Alex Garcia

AP Lit. Period:2
17 November, 2014

Catch-22
1961
Joseph Heller

Plot:
Joseph Hellers Catch-22 is a fictional novel that brings to question the sanity of war. The
novel takes place during World War II and the protagonist, Captain John Yossarian, believes
everyone is out to kill him. The novel starts off in the middle of Yossarians journey, in a
hospital for a disease he doesnt have. It is revealed that he is a bombardier in the U.S Air Force
and is morbidly afraid of dying in combat. With a stream of consciousness type of storytelling,
parts of the lives of the characters, mainly Yossarian, are revealed through sporadic incidents. In
order, Yossarian joined the cadets believing like many that the war would be over before he
graduated, but as we know, World War II lasted much longer. Yossarian goes numerous
missions, slowly losing his sanity as his friends are killed. His snapping point that makes him
into the paranoid character we know him as was Snowdens death. After being constantly being
denied leave due to Catch-22(a clause that justifies the abuse of its subjects through illogical
reasoning) and finding out Orr is alive, he finally runs away with the help of the Chaplain and
Dobbs.
Structure/Form:
Catch-22s structure is a sporadic one. The novel starts off with Yossarian in a hospital
and characters talk and are talked about as if they should be familiar. In the beginning of novel,
Yossarian has 23 missions completed, and the number of missions completed serve as a much
needed guide for time frame. Scenes are created as abruptly as theyre ended, making
challenging keep track of the setting. This seemingly random order of storytelling builds off the
setting of a world in chaos, and even works to make the reader feel a sense of madness through
deciphering the text.
Another effect the spontaneous storytelling has on the reader is creating sense of deja vu.
As stated before, some scenes are abruptly ended, but are resumed or restated later in the novel,
creating a sense of deja vu. The really interesting aspect of deja vu in this novel is that The
Chaplain experiences his own experience with it, questioning whether to give it meaning or not.

Again this helps the reader become immensely immersed in Hellers world, making the novel
enjoyable.
Point of View/ Perspective:
Catch-22s point of view is like no other. It has the characteristics of a stream of
consciousness point of view popular with postmodern literature authors like James Joyce, but
what sets Catch-22 apart is the narrator. The narrator is omnipresent but is not a character. The
only valid candidate for narrator is the book itself. The book as a narrator provides the perfect
objective view that is needed in Catch-22 in order to create a sense of absurdity or madness
among the characters and throughout the setting. For example, on page 251 of the novel, Aarfy
seeminglessly describes how he and his fraternity brothers raped and robbed two high school
girls in the context of trying to help people. Whats most disturbing is that the book doesnt
change its stride in storytelling. There is no indicating condemning of Aarfy and his actions, and
Aarfy shows no remorse. The lack of shift in tone serves to create a sense of horror, a feeling the
reader is constantly brought back to throughout the novel. Another example was the death of Kid
Sampson on page 348. McWatt, while daringly flying low to the beach, accidentally slices Kid
Sampson in half with the engine. What would be a mortifying scene is only described briefly by
the narrator, and we are given no insight to what McWatts thoughts as he commits suicide
shortly after by crashing his plane into a mountain. The author never shows a sign of remorse for
any tragic incident and remains objective throughout the novel, building the sense of horror in
the reader, effectively helping the audience realize the horrors of violence found throughout life
and especially in a wartime setting.
Main Character:
Captain John Yossarian is a 28 year old bombardier who swears everyone is trying to kill
him. Yossarian has a fear of death that can be best described as eccentric, but throughout the
novel, his rationale for his fear begins to seem reasonable. His eccentric personality is first
revealed in his argument with Clevinger, where hes arguing that everyone is trying to kill him
on page 25:
"They're trying to kill me," Yossarian told him calmly.
"No one's trying to kill you," Clevinger cried
"Then why are they shooting at me?" Yossarian asked.
"They're shooting at everyone," Clevinger answered. "They're trying to kill everyone."

"And what difference does that make?"

At first, his argument seems invalid through Clevingers counter, but in its very basics,
Yossarian is correct, they were trying to kill him. These type of wisecracks are common among
Yossarian, making him a humorous character who always strikes true, even if its a dark matter.
Along with Yossarians claims that everyone is trying to kill him he also claims everyone is
insane. To everyone else, his obsession over living makes him look insane or even cowardly.
Yossarian is a cynical atheist whose views are hard to dispute. When hes arguing with
Lieutenant Scheisskopfs wife on page 189, he exclaims dramatically, And dont tell me God
works in mysterious ways Hes not working at all. Hes playing Why in the world did He
ever create pain, exemplifying his negative attitude so strongly, hes even able to bring
Lieutenant Scheisskopfs wife, an atheist, into a sense of helpless despair. Making Yossarian into
the cynical character he is helps exemplify the madness of the world, as if the logical thinking
cynic is overwhelmed, the reader should definately be as well. Yossarians rationale is best
shown on page 451 when he says, "Im not running away from my responsibilities. Im running
to them. Theres nothing negative about running away to save my life," providing a sound reason
for his fear of death
Setting:
Catch-22 takes place during World War II and most of the events take place in the island of
Pianosa. But whats most important in Catch-22 in relation to setting is the atmosphere built. On
page 154, when Yossarian wakes, the narrator says that he opened his eyes upon a world boiling
in chaos in which everything was in proper order, capturing the essence of the atmosphere of
the book. Catch-22 is a horrifying satirical novel, and the world boiling in chaos in which
everything was in proper order serves to show on how war, something that Joseph Heller detest
throughout the novel, became the norm. This dark realization, that the world was engaged in
such brutality and it being widely accepted, evokes nervous laughter, something this novel does
well. This setting of a world where violence is accepted breaks the humor of the absurdity of
characters, and the best example of dark realization can be found on page 22, in where Heller
writes:
...the war was still going on. Men went mad and were rewarded with medals. All over the world, boys on every side of the bomb
line were laying down their lives for what they had been told was their country. and no one seemed to mind, least of all the boys
who were laying down their young lives. There was no end in sight.

There was no end in sight, captures the fear Heller must have felt serving during World War II
and forces the reader to stop and evaluate their own perspectives.
Theme:
Catch-22 was published in the 1961, when the Vietnam War was taking place and anti-war
feelings were at a high in the nation, so it comes to no surprise that a veteran of the second
World War would condemn war. In Catch-22 the actual war is rarely referenced, but the reader is
kept aware through the absurdity of the characters, mainly those who participate in war. Heller
uses dark humor to bring to question the sanity of war and its conductors. On page 455,
Yossarian says, When I look up I dont see heaven or saints or angels. I see people cashing in
on every decent impulse and every human tragedy, capturing the idea that the only people who
benefit from the war are the people who conduct it, and no self righteous cause can cover that up.
Heller also comments on how war devalues human life. On page 302, when Yossarian claims he
can do what he wants with his leg, Nurse Cramer retors, That leg belongs to the U.S.
government. It is no different than a gear or a bedpan, showing just how expendable war can
make human life. But the best example of how meaningless war is comes through Natelys
conversation with the old italian pimp in chapter 23. The old man argues that Italy is winning the
war even though it already lost and America is still fighting. Patriotic Nately argues against the
old man, but the old man stumps Nately with the fact that Americans may bewinning but
Americans were still dying. This brings to question to who really are the winners in a war when
so much life is lost, again making the reader stop and think if any war is worth the sacrifice. And
just when the reader tries to counter argue that somethings are worth dying for, Nately has the
same idea, claiming ones country is worth dying for. "What is a country? A country is a piece of
land surrounded on all sides by boundaries, usually unnatural. Englishmen are dying for
England, Americans are dying for America, Germans are dying for Germany, Russians are dying
for Russia. There are now fifty or sixty countries fighting in this war. Surely so many countries
can't all be worth dying for."
"Anything worth living for," said Nately, "is worth dying for."
"And everything worth dying for," answered the sacrilegious old man, "is certainly worth living
for."

The old mans response serves to disprove that war is a necessary sacrifice and shows how
valuable life is.
Title:
A catch-22 is a difficult situation in which there is no easy or possible solution. Joseph Hellers
Catch-22 has had such a big impact, that the term has been adopted in the English language to
define the very situation found in the novel. Catch-22 is what prevents Yossarian from leaving
the Air Force and can be seen as the source of Yossarians troubles. On page 55, Yossarian is
introduced to the logic defying Catch-22 after asking to be grounded:
You mean theres a catch?
Sure theres a catch, Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isnt really
crazy.
And so begins Yossarians endless struggle with Catch-22. With the only way for being grounded
is to be insane and having to ask to be grounded, but only to be denied as fearing for your life is
sane, Yossarian find himself in a truly inescapable situation. Catch-22 is a tool used by the U.S.
government in order to enslave its men; to justify its cruel treatment of human life. Catch-22
states that Yossarian must follow the command of his commanding officer regardless if the
officers instructions comply with the officers superiors. Another example on how Catch-22 is
used to abuse power was when the old lady explained to Yossarian on how guards came in and
attacked her and her girls in chapter 22. When the old lady asked for proof of Catch-22, the
guards replied that the law says they dont have to, and that law, of course is none other than
Catch-22.
Style:
Joseph Hellers use of repetition is present throughout Catch-22, and it serves to heighten the
humor. For example, when the chaplain converses with Yossarian in page 20, the chaplain would
say, Thats too bad, to which Yossarian would respond, Yes, that is too bad. This type of call
and response serves as humorous emphasis that builds larger than life characters throughout the
novel. Another example of repetition can be found on page 26, in Yossarians argument with
Clevinger when Clevinger asks who does Yossarian think is trying to kill him:
Every one of them, Yossarian told him.
Every one of whom?

Every one of whom do you think?

Heller also utilizes satire to build absurd characters that provide the reader with comic relief. For
example, Corporal Whitcomb is described to be someone who felt he could do the chaplains
job much better...and viewed himself, therefore, as an underprivileged victim of social
inequity.(pg. 211), making the Whitcomb into a dramatic, self pitying character whose beliefs
are so absurd that theyre humorous.
Critical review:
Orville Prescott does a fantastic job on pointing out on what Heller intended to do and recognizes
that he did them well to a certain extent, yet he didnt like the book. Hes able to give the book
value through its humor, but yet demeans it to sound barbaric. Its odd to hear someone able to
recognize everything the book does and not love it. I understand that not everyone has the same
taste, but this book to me was all around amazing. I agree with Prescott in his interpretation of
Hellers intentions, I just think he either fails to recognize how geniously the book is put together
or he doesn't appreciate his message.
Personal response:
What I enjoyed most about Catch-22 was its ability to have me in tears laughing at one point, to
quite, nervously reading as I realize Hellers dark messages. The intensity of the topics such as
violence, God, war, justice, and insanity are so perfectly overwhelming, producing a feeling of
catharsis. It can be hard to get on board with the novels style of writing, and I do understand
why some would say its a very masculine book with the level of misogyny found, but once
youre able to appreciate the style, it can feel like one of the best novels of all time. Catch-22 has
definitely gave me new perspective, and its an interesting one. It challenges accepted notions of
war and its morality of it and it challenges the idea of a fair God, a sensitive topic, that Heller
addresses so rawly. I would recommend this book to anyone, but I would try to get them in the
right mindset of Catch-22, that war is absurd and the world is chaotic. Catch-22 easily ranks as
my favorite book.

Separate critical review

October 23, 1961

Books of The Times

By ORVILLE PRESCOTT

CATCH-22
By Joseph Heller.

atch-22," by Joseph Heller, is not an entirely successful novel. It is not even a good novel.
It is not even a good novel by conventional standards. But there can be no doubt that it is the
strangest novel yet written about the United States Air Force in World War II. Wildly original,
brilliantly comic, brutally gruesome, it is a dazzling performance that will probably outrage
nearly as many readers as it delights. In any case, it is one of the most startling first novels of the
year and it may make its author famous. Mr. Heller, who spent eight years writing "Catch-22," is
a former student at three universities--New York, Columbia and Oxford--and a former teacher at
Pennsylvania State College. Today he is a promotion man busily engaged in the circulation wars
of women's magazines. From 1942 to 1945 he served as a combat bombardier in the Twelfth Air
Force and was stationed on the Island of Corsica. That experience provided only the jumping-off
place for this novel.
"Catch-22" is realistic in its powerful accounts of bombing missions with men screaming and
dying and planes crashing. But most of Mr. Heller's story rises above mere realism and soars into
the stratosphere of satire, grotesque exaggeration, fantasy, farce and sheer lunacy. Those who are
interested may be reminded of the Voltaire who wrote "Candide" and of the Kafka who wrote
"The Trial."
Multiplicity of Targets
"Catch-22" is a funny book--vulgarly, bitterly, savagely funny. Its humor, I think, is essentially
masculine. Few women are likely to enjoy it. And perhaps "enjoy" is not quite the right word for
anyone's reaction to Mr Heller's imaginative inventions. "Relish" might be more accurate. One

can relish his delirious dialogue and his ludicrous situations while recognizing that they reflect a
basic range and disgust.
Joseph Heller's key sentence is this: "Men went mad and were rewarded with medals." His story
is a satirical denunciation of war and of mankind that glorifies war and wages war cruelly,
stupidly, selfishly. So Mr. Heller satirizes among other matters: militarism, red tape,
bureaucracy, nationalism, patriotism, discipline, ambition, loyalty, medicine, psychiatry, money,
big business, high finance, sex, religion, mankind and God.
To cover so much territory Mr. Heller has contrived a simple formula: His hero, Captain
Yossarian, an Assyrian bombardier, is intimately acquainted with many officers and men and
with numerous Roman prostitutes. Yossarian's predicaments and disasters at his squadron's base
upon the Island of Pianosa and his amorous diversions in Rome provide the principal narrative.
Yossarian was brave once. But he had cracked up and couldn't face any more bombing missions:
"He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt, and his only mission each time he went up
was to come down alive." Unfortunately, the colonel, who wanted to be a general, kept raising
the number of compulsory missions. By the time they reached ninety everybody had cracked up
and insanity prevailed.
More than a score of Yossarian's friends and enemies play prominent parts in his story and each
gets one or more chapters to himself. Each is a marvel of fear, cupidity, lust, ambition,
dishonesty, stupidity or incompetence. The war effort--defeating Hitler, supporting the infantry-meant nothing to anybody. Blatant self-interest was the only motive on the strange Island of
Pianosa.
Array of Devious Figures
A brief introduction to some of Yossarian's acquaintances can give only an inadequate
conception of their bizarre variety: Major Major, "who looked a little bit like Henry Fonda in
distress" and was so ineffectual he finally hid from even his own sergeant. Milo Minderbinder,
the mess sergeant, the supreme champion of the profit motive and free enterprise, who knew how
to buy eggs for 7 cents and to sell them at a profit for 5 cents; who combed his own airfield when
the Germans made him a reasonable offer: cost plus 6 per cent.
Clevinger, who knew everything, "one of those people with lots of intelligence but no brains."

Captain Block, whose "Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade of Continuous Reaffirmation" required a
new signing before each meal and the singing of "The Star Spangled Banner" before the use of
the salt and pepper.
Corporal Snark, who put laundry soap in the sweet potatoes.
Chief White Halfoat, who decided it would be nice to die of pneumonia and did.
Major de Coverley, whose duties as squadron executive officer consisted of "pitching
horseshoes, kidnapping Italian laborers, and renting apartments for the enlisted men and officers
to use on rest leave."
Such people and others even more spectacularly unhinged make certain that "Catch-22" will not
be forgotten by those who can take it.

October 23, 1961

By ORVILLE PRESCOTT

Works Cited
Heller, Joseph. Catch-22, a Novel. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1961. 463. Print.
Orville, Prescott. Books of the times. New York Times, 1961.