Text Rationale: Catch-22, by Joseph Heller, 1961
Rationale: Heller’s book addresses the question: what does a sane man do in an insane society?
Through its satirization of war and the bureaucracy that supports it, Catch-22 expresses
frustration with society and confronts the issue of whether or not the State should determine what
we need or whether we should decide for ourselves. Satire, as a literary form of criticism, has as
its intent to expose evils and injustices through not totally realistic means in order to influence
the imagination. As the main character sees and reacts against the injustice around him, he
affirms his own spirit and stands up to authority, which assists him in his escape from the
madness that surrounds him. Heller’s strong language is his tool to direct again against
incompetent leaders, mindless bureaucrats, and self-centered individuals for whom war is a game,
a way to obtain selfish and often meaningless ends at the expense of death to many others.
Plot Summary: Captain Joseph Yossarian, a member of a US bomber crew stationed on the
Mediterranean island of Pianosa during WWII, is convinced that the military is trying to get him
killed, and that those around him are insane. He spends the book trying to get out of flying any
more seemingly suicidal missions.
Yossarian is surrounded by a cast of bizarre characters, including Colonel Scheisskopf, obsessed
with winning military parades at the expense of just about everything else, the newly promoted
Major Major, who spends most of the war trying to hide from his men, and the profiteer
Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder, a pure capitalist whose only ambition is to make money out of
the war, and who ends up charging a commission on every military engagement.
Merits: Catch-22, nominated for a National Book award in 1962, is considered one of the most
important novels of the 20th century, repeatedly appearing on honor lists. For example,
the Modern Library ranked Catch-22 as the 7th (by review panel) and 12th (by public) greatest
English language novel of the 20th century; Time Magazine places Catch-22 in the top 100
English language novels.
Benefit to Students: This is an excellent work of 20th century satire, an area to which our
students have limited exposure. Its portrayal of a modern anti-hero offers an important example
of the need to question authority, and its plot resolution conforms to the American myth of
rugged individualism.
TEKS:
(5) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and
draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to
support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) analyze how complex plot structures (e.g., subplots) and devices (e.g., foreshadowing,
flashbacks, suspense) function and advance the action in a work of fiction;
(B) analyze the moral dilemmas and quandaries presented in works of fiction as revealed by the
underlying motivations and behaviors of the characters;
(C) compare and contrast the effects of different forms of narration across various genres of
fiction
“Objectionable” words/passages:
Catch-22 has been banned in the past for “indecent language.” It was banned in Strongsville, OH
(1972), but the school board's action was overturned in 1976 by a U.S. District Court. It was also
challenged in DISD high school libraries (1974), and in Snoqualmie, WA (1979) because of its
several references to women as "whores." Other words: shit; slut; damn; goddam; sex dream;
hell. Also, as this is a book about war, it contains several passages of intense violence.