CATCH-22 CATCH-22

Study Questions
Study Questions
Answer the following questions in ink on your own paper. Label each chapter. Skip a line before each chapter label.
Number all questions, even those you skip. Write on the front and back of your paper. A minimum ! point slacking
penalty will be deducted if " determine you to be writing the bare minimum on the ma#ority of questions.
Before Reading
1. Youve probably heard the term catch-22 before. What do
you think it means?
Chapter 1 The Texan
2. Whats the effect of the first two sentences?
3. What kind of narrator is used?
. !ote any e"amples of irony you find in this chapter.
#. Who is Washin$ton %rvin$? Why did &eller choose him
for his allusion?
'. Whats ironic about the use of the word (patriotically) in
re$ards to the *e"an?
Chapter 2 - Clevinger
+. Why does ,levin$er think Yossarian is cra-y?
.. /"plain the lo$ic to Yossarians ar$ument.
0. What type of person seems to be a tar$et of &ellers
satire?
Chapter 3 - Havermeyer
11. &ow does 2rr try to $et to Yossarian?
11. 3escribe ,olonel ,ar$ill in one word.
12. &ow many missions did most $enerals e"pect to complete
a tour of duty?
Chapter 4 - Doc Daneea
13. ,haracteri-e 3oc 3aneeka.
1. What does the officers i$norance of *.4. /liot
emphasi-e?
1#. &ow does 3unbar believe he can live lon$er?
Chapter ! Chief "hite Halfoat
1'. When ,hief White &alfoat tells the story of the oil
companies followin$ his family around5 what fi$ure of
speech is he primarily usin$?
1+. What is catch-22?
1.. Why is Yossarian so $ood at directin$ evasive maneuvers
once the bombs have been dropped?
10. Why did 3obbs $o (cra-y in mid-air) on the 6vi$non
mission?
Chapter # H$ngry %oe
21. Why does &un$ry 7oe seem relieved whenever the
number of re8uired missions in raised a$ain?
21. Whats another application of catch-22 that we see in this
chapter?
Chapter & - 'c(att
22. Who is 9ilo 9inderbinder?
23. What mi$ht his disunited eyes su$$est symbolically?
2. What ille$al activity is 9ilo involved in?
Chapter ) *ie$tenant +chei,,opf
2. 3escribe ,levin$er. :,haracter5 not appearance.;
2#. What was <ieutenant 4cheisskopf obsessed with?
2'. What is &ellers tone in ,levin$ers (trial)?
2+. What does ,levin$er reali-e at the end of this chapter?
Chapter - 'a.or
4
2.. &ow is 9a=or 9a=ors father a hypocrite?
20. (9a=or 9a=ors elders dislike him because he is such a
fla$rant nonconformist.) &ow so?
31. What is 9a=or 9a=ors only moments of true happiness?
31. Who are the ,.%.3. men?
32. %s Yossarian still avoidin$ responsibility even thou$h he
has flown fifty-one missions?
Chapter 1/ - (intergreen
33. Why is Yossarian encoura$ed by what the >rand
,onspiracy of <owery ?ield?
3. &ow is winter$reen like Yossarian?
3#. What does the dead man in Yossarians tent satiri-e?
Chapter 11 - Captain Blac
3'. ,haracteri-e ,aptain @lack.
3+. /"plain how &eller is satiri-in$ patriotism in this chapter.
3.. &ow does 9a=or AA de ,overley put an end to the
>lorious <oyalty 2ath ,rusade?
Chapter 12 - Bologna
30. *he men hope the rain that delays the @olo$na mission
will continue5 yet they feel worse and worse as it
continues. /"plain.
1. 3escribe Yossarians attitude toward duty as revealed in
the current and previous chapters.
1. Yossarians attitude differs from what weve come to
e"pect5 yet &eller seems to approve of it. What5 if
anythin$5 is praiseworthy about Yossarians attitude?
Chapter 13 - 'a.or 00 de Coverley
2. What are 9a=or AA de ,overleys three responsibilities?
3. Where in 6merican history have 6mericans perhaps
(actBedC boastfully about somethin$ BtheyC ou$ht to be
ashamed of)?
. %f Yossarian is the prota$onist5 he must ultimately prove
to be moral. What two actions of his mi$ht &eller see as
immoral?
D211+ 9E9 /nterprises
(hat1, the Catch2
Chapter 14 3id +amp,on
#. &ow does Yossarian sabota$e the intercom system so that
his plane has an e"cuse to turn around?
'. What is a (milk run)?
Chapter 1! 4iltchard and (ren
+. Whats &ellers opinion of Filtchard and Wren? &ow do
we know?
.. What does 2rr seem to attract?
Chapter 1# - *$ciana
0. What e"ample of catch-22 do we see in this chapter?
Chapter 1& The +oldier in (hite
#1. Why mi$ht &eller keep hintin$ about 4nowdens death
instead of =ust revealin$ what happened?
#1. What does the soldier in white symboli-e?
#2. &ow is 3oc 3aneeka a walkin$ contradiction?
Chapter 1) The +oldier (ho +a" 5verything T"ice
T(6C5
#3. *hrou$h their conversation5 its revealed that the two
supposed atheists do believe in >od but have differin$
conceptions. 3escribe their conceptions of >od.
#. What do you think &ellers opinion is of (this business of
illusion)?
##. What is &eller satiri-in$ in the scene where Yossarian
pretends to be >iuseppe?
Chapter 1- Colonel Cathcart
#'. What is the only reason ,athcart decided to have the
chaplain say a prayer before each mission?
#+. &ow does &eller ali$n ,atchcarts feelin$s of class
superiority with racism?
#.. 3escribe ,athcarts character.
Chapter 2/ Corporal (hitcom7
#0. &ow is Whitcomb like ,athcart?
'1. &ow is paramnesia related to the structure of the novel?
Chapter 21 8eneral Dreedle
'1. ,athcart thinks Yossarians name is like the words
subversive, seditious, insidious, socialist, suspicious,
fascist, and $ommunist. Which of these are accurate
descriptions of Yossarian?
'2. Whats the effect of &eller havin$ ,athcart write so many
e"clamation points after (Yossarian5) (@lack /yes5) and
(?eather in 9y ,ap)?
'3. Why do you suppose Yossarian doesnt wear his uniform
to the military award ceremony and 4nowdens funeral?
Chapter 22 - 'ilo the 'ayor
'. &ow is Yossarians morality made clear in the parts of this
chapter?
'#. &ow is 9ilo able to sell e$$s for # cents each that he
bou$ht for seven cents each and make a profit?
''. /"plain 9ilos corruption.
Chapter 23 9ately1, :ld 'an
'+. What do you think &eller thinks of 6arfys miso$yny?
&ow can you tell?
'.. &ow is !atelys debate with the old man similar to
Yossarians debate with ,levin$er?
Chapter 24 - 'ilo
'0. &ow does 9ilo =ustify the bombin$ of his own base?
+1. &ow are 9ilo and Yossarian further differentiated in this
chapter?
Chapter 2! The Chaplain
+1. &ow does &eller want the reader to feel about the
chaplain? &ow can you tell?
+2. What reli$ious allusions are made in this chapter?
+3. &ow does &eller continue to reveal his theme of a
breakdown in communication?
Chapter 2# - ;arfy
+. &ow is 6arfy a sadist?
+#. Why is aarfy to blame for Yossarian $ettin$ wounded?
Chapter 2& 9$r,e D$cett
+'. 9a=or 4andersons interest in psychiatry seems to stem
from what?
++. &ow does &eller show that Yossarian is actually much
saner than 4anderson and5 by e"tension5 most of the other
people in the book?
Chapter 2) - Do77,
+.. &ow are Yossarians and 3obbs roles reversed?
+0. What is odd about 2rrs last crash landin$?
Chapter 2- - 4ecem
.1. What does the italici-ed vocabulary on pa$e 320
emphasi-e about Feckem?
.1. Whats ironic about ,olonel ,athcart tryin$ to impress
>eneral Feckem?
Chapter 3/ - D$n7ar
.2. %n &ellers point-of-view5 3unbars refusal to drop his
bomb on the undefended town is seen as what?
.3. ,learly5 !urse 3uckett has chan$ed her opinion of
Yossarian since the be$innin$ of the book. &ow mi$ht
that be interpreted?
.. Why doesnt Yossarian want 9cWatt5 who has =ust killed
Gid 4amson5 to kill himself?
Chapter 31 'r,< Daneea
.#. What is ironic about 3oc 3aneekas (death)?
Chapter 32- =o-=o1, Roomie,
.'. Why does Yossarian think that the smart ones are
(introverted and repressed)?
Chapter 33 9ately1, (hore
.+. What does the fact that the hi$h-rankin$ officers feel they
have no power without their uniforms su$$est?
... 6fter !atelys whore falls in love with him5 how does he
act?
Chapter 34 - Than,giving
.0. Why does &eller unite the character in chapter one in the
hospital once a$ain?
D211+ 9E9 /nterprises
Chapter 3! 'ilo the 'ilitant
01. &ow and why does 9ilo manipulate ,athcart into $ettin$
the men to fly more missions?
01. &ow is the reader meant to feel about 9ilo by the end of
this chapter?
Chapter 3# The Cellar
02. ,ontrast the chaplains and Whitcombs reaction to news
of the twelve men killed in action.
03. &ow is the chaplains interro$ation related to events in the
10#1s?
Chapter 3& 8eneral +chei,,opf
0. What is so ironic about 4cheisskopfs promotion?
Chapter 3) 3id +i,ter
0#. Why does !atelys whore blame Yossarian for !atelys
death?
0'. What was wron$ with the deal Filtchard and Wren offered
Yossarian and how does that reflect on the military
leadership?
0+. &ow does Yossarian start becomin$ a hero?
Chapter 3- The 5ternal City
0.. Whats the latest interpretation of catch-22?
00. &ow is &ellers humanism fully revealed in this chapter?
111. %f you read the last sentence of this chapter and then the
title of the ne"t5 what mi$ht you e"pect is in store for
Yossarian?
Chapter 4/ Catch-22
111. /"plain the catch to Yossarian bein$ sent home.
112. Why would ,athcart and Gorn rather not court marshal
Yossarian?
113. ?or the first time5 Yossarian tells someone to call him
Yo-Yo. Why is that appropriate at this time?
11. Whats si$nificant about !atelys whore finally
succeedin$ in harmin$ Yossarian?
Chapter 41 - +no"den
11#. 7ust by readin$ the title of this chapter and reco$ni-in$
where it comes in the book5 what do you e"pect to be
told in this chapter before you read it?
11'. WhoHWhat mi$ht Yossarians (pal) be?
11+. What is 4nowdens secret and how does it relate to
Yossarians situation?
Chapter 42 =o,,arian
11.. 3anby and Yossarian are both inherently moral people.
Whats the primary difference between them?
110. ,onsiderin$ the news about 2rr5 his name suddenly
becomes si$nificant. /"plain the symbolism in his
name.
111. Yossarian says that he and 2rr are not the escapists.
Who then does he think are the escapists?
111. 3o you a$ree that Yossarian is runnin$ to responsibility5
not away from it?
112. 3oes the somewhat happy endin$ surprise you? 3oes it
feel satisfyin$ or artificial to you?
A Brief Introduction to Joseph Heller
Joseph Heller himself has recounted the
story of his early life in his latest book Now and
Then (1998). He was born in Brooklyn in 192
and !rew up on "oney #sland. $t the outbreak of
%orld %ar ##& he worked 'rst in a na(y yard and
then enlisted in the ).*. $rmy $ir +orces&
trainin! at bases in *outh "arolina before ,yin!
si-ty missions as bombardier in B.2/s in 0orth
$frica and #taly.
$fter the %ar he went throu!h colle!e
and !raduate study at the )ni(ersity of *outhern
"alifornia& 0ew 1ork )ni(ersity (B.$. 1928)&
"olumbia (3.$. 1929)& and 4-ford (+ulbri!ht
*cholar& 1929./5). 6urin! this time he be!an to
publish short 'ction. 7wo years of teachin!
composition at 8enn *tate followed& till in 19/2
he returned to 0ew 1ork as a writer in
ad(ertisin! and promotions for Time& Look& and
McCall's. Hunched at his Time desk one mornin!
in 19/& Heller wrote out lon!hand the 'rst
section of 9"atch 18&9 the start of his war no(el
Catch-22 (19:1). 7he e-traordinary and
sustained impact of that no(el& both with critics
and readers& was only the be!innin! of a literary
career that now encompasses ei!ht ma;or books
as well as sta!e plays& screenplays& short stories&
articles& and re(iews.
Heller<s lon!.mulled second no(el&
Something Happened (19=2)& switched attention
to the an-ieties and competition of ci(ilian
mana!ement. Good as Gold (19=9) has a double
tar!et> not only does it follow a hustlin! ?n!lish
professor into the world of presidential public
relations& but it is also searchin!ly concerned
with the e-.professor<s identity as a Jewish.
$merican and his relations with his e-tensi(e
family. God Knows (1982) carries that theme
darin!ly into the 4ld 7estament itself&
reima!inin! the deathbed autobio!raphy of @in!
6a(id in Heller<s distincti(e min!lin! of the
philosophical& the satiric and the absurd.
#n the early 1985s& Heller became 'rst
paralyAed and then seriously weakened by a
deadly ner(e disease& Buillain.Barre *yndromeC
with his friend *peed Do!al& he interpreted this
e-perience and his reco(ery in the collaborati(e
work No Laughing Matter (198:). Heller<s ne-t
(anti.)no(el& icture This (1988)& ;u-taposes
!reat '!ures from %estern culture (8lato&
Eembrandt) with twentieth.century $merica to
e-ploit the recurrent clashes between !enius and
power. His no(el& Closing Times (1992)& comes
full circle by reunitin! the wartime heroes of his
'rst book F 1ossarian& 3ilo 3inderbinder& and
the others F in 0ew 1ork 'fty years later.
Closing Times recei(ed wide critical acclaim>
accordin! to one re(iewer& it showed 9a national
D211+ 9E9 /nterprises
treasure at work&9 and it brou!ht renewed
reco!nition of 3r. Heller<s place as one of the
!reatest and most distincti(e of twentieth.
century $nerican no(elists. His posthumously.
published no(ella ortrait o! an "rtist# as an $ld
Man (2555) pro(ided critics with further
opportunity for appreciati(e retrospecti(e
comment.
3r. Heller<s literary achie(ement brou!ht
numerous awards& includin! the )ni(ersity of
*outh "arolina<s 7homas "ooper 3edal in 199:.
3r. Heller died on 6ecember 12& 1999.
The Catch 7y 95*+:9 ;*8R59
*here was only one catch and that was ,atch-225 which specified that a concern for oneIs own safety in the face of dan$ers that were real
and immediate was the process of a rational mind. 2rr was cra-y and could be $rounded. 6ll he had to do was askJ and as soon as he did5 he would
no lon$er be cra-y and would have to fly more missions. &e would be cra-y to fly more missions and sane if he didnIt5 but if he was sane he had to
fly them. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause and let out a respectful whistleK
L*hatIs some catch5 that ,atch-225L he observed.
L%tIs the best there is5L 3oc 3aneeka a$reed.
Yossarian was moved deeply day and ni$ht and what moved him more deeply than anythin$ else was the fact that they were tryin$ to
murder him.
LWhoIs ItheyI?L ,leven$er wanted to know. LWho5 specifically5 is tryin$ to murder you?L
L/very one of them5L Yossarian told him.
L/very one of whom%L
L/very one of whom do you think?L
L% havenIt any idea.L
L*hen how do you know they arenIt?L
Yossarian had proof5 because stran$ers he didnIt know shot at him with cannons every time he flew up into the air to drop bombs on them5
so it was of no use for ,leven$er to say L!o one is tryin$ to kill you.L
L*hen why are they shootin$ at me?L
L*heyIre shootin$ at everyone.L
L6nd what difference does that make?L
L%Im not $oin$ to ar$ue with you5L ,leven$er decided5 Lyou donIt know who you hate.L
LWhoever is tryin$ to poison me.L
L!obody is tryin$ to poison you.L
L*hey poisoned my food twice5 didnIt they? 3idnIt they put poison in my food at ?errara and durin$ the >reat @i$ 4ie$e of @olo$na?L
L*hey put poison in everybodyIs food5L ,leven$er e"plained.
L6nd what difference does that make?L
*here was no established procedure for evasive action. 6ll you needed was fear5 and Yossarian had plenty of that. &e bolted wildly for his
life on each mission the instant his bombs were away. When he fufilled the thirty-five missions re8uired of each man of his $roup5 he asked to be sent
home.
,olonel ,athcart had by then raised the missions re8uired to forty. When Yossarian had flown forty he asked to be sent home. ,olonel
,athcart had raised the missions re8uired to forty-five--there did seem to be a catch somewhere. Yossarian went into the hospital with a pain in his
liver that fell =ust short of bein$ =aundice. %f it became =aundice the doctors could treat it. %f it didnIt become =aundice and went away they could
dischar$e him. Yossarian decided to spend the rest of the war in bed by runnin$ a daily temperature of 111. &e had found a catch of his own.
*o preserve his sanity a$ainst the formali-ed lunacy of the military mind in action5 Yossarian had to turn madman. Yet even Yossarian is
more the patriot than 4$t. 9inderbinder5 the business mind in action. /ven Yossarian has to protest when 9inderbinder arran$es with the >ermans to
let them knock 6merican planes down at a thousand dollars per plane. 9inderbinder is horrified--L&ave you no respect for the sanctity of a business
contract?L he demands of Yossarian5 and Yossarian feels ashamed of himself.
Below its hilarity& so wild that it hurts& Catch-22 is the stron!est repudiation of our ci(iliAation& in 'ction& to
come out of %orld %ar ##. The Naked and the %ead and &rom Here to 'ternit( are lost within it. 7hat the horror and
the hypocrisy& the !reed and the complacency& the endless cunnin! and the endless stupidity which now !o to
constitute what we term "hristianity are dealt with here in absolutes& does not lessen the truth of its repudiation.
7hose happy few who hit upon 7erry *outhern<s The Magic Christian will 'nd that& what *outhern said with some
self.doubt& Heller says with no doubt whatsoe(er. 7o compare Catch-22 fa(orably with The Good Soldier Schweik
would be an in;ustice& because this no(el is not merely the best $merican no(el to come out of %orld %ar ##C it is the
best $merican no(el that has come out of anywhere in years.
Military RankU.S. Air Force
D211+ 9E9 /nterprises
Commissioned
>eneral of the 6ir ?orce BspecialC
>eneral B2-11C
<ieutenant >eneral B2-0C
9a=or >eneral B2-.C
@ri$adier >eneral B2-+C
,olonel B2-'C
<t. ,olonel B2-#C
9a=or B2-C
,aptain B2-3C
?irst <ieutenant B2-2C
4econd <ieutenant B2-1C
Enlisted
,hief 9aster 4er$eant of the 6ir ?orce B/-11C
,hief 9aster 4er$eant with 1st 4er$eant 4tatus B/-.C
,hief 9aster 4er$eant B/-0C
4enior 9aster 4er$eant with 1st 4er$eant 4tatus B/-.C
4enior 9aster 4er$eant B/-.C
9aster 4er$eant with 1st 4er$eant 4tatus B/-+C
9aster 4er$eant B/-+C
*echnical 4er$eant B/-'C
4taff 4er$eant B/-#C
4er$eant H 4enior 6irman B/-C
&note' Sergeant rank phased out in !(()*
6irman ?irst ,lass B/-3C
6irman B/-2C
6irman @asic B/-1C
D211+ 9E9 /nterprises