Catch-22 Joseph Heller
Themes:
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Pity - The reader has pity for each soldier every time he is afraid to go on a mission.
Reality- Each soldier has to face the fact that there is a chance that he may never come down from a mission alive.
Hope- Orr has a constant hope of crashing successfully and escaping to Sweden.
Sanity--Yossarian claims that he is the only sane one in the squadron and everyone else is crazy.
Friendship- -Yossarian's bonds with the other men are important.
Confusion-- A great deal of confusion is caused by the use of the term Catch-22.
Greed-- The Machiavellian philosophy of Cathcart and Milo demonstrates this theme.
Guilt-- The death of Snowden plagues Yossarian throughout the war.
Key Issues
Confusion: Catch-22 is a military term that is confusing and difficult to describe. In short, its basic meaning is that if there was a
rule, no matter what the rule is, there is always an exception to it. It is a mysterious regulation that is in essence a circular
argument. This catch keeps Yossarian in the war because a concern for one's own life proved that he is not really crazy, and to
get out of combat you have to be crazy. The catch is used by the superior powers to uphold and increase their power, and yet
it is harmful to those who do not have power in the first place. It creates situations where, when you think everything is
perfect, Catch-22 pops up and makes your plans impossible.
Setting
The novel takes place during World War Two in an American army camp on the island of Pianosa as well as in Rome.
Background Information / Plot
The main character is Yossarian, who suffers from a severe fear of death. He and his comrades are in the Air Force. All of the
men are in the 256th squadron (2 to the fighting 8th power, of you want to use it in a poem). This novel takes place during
World War II. Yossarian's main antagonist is Colonel Cathcart, whose goal in life is to become a general. Yossarian wants to
stop flying missions so he does not get killed, yet Cathcart's aim is to continue raising the number of required missions in order
to impress his superiors. He uses Catch-22's unfair illogical rules to keep the men flying. This creates a constant conflict
between Yossarian and Colonel Cathcart.
Characters
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Yossarian- paranoid, thinks everyone is trying to kill him (which is true); thinks everyone is crazy; feels guilty about the
death of Snowden, which was the traumatic experience which changes his view of war
Orr- shares tent with Yossarian, practices crashing every mission- eventually crashes and escapes; good with his hands
Doc Daneeka- depressed, dies figuratively (dies on paper, so he is considered dead); doctor for the squadron; selfpitying hypochondriac; refuses to ground Yossarian because Doc is selfish
AATappman- chaplain, very timid, but wants to be stronger; given the third degree for stealing a tomato; misses his
wife terribly
Milo Minderbinder- mess officer; leader of the syndicate (black market/underground business dealings); aim is to give
the men the best meals in the world; will do anything for a profit, even bomb his own squadron
McWatt- freckled nose; buzzes Yossarian's tent for fun, but stops when he finds it scares him; Yossarian's pilot; slices
Kid Sampson in half by accident, and then kills himself
Major Major- misfit his entire life, not accepted because he was promoted to squadron commander- became a
recluse; told Sgt. Towser to only let people into his office when he was out- tried to avoid people
Cathcart- colonel that desperately wanted to be a general; unsure of himself, wanted to impress the generals- this is
why he keeps raising the number of missions
Snowden- soldier who dies in Yossarian's plane; while Yossarian was treating him for minor leg wounds, Snowden was
dying of fatal chest wounds- Yossarian feels guilty because if he had known about the real problem, he thinks he could
have saved Snowden's life; now he thinks that his only mission is to come down alive; Yossarian keeps speaking about
Snowden's "secret"- man is garbage without his spirit