Catch-22 ⋅ Joseph Heller
Catch-22 does not have a plot that coincides with the rather traditional literary structure format of exposition, rising action, conflict, climax, falling action, etc. The novel jumps through a vast amount of events that mainly follows the protagonist's (Captain John Yossarian) life. Catch-22's plot follows a timeline of out-of-sequence events that portray lives of those serving the U.S. military during World War II. Yossarian's main goal as an Air Force bombardier is to remain sane and immortal throughout his military journey, ironically- even if it means if he dies trying. During this war experience, after completing each mission he has done, Yossarian gets called back to complete another one. And anther one.And another one. And another one. This would drive you crazy, right? That's the point. However, Yossarian can not classify himself as insane so they can discharge him from the military- no one can. To classify yourself as insane would make you sane; you know you're mentally unstable so you are fully aware that you are now able to leave war, therefore, you still are not allowed to. That is the "Catch-22". A Catch-22 is a predicament where "the only available solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule". If one is insane, one can be discharged from the military, however, one has to apply to be discharged and one applying shows that one is not insane. Consequently, no one will be discharged. So this means Colonel Cathcart is able to raise number of missions his squadron goes on, even to Yossarian's and others dismay, because they are stuck in a Catch-22. At the end of the story, Yossarian finds a way to finally escape the war by taking off in Sweden thanks to the help of his friends, Chaplain Tappman and Major Danby. Honestly, it's not really a novel that you can "ruin". The book is highly conceptual and one must read it entirely to comprehend it entirely. A mere plot summary won't do the trick, (so go and read it! (: )
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
The theme of Catch-22 is expect the unexpected, life may be full of Catch-22's. Yossarian was mentally prepared form the beginning of his mission to leave home after, however, he kept getting called back every time he completed one to fulfill a new one. There's was an inevitable catch to leaving war and Yossarian detested it. Never assume that life will work when you want it to work, never assume you will have it your way because when you do life will start to become seemingly more unfair as each day passes.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
Heller's tone when he wrote Catch-22 was satirical which helped show the irony of the events that happened in the book, and the whole story itself.
A first example:
"They were the most depressing group of people Yossarian had ever been with. They were always in high spirits."
Secondly:
" Milo could see more things than most people, but he could see none of them too distinctly."
Finally:
One of the story's characters names is Lieutenant Scheisskopf. His name literally translates to shithead (German). Throughout Catch-22, the Lieutenant is an exemplary representative of his name and behaves accordingly. The two-face personality he had made his presence unwanted everywhere he went.
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
1. Repetition- "Help him, help him" (Page 50)
2. Paradox- "If he flew [planes] he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to."(Page 46)
3. Irony- "Clevinger was a genius... a Harvard undergraduate... [going] far in the academic world... In short, he was a dope" (Page 68)
4. Symbolism of Catch-22- "He never sends anyone home, anyway. He just keeps them waiting around waiting for rotation orders until he doesn't haven enough men left for the crews, and then raises the number of missions and throws them all back on combat status. He's been doing that ever since he got here" (Page 102)
5. Alliteration- "If the colonel says we have to fly fifty-five missions, we have to fly them" (Page 65)
6. Foreshadow (one of many)- "Do you remember... that time in Rome when that girl who can't stand you kept hitting me over and over the head with the heel of her shoe? Do you want to know why she was hitting me?" (Page 25)
7. Dialogue- The majority of the text in Catch-22 is dialogue which is effective for the reader to visualize the scenarios that the characters are in during their missions, what they felt, thought, saw, wished, etc. "You're right," Yossarian shouted back. "You're right, you're right, you're right. The hot dog, the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mom's apple pie. That's what everyone's fighting for. But who's fighting for the decent folk? Who's fighting for more votes for the decent folk? There's no patriotism, that's what it is. And no matriotism, either. " (Page 16)
8. Repetition- "You're right, you're right, you're right." (Page 16)
9. Metaphor- "Women killed Hungry Joe." [To be really blunt, he was super horny for women]
10. Simile- " Dunbar sat up like a shot" (Page 15)
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
Direct Characterization
"She would not allow him to walk beside her as she strolled the pavements soliciting other servicemen, and she was infuriated when she spied him trailing her from a distance."
" He was free to hang around her apartment if he cared to, but there was no certainty that she would be there."
Joseph Heller uses direct characterization to stabilize the chaotic story. Since the novel jumps back and forth though a ton of different events happening on at different times, direct characterization is used to get straight out the point. In some cases, it is used for the more important character traits to get across- no need for extra thinking or pondering, this is what you need to know now so yo won't get confused as the novel just gets even more convoluted.
Indirect Characterization
"A half minute before that you were stepping into high school...Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?"
"It was a harsh and stunning realization that was forced upon him at so tender an age, the realization that he was not, as he had always been led to believe, Caleb Major, but instead was some total stranger named Major Major Major about whom he knew absolutely nothing about whom nobody else had ever heard before."
Indirect characterization is used by Heller to unveil the meaning behind certain people's name, such as Major Major Major Major and Lieutenant Scheisskopf. This gives the reader the knowledge to connect and correlate various events in the book to each other and link them to make a well enough timeline for the reader to reference as he/she goes on in the book.
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
Heller's tone does not necessarily shift or change when talking focusing on a specific character. It may get more satirical when the POV is focused on Major Major Major Major, however no significant enough changes in perspective occur.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
Yossarian is definitely a static and flat character. There is no real time-lapse of the book, so one does get to see any character's personality or mental evolution, however in this case that's alright because... there really isn't any. At least for Yossarian there sin't His determined goal is to escape his missions and remain alive during them- he succeeds this. From start to finish Yossarian is miserable, being stuck in Catch-22, and is just as happy (maybe even more) when he finally escapes in Sweden in the end of the story. No change or evolution happens in Yossarian, to show change in him the story would have to go beyond the means of the Catch-22 (which consumes the entire novel) and focus on Yossarian's life before/after the war. (This book actually exists, by the way- Closing Time, Heller's sequel to Catch-22)
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
I definitely felt like I had just met John Yossarian in person after reading the novel. One could feel the angst, frustration, and ultimately the desperation he had in his ambition to leave his Air Force mission for good. At one point or another, we've all been caught in a Catch-22 and have seen a film/television program where a character is stuck in a Catch-22 and is trying to get out of it but painfully fails at it, not knowing that they are in fact suck in one. We want to help just as much as we want to help ourselves when we are stuck. This is the kind of connections I felt while reading the story- the same anger everyone had towards Colonel Cathcart, the desperation he had to leave when even another mission had come up, etc. For example, this quote explains this feeling quite nicely: "'The enemy,' retorted Yossarian with weighted precision, 'is anyone who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on, and that includes Colonel Cathcart'."(Page 134)
Amazing book, no doubt it recognized as one of the best literary pieces of the 20th century. Highly recommended, rather brilliant in it's writing and Heller's mind-rattling use of conceptual-ism within the novel.
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