Presentation on Joseph Heller

1. Joseph Heller Wesley Cure Eng 1102 Professor Owens 17 July 2010

2. Overview Who is Joseph Heller Catch-22 God Knows Impact of literary works Conclusion

3. Who is Joseph Heller Born in 1923 in New York, and died in 1999. An American author Published seven novels Best known for Catch-22 Often used satires to criticize established institutions

4. Catch-22 First published in 1961 By far, Heller’s most successful novel Used sharp wit to criticize military practices of WWII In the novel, the pilots wish to be grounded. To be grounded, pilot must be declared insane. In order to be declared insane, one must ask to be evaluated; But the mere act of asking is considered sufficient evidence of sanity. Hence, the phrase “Catch-22” is born.

5. Catch-22 Continued At the time of publication, it was considered taboo to speak of WWII in an unflattering manner Society viewed WWII servicemen as glorious heroes Heller painted them as scared humans in extraordinary circumstances

6. God Knows Published in 1984 A satirical, modern retelling of the bible’s King David in first-person perspective Religious followers view David as pure and virtuous Heller humanizes David, describing him as an everyday man who has fallen victim to everyday problems and temptations

7. God Knows Continued Similar approach as Catch-22 Just like WWII soldiers are thought of as men whose bravery is beyond reproach, King David’s and the biblical characters’ purity is beyond question Heller humanizes characters in both novels so that the reader can connect through common experiences/feelings

8. Impact of literary works Heller helped fuel the Passive-Aggressive movement of the Vietnam protestors during the 1960’s Coined the new phrase “Catch-22” Used sharp wit to take serious subjects and make them relatable and humorousto readers

9. Conclusion Joseph Heller was an American author and satirist Catch-22 is his most influential and well-known novel God Knows is a satire of King David’s life in modern tongue Heller’s works have had a far-reaching impact and coined a new phrase in the English vernacular