1. Setting
1.1. 1944
1.1.1. World War II
1.1.2. Nazi Germany
1.1.3. American distress
1.2. Pianosa
1.2.1. Fictional Island
1.2.2. Too small for actions in novel; first example of ironic humor
1.2.3. Surrounded by the sea
1.2.3.1. Symbolizes death
2. Themes
2.1. Abusurdity
2.1.1. Exaggeration of points and traits to the point of ridicule
2.1.2. Highlight madness of the modern world
2.1.3. "Can I do anything at all to help you?" the chaplain asked. Yossarian shook his head, still grinning. "No, I'm sorry. I have everything I need and I'm quite comfortable. In fact, I'm not even sick." "That's good." (11).
2.1.3.1. Doctor misses the irony; absurd
2.2. Power
2.2.1. Heller shows how power leads to corruption
2.2.2. Bureaucracy is a product of modern capitalist society
2.2.3. "Under Colonel Korn's rule, the only people permitted to ask questions were those who never did" (35).
2.3. Lies and Deceit
2.3.1. Lying to achieve goals
2.3.2. Mainly from military administration who always tries to make themselves look good
2.3.3. "People who did lie were, on the whole, ore resourceful and ambitious and successful than people who did not lie" (92).
2.4. Isolation
2.4.1. No meaningful relationships
2.4.2. Material satisfaction
2.4.3. Oddites=alienation
2.4.4. "We used to ostracize everyone, even each other" (246).
2.4.4.1. Ostracize-Isolate people from one another
2.5. Language
2.5.1. Words lose meaning because the statements military makes are complete lies
2.5.2. Poor wording and misunderstood meanings
3. Direct Quotes
3.1. "There was only one 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. If he flew them and didn’t have to he was crazy; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to" (46).
3.1.1. Unreal and unreliable
3.1.2. Commonly misread and misunderstood
3.1.3. Alarmingly persuasive
3.2. "He felt goose pimples clacking all over him as he gazed down despondently at the grim secret Snowden had spilled all over the messy floor. It was easy to read the message in his entrails. Man was matter, that was Snowden’s secret. Drop him out a window and he’ll fall. Set fire to him and he’ll burn. Bury him and he’ll rot, like other kinds of garbage. That was Snowden’s secret" (440).
3.2.1. Without the spirit, man is nothing but matter
3.2.2. Cold = prediction of own death
3.3. "The Texan turned out to be good-natured, generous, and likable. In three days no one could stand him" (9).
3.3.1. Irrationality of man
3.4. "Of course you're dying. We're all dying. Where the devil else do you think you're heading?" (182).
3.4.1. Acceptance of an irrational world
3.4.2. Death is inevitable
4. Characters
4.1. Major Characters
4.1.1. Colonel Cathcart
4.1.1.1. Group Commander; foil to Yossarian by increasing number of missions
4.1.2. Doctor Daneeka
4.1.2.1. Flight surgeon; scared of flying
4.1.3. Milo Minderbinder
4.1.3.1. Mess officer turned trading entrepeneur; satire of modern business man
4.1.4. Lieutenant Nately
4.1.4.1. Enlisted to be around gentlemen; highly optomistic and known primarily in the novel by his whore; killed when Dobbs flew into his plane
4.1.5. Captain Aardvark
4.1.5.1. Navigator of Yossarian's planes; repeatedly getting lost on missions
4.1.6. John Yossaian
4.1.6.1. Main character; antihero; representative of author
4.2. Minor Characters
4.2.1. Clevinger
4.2.1.1. Highly clever, optomistic, and educated; serves as Yossarian's foil
4.2.2. Major -- de Coverly
4.2.2.1. Highly respected even though nobody is sure of his position
4.2.3. General Dreedle
4.2.3.1. Blunt and relentless; rival of Peckem
4.2.4. Dobbs
4.2.4.1. Emotionally unstable due to war; described as worst pilot in the corps
4.2.5. Hungry Joe
4.2.5.1. Only pilot to finish required number of missions; tries to photograph nude women; nightmares
4.2.6. Major Major Major Major
4.2.6.1. Major forever because there was only major major; irony
4.2.7. Orr
4.2.7.1. Only one crazier than Yossarian; constantly shot down and landed at sea
4.2.8. Chief White Halfoat
4.2.8.1. Captain Black's Native American assistant; family is moved because they discover oil