I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service

I had examined myself pretty thoroughly and discovered that I was unfit for military service

In Joseph Heller's iconic novel, "Catch-22," the protagonist, Captain John Yossarian, grapples with the absurdity and futility of war. Yossarian, a bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, finds himself caught in a bureaucratic nightmare where the only way to be deemed unfit for military service is to be declared insane. However, as Yossarian soon realizes, anyone who is sane enough to recognize the madness of war is, by definition, not insane.

Yossarian's realization that he is unfit for military service is a pivotal moment in the novel, as it reflects his growing disillusionment with the war and his desire to escape the senseless violence and death that surrounds him. Throughout the novel, Yossarian grapples with the moral and ethical dilemmas of war, questioning the motives of those in power and the senselessness of the violence he witnesses on a daily basis.

Yossarian's decision to declare himself unfit for military service is a bold and defiant act of resistance against the dehumanizing forces of war. By refusing to participate in the violence and destruction of war, Yossarian asserts his own agency and autonomy, challenging the oppressive systems that seek to control and manipulate him.