Joseph+Heller

JosephHeller1923--1999JosephHeller•JosephHellerwasborninBrooklynin1923.HeservedasanAirForcebombardierinWorldWarIIandenjoyedalongcareerasawriterandateacher.Hisbest-sellingbooksincludeSomethingHappened,GoodasGold,PictureThis,GodKnows,andClosingTime,buthisfirstnovel,Catch-22,remainshismostfamousandacclaimedwork.HediedofaheartattackinDecember1999.Catch-22•Plotoverview•Characters•Themes•SymbolsPlotoverview•DuringthesecondhalfofWorldWarII,asoldiernamedYossarianisstationedwithhisAirForcesquadronontheislandofPianosa,neartheItaliancoastintheMediterraneanSea.Yossarianandhisfriendsendureanightmarish,absurdexistencedefinedbybureaucracyandviolence:theyareinhumanresourcesintheeyesoftheirblindlyambitioussuperiorofficers.Thesquadronisthrownthoughtlesslyintobrutalcombatsituationsandbombingrunsinwhichitismoreimportantforthesquadronmemberstocapturegoodaerialphotographsofexplosionsthantodestroytheirtargets.Theircolonelscontinuallyraisethenumberofmissionsthattheyarerequiredtoflybeforebeingsenthome,sothatnooneiseversenthome.Still,noonebutYossarianseemstorealizethatthereisawargoingon;everyonethinksheiscrazywhenheinsiststhatmillionsofpeoplearetryingtokillhim.•Yossarian'sstoryformsthecoreofthenovel,somosteventsarerefractedthroughhispointofview.Yossariantakesthewholewarpersonally:unswayedbynationalidealsorabstractprinciples,Yossarianisfuriousthathislifeisinconstantdangerthroughnofaultofhisown.Hehasastrongdesiretoliveandisdeterminedtobeimmortalordietrying.Asaresult,hespendsagreatdealofhistimeinthehospital,fakingvariousillnessesinordertoavoidthewar.Asthenovelprogressesthroughitslooselyconnectedseriesofrecurringstoriesandanecdotes,YossarianiscontinuallytroubledbyhismemoryofSnowden,asoldierwhodiedinhisarmsonamissionwhenYossarianlostalldesiretoparticipateinthewar.Yossarianisplacedinridiculous,absurd,desperate,andtragiccircumstances—heseesfriendsdieanddisappear,hissquadrongetbombedbyitsownmessofficer,andcolonelsandgeneralsvolunteertheirmenforthemostperilousbattleinordertoenhancetheirownreputations.•Catch-22isalawdefinedinvariouswaysthroughoutthenovel.First,Yossariandiscoversthatitispossibletobedischargedfrommilitaryservicebecauseofinsanity.Alwayslookingforawayout,Yossarianclaimsthatheisinsane,onlytofindoutthatbyclaimingthatheisinsanehehasprovedthatheisobviouslysane—sinceanysanepersonwouldclaimthatheorsheisinsaneinordertoavoidflyingbombingmissions.Elsewhere,Catch-22isdefinedasalawthatisillegaltoread.Ironically,theplacewhereitiswrittenthatitisillegalisinCatch-22itself.Itisyetagaindefinedasthelawthattheenemyisallowedtodoanythingthatonecan'tkeephimfromdoing.Inshort,then,Catch-22isanyparadoxical,circularreasoningthatcatchesitsvictiminitsillogicandservesthosewhohavemadethelaw.Catch-22canbefoundinthenovelnotonlywhereitisexplicitlydefinedbutalsothroughoutthecharacters'stories,whicharefullofcatchesandinstancesofcircularreasoningthattrapunwittingbystandersintheirsnares—forinstance,theabilityofthepowerfulofficerMiloMinderbindertomakegreatsumsofmoneybytradingamongthecompaniesthathehimselfowns.•AsYossarianstrugglestostayalive,anumberofsecondarystoriesunfoldaroundhim.HisfriendNatelyfallsinlovewithawhorefromRomeandwoosherconstantly,despitehercontinuedindifferenceandthefactthatherkidsisterconstantlyinterfereswiththeirromanticrendezvous.Finally,shefallsinlovewithNately,butheiskilledonhisverynextmission.WhenYossarianbringsherthebadnews,sheblameshimforNately'sdeathandtriestostabhimeverytimesheseeshimthereafter.Anothersubplotfollowstheriseoftheblack-marketempireofMiloMinderbinder,thesquadron'smesshallofficer.MilorunsasyndicateinwhichheborrowsmilitaryplanesandpilotstotransportfoodbetweenvariouspointsinEurope,makingamassiveprofitfromhissales.Althoughheclaimsthat“everyonehasashare”inthesyndicate,thispromiseislaterprovenfalse.Milo'senterpriseflourishesnonetheless,andheisreveredalmostreligiouslybycommunitiesalloverEurope.•ThenoveldrawstoacloseasYossarian,troubledbyNately'sdeath,refusestoflyanymoremissions.HewandersthestreetsofRome,encounteringeverykindofhumanhorror—rape,disease,murder.HeiseventuallyarrestedforbeinginRomewithoutapass,andhissuperiorofficers,ColonelCathcartandColonelKorn,offerhimachoice.Hecaneitherfaceacourt-martialorbereleasedandsenthomewithanhonorabledischarge.Thereisonlyonecondition:inordertobereleased,hemustapproveofCathcartandKornandstatehissupportfortheirpolicy,whichrequiresallthemeninthesquadrontoflyeightymissions.Althoughheistemptedbytheoffer,Yossarianrealizesthattocomplywouldbetoendangerthelivesofotherinnocentmen.Hechoosesanotherwayout,decidingtodesertthearmyandfleetoneutralSweden.Indoingso,heturnshisbackonthedehumanizingmachineryofthemilitary,rejectstheruleofCatch-22,andstrivestogaincontrolofhisownlife.Characters•MiloMinderbinder•Yossarian•ColonelCathcart•Orr•ManyothersMiloMinderbinder•Afantasticallypowerfulmessofficer,Milocontrolsaninternationalblack-marketsyndicateandisreveredinobscurecornersallovertheworld.HeruthlesslychasesafterprofitandbombshisownmenaspartofacontractwithGermany.Miloinsiststhateveryoneinthesquadronwillbenefitfrombeingp