How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #25
Yossarian answered in a collapsing voice, weary suddenly of shouting so much, of the whole frustrating, exasperating, ridiculous situation. He was dying and no one took notice. (26.31)
This is an absurd situation because no one, not even his friend Aarfy, acknowledges that Yossarian is dying, much less shows concern. Death is a momentous occasion in the lives of most people and the fact that it is being ignored here is strange, to say the least.
Quote #26
[Nately:] "Prostitution is bad! Everybody knows that, even him." He turned with confidence to experienced old man. "Am I right?"
"You're wrong," answered the old man. "Prostitution gives her an opportunity to meet people. It provides fresh air and wholesome exercise, and it keeps her out of trouble." (33.108-109)
The old man's logic is flawed by traditional moral standards. Americans would argue indignantly that there are better ways to meet people than prostitution, not to mention the legal and health dangers of such activities. Only in the madness of Catch-22 does this old man make sense.
Quote #27
The chaplain had mastered, in a moment of divine intuition, the handy technique of protective rationalization, and he was exhilarated by his discovery. It was miraculous. It was almost no trick at all, he saw, to turn vice into virtue and slander into truth, impotence into abstinence, arrogance into humility, plunder into philanthropy, thievery into honor, blasphemy into wisdom, brutality into patriotism, and sadism into justice. Anybody could do it; it required no brains at all. It merely required no character. (34.16)
This is absurd because one cannot imagine vice turning into virtue or any other of these 180-degree transformations. This, we realize, is the beauty of Catch-22: the ability to make the bad sound good and vice versa.