1.	The Paradox of Catch-22	2.	The Absurdity of War	3.	The Illusion of Free Will	4.	The Bureaucracy Trap	5.	Satirical Characters	6.	Yossarian’s Struggle for Survival	7.	The Morality of War	8.	The Dehumanization of Soldiers	9.	The Role of Insanity	10.	The Corruption of Authority

Topics Explained

Insanity in the novel is portrayed as a reasonable response to an insane world. Many characters embody various forms of madness, whether through blind obedience or rebellion. 	“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”

The Role of Insanity

The core of the novel is the Catch-22 rule: if soldiers declare themselves insane to avoid combat, they are deemed sane because the desire to avoid death is rational. Hence, they are forced to continue fighting. 	“You’re insane if you fly, but you’re sane if you don’t—and that’s Catch-22.”

The Paradox of Catch-22

Yossarian, the protagonist, feels trapped by systems beyond his control. His desire to survive is continuously blocked by rules like Catch-22, which undermines any sense of true autonomy. 	“The enemy is anybody who’s going to get you killed, no matter which side he’s on.”

The Illusion of Free Will

Soldiers are reduced to numbers and expendable resources. Their humanity is stripped away as they are shuffled between missions, often at the cost of their lives or sanity. 	“He was a self-made man who owed his lack of success to nobody.”

The Dehumanization of Soldiers

The book is populated with absurd, satirical characters—such as Major Major and Doc Daneeka—who embody the irrationality and inefficiency of military and governmental systems. 	“He was going to live forever, or die in the attempt.”

Satirical Characters

Commanding officers exploit their soldiers for personal gain or career advancement. They use their authority to protect themselves while making decisions that endanger others. 	“Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can’t stop them from doing.”

The Corruption of Authority

Yossarian’s primary goal is survival, and he is willing to go to extreme lengths to avoid death. This self-preservation pits him against both his comrades and the system. 	“Yossarian would never be able to escape the jungle of doubt and ambiguity surrounding him.”

Yossarian’s Struggle for Survival

The novel portrays war as irrational and absurd, highlighting the senselessness of violence and the chaos it breeds. Characters are caught in illogical circumstances with no way out. 	“Insanity is contagious.”

The Absurdity of War

Military bureaucracy is depicted as nonsensical and self-serving. Orders and policies prioritize the interests of higher-ups rather than the well-being of the soldiers. 	“Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.”

The Bureaucracy Trap

The novel questions the moral justifications for war, exploring how violence, survival, and duty blur the lines between good and evil. 	“What does a sane man do in an insane society?”

The Morality of War

1.	Catch-22 Paradox: A no-win situation that traps soldiers in an endless loop.	2.	War’s Absurdity: The novel mocks the irrationality of conflict.	3.	Illusion of Freedom: Soldiers are bound by rules beyond their control.	4.	Bureaucratic Nonsense: Military systems are self-serving and illogical.	5.	Satirical Characters: Absurd personalities highlight systemic failures.

6.	Yossarian’s Struggle: His desire for survival drives the plot.	7.	Moral Dilemmas: The book questions the ethics of war.	8.	Dehumanization: Soldiers are treated as expendable.	9.	Madness: Insanity is shown as a logical response to war’s chaos.	10.	Corrupt Authority: Leaders manipulate their power for selfish ends.

A satirical take on war’s absurdity, “Catch-22” explores survival, madness, and corrupt authority.

Catch-22 is one of this century's greatest works of American literature. First published m 1961, Joseph Heller's profound and compelling novel has appeared on nearly every list of must read fiction. It is a classic in every sense of the word. Catch-22 took the war novel genre to a new level, shocking us with its clever and disturbing style. Set in a World War II American bomber squadron off the coast of Italy, Catch-22 is the story of John Yossarian, who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. Yossarian is also trying to decode the meaning of Catch-22, a mysterious regulation that proves that insane people are really the sanest, while the supposedly sensible people are the true madmen. And this novel is full of madmen -- Colonel Cathcart, who keeps raising the number of missions the men must fly m order to finish their tour; Milo Minderbinder, a dedicated entrepreneur who bombs his own airfield when the Germans offer him an extra 6 percent; Major Major Major, whose tragedy in life is that he resembles Henry Fonda; and Major -- de Coverley, whose face is so forbidding no one has dared ask his name. No novel before or since has matched Catch-22's intensity and brilliance in depicting the brutal insanity of war. Heller satirizes military bureaucracy with bitter, stinging humor, all the while telling the darkly comic story of Yossarian, a bombardier who refuses to die. Nearly forty years later, Yossarian lives.

The Dehumanization of Soldiers

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