Joseph Heller wrote Catch-22 not only to expose the absurdity of war, but also to illustrate the absurdity of the human condition itself . Through its style, language and characters, Catch-22 vividly depicts the absurdity of life using World War II as a medium. One of Heller's most significant parodies is that of capitalism and free enterprise, which he embodies in the character Milo Minderbinder.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The reader is first introduced to Milo in chapter 2 of the novel, where he is described as the most incredible mess officer ever, offering a luxurious dining experience complete with Italian waiters , tablecloths and a lunch of shish-kabob and asparagus tips followed by a jubilee of cherries, coffee, benedict and brandy. Milo is mentioned again briefly in Chapter 3 during the great siege of Bologna, when he is said to have bombarded the squadron. The reader already has a taste for the absurdity that accompanies this character, such as: "Why did Milo bomb his own soldiers?" It is in chapter 7 that the reader gets their first glimpse of the madness behind Milo. Milo admires Yossarian for a letter Yossarian persuaded Doc Daneeka to give him. He says Yossarian can have all the fruit he wants (due to his liver problem which he pretends to have). Milo, however, is horrified to learn that Yossarian is simply giving away the fruit. Giving violates Milo's most fundamental principle: extort as much as you can. He hopes to reap huge profits from the black market syndicate he is creating. As Milo explains his ideas (which are very complex, not to mention convoluted), he tears up a sheet that was originally stolen from McWatt. To Milo, it's a symbol of business, but to McWatt and Yossarian (and probably the reader), it's just a torn sheet. Milo's reasoning in this episode clearly illustrates Heller's distrust of the power and complexity of capitalism, and he shows it through Milo's absurd reasoning. Heller also writes in this chapter: “They were like Milo's disunited eyes, which never looked at the same thing at the same time. Milo could see more things than most people, but he couldn't see any of them too clearly. " All this suggests that Milo could think of various economically profitable projects that most people cannot, but he fails to see what is truly important in life. In chapter 13, Milo is given the position of mess officer by Major ___de Coverly in exchange. for fresh eggs and butter. De Coverly also grants Milo planes to fly to Malta and Sicily for food. Many other squadrons soon make the same deal, and Milo operates daily shuttles to procure everything from artichokes to lobster tails. Milo is presented as a modern-day sleazy/businessman. He quickly works his way to the top through manipulation and he doesn't care who he hurts along the way. He is also obsessed with profit and constantly thinks about money. That's Heller's warning: If we don't do something soon to change "the system," we'll all end up like profit-hungry Milo. In chapter 22, Milo humorously reveals how his private empire has expanded. Orr and Yossarian give up trying to understand the intricacies of Milo's affairs, while learning that grateful civilians have appointed him everything from city mayor to deputy governor. Thus, Heller..