemplated, especially through culture: music, poetry, literature, etc. Two prominent pieces of anti-war literature include Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. Both novels express contemporary fears and questions on war, its impact, its conduct, and its purpose, as well as frustrations and dangers of a modernizing society, industry, and bureaucracy.
◆Tone of the Novels◆
In Catch-22 and For Whom the Bell Tolls, the tone realizes the nature of the systems being explored. One system is a vicious circle, the other a balanced cycle. This tone is accomplished through a combination of language, setting, plot, character, and theme. Both stories use language in a precise manner to establish tone. In For Whom the Bell Tolls the language is detail-laden, very much stream of consciousness style, following Robert Jordan for the most part. Catch-22 also has many details but they tend to be used in a more ordinary story way, that is, only when necessary.
An interesting note in tone as related to setting comes in For Whom the Bell Tolls when Andres is sent to the camp with the message. The tone in that part of the novel, especially with the addition of the crazy Andre Marty, veers wildly from the tone of the rest of the novel and towards satire, more like the tone of Catch-22, this is inextricably linked to setting.
In both novels we can see the former has a comedic tone, while the latter is serious. Tone is a very powerful and moving tool for both Heller and Hemingway in their novels. In Catch-22, comedy through absurdity is the overwhelming tone. Heller uses the comedic tone to explain that
“[w]ar is irrational”,
and leave the reader with a
“catharsis in which the grimness of war provides the dominant memory”
Heller does so by creating absurd situations that may begin as funny, however leave one with a “bitter pessimism” (Hasley). An example of this is the tale of Captain Half-Oat, whose family had been Native Americans who, whenever they settled, would happen to settle directly over an oil deposit and be evicted by oil companies. This happens several times, and while Native American oppression is obviously a dark topic, it is presented in a humorous tone.
◆Setting of both Novel◆
Setting of both stories are mainly focused on one distinct and relatively isolated and small place, “islands” in a sense Catch-22 takes place, literally, on an island, reinforcing the sense of claustrophobia, which in a bit of meta-irony is in real life actually the site of a prison. In For Whom the Bell Tolls the main setting of the cave in the mountains is no less an island, though a metaphorical one, the chief difference is in purpose: though no less a trap, it is also a refuge, a safe haven in a place where the outside world is more chaotic and unpredictable than the island. The imagery of islands is used not only on a setting but on a character level, “no man is an island” appears in the front quote of For Whom the Bell Tolls, and it encapsulates the theme of the story, that of connectedness to others. Robert Jordan has made himself believe he is an island, and that he is content to be alienated in that manner; he finds he is not. In Catch-22, Yossarian wants connection desperately, but is alienated again and again by the larger forces of bureaucracy and power and everyone else’s utter state of alienation, with everyone too afraid to reach out, they live in their own islands of isolation within the island: the most obvious example being the Major, who cuts himself off from interaction with others entirely, twisting the law of catch-22 to his advantage.
Though both stories take place within the larger setting of a war, the specifics are very important to the tone, Catch-22 takes place in the camp; the people there are soldiers caught within the rules and regulations which actively works against meaningful and lasting connection. On the other hand, For Whom the Bell Tolls takes place outside the enclosures of man, the people are guerilla soldiers, who work together as more of a family or community, with relationships more central.
◆Plot of both novel◆
The plots of both stories are in a way circular, but with crucial differences. The plot of Catch-22 is that of an endless loop, the story itself told in a circular manner that doubles back on itself in confusion, the format of the story mirroring the situation of those in it, whereas in For Whom the Bell Tolls the cycles present are natural and the problems lie around accepting such, and accepting life. Therefore the structure of the story also forms a circle of a different sort, with the ending of the story mirroring the beginning, the key difference is that in For Whom the Bell Tolls the presence of a cycle is a function of growth instead of stagnation.
◆Key moment◆
In each story, the blowing up of a bridge is a key moment in both the plot and character arcs. Robert Jordan and Yossarian both have orders to blow up a bridge which, in the end, turn out to be meaningless, they both give up much to carry out those orders. Both lose a man in the attempt. In Catch-22, Yossarian blows the bridge, coming over the target twice in an act of great bravery to make sure the mission succeeds, and comes back to the camp and the realization that all that he gave for the cause of the bridge was meaningless to his superiors, they don’t like his actions and want only to deal with the PR. In a parody of all it should have stood for Yossarian suggests they give him a medal so they can deal with their problem, and they do so, his bravery and accomplishment don’t even matter. From that time on he gives up all store in cause. Robert Jordan carried out the bombing because he had to, but in the end, what he died for was the people he knew and cared about personally.
◆Characterization◆
Characters, of course, are what drive plot more than anything else, and also heavily influence tone. The orientations and mindsets of the characters greatly impact the tone of the novel they exist within, and vice versa. The main characters of each story are Yossarian and Robert Jordan. Their characters, and arcs, differ: though they have some similarities. They are both philosophical to an extent. They both end up giving hope to others at the end of their story, Robert Jordan by sacrificing himself for others in a natural continuance of his character arc of actually letting other people matter to him emotionally, and Yossarian by getting away when he has, throughout the whole story, been caught within not just a place but a mindset, whose effects grow slowly worse as time goes on: so slowly there is no alarm, like the proverbial slow-boiling frog. His escape, and his insubordination, gives hope to others that escape is indeed possible, that catch-22 is not everything; this important moment for each of these characters comes with the letting go of the fear which has burdened them throughout the rest of the story.
The Old Man (Catch-22) and Pilar (For Whom the Bell Tolls) sometimes serve similar functions story wise, they are both older and wiser than the majority of the characters, and each give true advice. The difference is that the Old Man is cynical whereas Pilar is hopeful. Each predict the death of a character and warn them; Pilar in the very beginning of the book when she reads Robert Jordan’s palm (she never actually says he will die, but it’s implied), and the Old Man when he talks to Nately and tells him
“they are going to kill you if you don’t watch out, and I can see now that you are not going to watch out”
Ironically, in the end, Nately knows he might die but stays regardless, when he could have left, out of love, Robert Jordan knows going to blow the bridge that he will die but ends up surviving to his surprise, only to be wounded, and he lets the others get away while he protects them.
Michaela (Catch-22) and Maria (For Whom the Bell Tolls), also parallel one another in some ways, both were violated in the same manner, both stories symbolize loss of innocence, but the great difference is that Michaela dies while Maria goes on to live; in For Whom the Bell Tolls innocence has been lost but goodness remains, and life continues. This is how, while Michaela remains a symbol, whose character is hardly elaborated on in the story and whose death has most impact for the sheer arbitrary horror, Maria, though also a symbol, is growing as the story continues, she is known as a character and a person, and in that way, even though the symbol of innocence dies she can live on as a woman.
◆Effect of War in Both Novel◆
One of the main goals of Catch-22 is to satirize the dehumanizing machinery of war by showing the irremovable survival impulse at the heart of every individual. By constantly making fun of wartime situations and by carrying arguments to their extreme, absurd conclusions, the novel shows the conflict that arises when a war’s course is determined by factors alien to the people who are fighting the war. Through a maze of characters and events, Catch-22 explores war and bureaucracy and their effects on ordinary people.
At first glance Hemingway's novel For Whom The Bell Tolls appears to be an action packed war novel. But underneath all the action there are underlying ideas that reveal much about how war changes a man and causes him to realize the importance of time.
Hemingway reveals these ideas about war through the narrator's thoughts and through the interaction between the major characters. Hemingway shows that war brings about a personal change, that reveals much about man's individuality and that time is limited. Hemingway reveals much about the individuality of men through the relationship of Robert Jordan and Maria. When Jordan is dying at the end of the novel he says to Maria
"Thou wilt go now, rabbit. But I go for thee. As long as there is one of us there is both of us. Do you understand?"
We begin to understand how we as people are never truly alone but instead are always surrounded by the memories and thoughts of those we love. When two people truly fall in love they become as one. Where one goes, both go. Robert finally says to her
"The me in thee. Now you go for us both. Truly. We both go in thee now. This I have promised thee. Stand up. Thou art me now. Thou art all there will be of me. Stand up".
By saying this Jordan reveals how man is never an individual but instead is made up of all the influences, experiences, and memories that we have shared with others.
◆Some center points◆
In both stories, hope is the center point. Robert Jordan and Pilar give hope to Maria, Maria and Pilar give hope to him, hope of life and living in life instead of merely surviving, a reawakening, in Catch-22 Yossarian and the Chaplain get hope from Orr, and Yossarian (and perhaps the Chaplain it’s impossible to know, since this takes place at the end of the story) gives hope to all the men left behind, that one can stand up to unjustness and not be defeated.
◆Themes of both novel◆
First we see the theme of From Whom The Bell Tolls, and there are some major themes like,
●The Loss of Innocence in War :- Each of the characters in For Whom the Bell Tolls loses his or her psychological or physical innocence to the war. Some endure tangible traumas: Joaquin loses both his parents and is forced to grow up quickly, while Maria loses her physical innocence when she is raped by a group of Fascist soldiers. On top of these tangible, physical costs of the war come many psychological costs. Robert Jordan initially came to Spain with idealism about the Republican cause and believed confidently that he was joining the good side. But after fighting in the war, Robert Jordan becomes cynical about the Republican cause and loses much of his initial idealism.
●The Value of Human Life:- Many characters die during the course of the novel, and we see characters repeatedly question what can possibly justify killing another human being. Anselmo and Pablo represent two extremes with regard to this question. Anselmo hates killing people in all circumstances, although he will do so if he must. Pablo, on the other hand, accepts killing as a part of his life and ultimately demonstrates that he is willing to kill his own men just to take their horses. Robert Jordan’s position about killing falls somewhere between Anselmo’s and Pablo’s positions. Although Robert Jordan doesn’t like to think about killing, he has killed many people in the line of duty. His personal struggle with this question ends on a note of compromise. Although war can’t fully absolve him of guilt, and he has “no right to forget any of it,” Robert Jordan knows both that he must kill people as part of his duties in the war, and that dwelling on his guilt during wartime is not productive.
●Romantic Love as Salvation:- Even though many of the characters in For Whom the Bell Tolls take a cynical view of human nature and feel fatigued by the war, the novel still holds out hope for romantic love. Even the worldly-wise Pilar, in her memories of Finito, reveals traces of a romantic, idealistic outlook on the world. Robert Jordan and Maria fall in love at first sight, and their love is grand and idealistic. Love endows Robert Jordan’s life with new meaning and gives him new reasons to fight in the wake of the disillusionment he feels for the Republican cause.
Now let's see the themes of Catch-22,
●The Absolute Power of Bureaucracy :- One of the most terrifying aspects of Catch-22 is the fact that the lives and deaths of the men in Yossarian’s squadron are governed not by their own decisions concerning dangerous risks but by the decisions of an impersonal, frightening bureaucracy. The men must risk their lives even when they know that their missions are useless, as when they are forced to keep flying combat missions late in the novel even after they learn that the Allies have essentially won the war. The bureaucrats are absolutely deaf to any attempts that the men make to reason with them logically; they defy logic at every turn. Major Major, for example, will see people in his office only when he is not there, and Doc Daneeka won’t ground Yossarian for insanity because Yossarian’s desire to be grounded reveals that he must be sane.
●Loss of Religious Faith:- Even the chaplain begins to doubt his faith in God by the end of Catch-22. His disillusionment stems in part from Colonel Cathcart’s constant attempts to use the outward manifestations of religion to further his own ambition. Heller’s treatment of the subject of God is most focused in the Thanksgiving discussion between Yossarian and Scheisskopf’s wife. Both are atheists: Mrs. Scheisskopf does not believe in a just and loving God, whereas the God in whom Yossarian does not believe is a bumbling fool. Yossarian points out that no truly good, omniscient God would have created phlegm and tooth decay, let alone human suffering. Yossarian has experienced so many terrible things that he cannot believe in a God who would create such a wide array of options when it comes to pain and death. But the loss of faith in God does not mean a world without morals for the characters.
●The Inevitability of Death:- Yossarian’s one goal to stay alive or die trying is based on the assumption that he must ultimately fail. He believes that Snowden’s gory death revealed a secret: that man is, ultimately, garbage. The specter of death haunts Yossarian constantly, in forms ranging from the dead man in his tent to his memories of Snowden.
So we can see that the themes of Catch-22 are friendship and obedience through fear, while the themes of For Whom the Bell Tolls are love and connection, and obedience through earned loyalty. The difference in themes shows clearly the difference in tone between the two works. Theme influences tone, because tone, being the feeling image of the entire work, relies on all that is contained within it, as such you cannot have tone without substance, no matter how shallow, tone is the result of a combination of parts and cannot exist without those constituent parts.
So with all these things we can compare both novel. We can see some similarities and some differences in these novels. We can say that In Catch-22, that impression is of a vicious circle; in For Whom the Bell Tolls, it is a surprisingly life giving cycle.
Happy learning 😊
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