1. The main characters name is Captain John
Yossarian, who is a 28 year old bombardier stationed in Pianosa during World
War II. The story starts out in a hospital with Yossarian faking liver pains in
order to not fly any more missions. On almost every new chapter we are
introduced to a new character in the story that is a part of Yossarian’s life.
Yossarian is determined to not fly any more missions and will do anything to
achieve that. His first thought was to fly all his required missions and attain
a leave of absence, but every time he makes it the Colonel increases the number
of missions. Since this motive seems impossible he then decides to try and stay
grounded as long as possible by acting insane or having some sort of illness.
We also find out that Catch-22 is a law imposing that in order for a man to be
grounded he must say he is insane but if you say you are insane than you are
actually sane to try and get out of flying missions. So it is a constant circle
which no one can use. Yossarian constantly has flashbacks of his friend Snowden
dying in his arms and further reminds him that he needs to get out of the army.
Orr, another member of the bomb squad crashes his plane into the ocean and
disappears. Another character Milo is part of the black market and is
constantly trying to make profit using the planes as transports. Nately falls
in love with a whore in Rome but doesn’t love him back. Some long time later
they fly back to Rome where Yossarian informs the whore that Nately has died
and she tries to stab him. He returns to Pianosa but starts to worry about the
whore in Rome and returns. Here we hear of another version of Catch-22 to gives
us the impression that it does not exist and is just a mere way of saying that
there is no way out. Yossarian is then sent back to Pianosa because he does not
have a pass. Yossarian makes a deal with the Colonels to be freed in return for
his praise of them which he takes even though it seems wrong. As he leaves
Nately’s whore stabs him again. He is in the hospital and he explains to a
major Danby that he can no longer go through with the deal because he would
almost be betraying his comrads and the Major says there is no hope of escape.
But Yossarian hears that Orr was found in Sweden and so he regains hope of
escape. He decides to run away to Sweden and as he leaves Natley’s whore tries
to stab him again and the last scene is of Yossarian running away.
2. I think the theme in Catch-22 is the
inevitabily of death. The law Catch-22 was
a law that basically prevented any man from merely avoiding death and although
it was a nonexisting law it was still very real in the sense that it controlled
the men. Since Catch-22 stopped men
from merely escaping it was up to the men to decide their own fates in the war
and try to survive as long as possible with the inevitable fact that they would
eventually die.
3. Catch-22 is written in a very mocking or
satirical tone. It is interesting to me that even though it is about the
hardships and death of war Heller still seems to turn it into a mocking novel
which I guess of course adds the satirical portion to it. A great line is when
they are describing Major Major. “Even
among men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more
distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by
how unimpressive he was.” There are many more examples of satire in this
novel. “You know, that might be the
answer – to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of. That’s a
trick that never seems to fail.” Catch-22 is also a mocking part of the
story to. Its mocking the idea and military ideas of honor.
4. Setting – The setting plays a big role in novel
because World War II was a time of hardship and troubles. “What is a country? A country is a piece of land surrounded on all
sides by boundaries, usually unnatural… There are now fifty or sixty countries
fighting in this war. Surely so many counties can’t all be wrth dying
for.” “They couldn’t dominate Death
inside the hospital, but they ceratily made her behave. They had taught her
manners. They couldn’t keep death out, but while she was in she had to act like
a lady. People gave up the ghost with delicacy and taste inside the hospital.”
“But that was war. Just about all he could find in its favor was that it paid well
and liberated children from the pernicious influence of their parents.”
Dialogue – The dialogue helps to convey the
personalities and the theme of the novel. “The
enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on,
and that includes Colonel Cathcart. And don’t you forget that, because the
longer you remember it, the longer you might live.” “You’re inches away from death every time you
go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age?”
Tone – The tone is very mocking of the war
and ideas throughout the story. “Actually,
Major Major had been promoted by an I.B.M. machine with a sense of humor almost
as keen as his father’s.”
Symbolism – The law catch-22 was a great
symbol of the roundabout between life in the military. “There was only on catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a
concern for one’s own safety in the face of dangers that were real and
immediate was the process of a rational mind.”
Style – Hellers satirical voice helps to
convey the inevitability of death.
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