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Themes:
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.
Greed--Machiavellian philosophy- the end justifies the means- Cathcart cares only about becoming general, and he will do anything to impress an existing general. Therefore he keeps raising the number of missions that his men are required to fly so that his group has more total missions than any other. He does not care that he is raising his man's chances of dying- he only wants to be promoted to a more powerful position. Milo is another prime example of a man who follows this type of idea. He wants money and will do anything to get it. He goes to so far as to bomb his own squadron because he can make a huge profit. He confiscates vital supplies and sells them, simply to acquire more money. When Orr's plane is shot down, the life jackets will not inflate because Milo has taken the carbon dioxide to make ice cream sodas.
Guilt- Snowden dies during a routine mission. While Yossarian is sitting in his bombardier's compartment, his plane is being surrounded around by enemy fire. Snowden is unfortunately a victim of the flak, and is wounded fatally. When Yossarian discovers that Snowden is injured, he rushes to his aid. Sadly, though, Yossarian nurses the wrong wound, and Snowden dies from a hidden chest wound. This incident thoroughly changes the meaning of the war for Yossarian. Before this incident, Yossarian was a dedicated bombardier, who , although he did not agree with the idea of war, he almost enjoyed the missions and did not mind the danger. After the death of Snowden, Yossarian decides that his only mission is to come down alive. The war suddenly has a personal meaning to him, and he can see what hardships war could bring.
Lessons, Morals, and Applications
From the themes of confusion and greed, as well as the men's experiences with the idea of catch-22, it is quite plain to see that men with power will keep power, and those without power suffer the consequences. As a familiar quote says, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." Yossarian learns the hard way that men with power have a tendency to abuse their authority.
He did find, though, that if one believes in something hard enough and works diligently towards a goal, the goal will at one point be accomplished, or at least a portion of the goal will become true. Yossarian wants to be grounded, yet every time he requests to be, his attempt is denied. In the end, Yossarian actually defies the laws of military life and escapes. Yossarian learns that even thought Catch-22 does not exist, it actually does because everyone believes it does. It is here that the theme of reality plays a role, because although Catch-22 may not exist in physical reality, it does in the minds of all the characters, making it a real part of their lives.
Guilt is a visible theme in Heller's novel, but the reader finds that guilt is not always needed. For example, Yossarian could not have helped Snowden in his hour of need, but he felt guilty because he did not save his life. It is only human nature to feel guilt when one takes the blame for an incident, even if it was not his fault. Human emotion is a strong feeling that can plague one person for years after an incident.
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.
Orr manages to escape the horror of the war through careful planning. Each mission he goes on is a practice in the art of crashing and survival in the sea. He makes sure he is able to inflate rafts, get food, and maneuver properly using a tiny spoon. These plans come in use when one mission he crashes but does not return. It is only then does Yossarian realize Orr's genius. All of this planning was used to help Orr sail off to freedom in Sweden, away from the death and destruction of World War II.
In a quick summary, some of the other important sub-plots in Catch-22 are as follows:
Nately and his whore are having a love affair throughout the novel. His whore never really responds to his love, but once she decides she loves him, Nately is killed in battle. Yossarian broke the news to her, and the novel concludes with Nately's whore trying to kill Yossarian in violent rage.
Throughout the novel, Milo is constantly concerned with his syndicate and making profit. He goes through multiple attempts of raising money, such as selling chocolate covered cotton, which does not go over well with the men. He even goes as far as to bomb his own squadron for money.
For further information on the personal situations of characters, please refer to "Characters."
Characters
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