Week 4 - Summary of the plot

Hello blog(it sounds cooler in Norwegian). Today is a sad day, because today is the last post on this blog, NOOOOOOOOOO (enter Darth Vader voice here)

Let's not be sad, however, let us instead rejoice of how much joy this book journey has brought us, even thought it's been a pretty depressing book... Anyways, let the post begiiiin.

(And we shall indeed hit it) 

As I started reading this book I was immediately introduced to the main protagonist, Yossarian, as he is at the hospital for his weekly sick leave. The book opens on a humorous note with Yossarian fooling the doctors that he has to stay and cracking jokes while he is censoring a bunch of letters purely for the fun of it. It will later turn out, however, that the main plot of the book is not that not at all that humorous, and when it is humorous it does not last for long. The real reason for why Yossarian is in the hospital so often is not because he likes the food there, he is there because he simply does not want to die in any air combat missions. Throughout the book Yossarian is faced with people who are rooting both for and against him. Amongst those who is rooting against him is Colonel Cathcart, who is constantly raising the missions by 5 at a time, and when a member of Yossarian's squadron is morbidly cut in half by a plane propellor he amps it up and raises the number right from 70 to 80. The Chaplain is on Yossarian's side though as he is trying to help him with finding a way back to his home, and that will prove to be a lot more difficult than said. With the constant nagging of characters like Milo, Hungry Joe and Lieutenant/General Scheiskoppf who are incredibly persistent on his marching routines. 

I have decided not to include any spoilers in this post so my post may be a bit short, but that is only because I am gonna urge you to read this book. I will, however, leave this post on a cliffhanger though, you are warned. Following the last 100 pages or so in the book I sat back and read what I believe to be is one of the most eye opening chapters of any book I've read. The chapter I am talking about is The eternal city, where Yossarian is walking through a city in Italy and witnessing tragedy after tragedy. It ranges from animal cruelty, to female abuse and even to child abuse. This chapter wasn't meant to just serve as a literary purpose, but to a social purpose, an eye opening purpose. The chapter shows us how bad times really were, and how life for the Italians would be seen as a grotesque way of life if it happened in the United States. After the killing of multiple characters in the book Yossarian has ended up in this morbid city that has fallen to its knees and is dying. Yossarian's journey is not done after this chapter though, and there is a lot more you should know about why he is there, but to know that you will have to read the book ;). I will issue a warning though as the book may be confusing at some times because of the complex words Heller uses and the almost endless supply of new characters. The book is a little perplex if seen from the outside, but if you really read it until the end it will prove to be a great book. 

Well that's all folks, I have enjoyed our journey together and maybe one day we will see each other again on a similar journey. 

(Oh yes, it is a confusing book, but in a good way, if that makes sense ;))