Catch-22

As of December 2017, I have read Joseph Heller's “Catch-22” 4 or 5 times with the first read during the mid-nineties. I remember finding the book a laugh riot during that first pass, whereas I pick up a lot more darkness in this reading; the book is still absolutely hilarious and does not get old after multiple readings.

My Great Books discussion group had an excellent, thought-provoking discussion about this book
(see the questions at the bottom of this review). For example, we drew parallels to Mark Twain's “Huckleberry Finn,” in which the author ratchets up the nonsense to move the story from humor to tragedy. One of the group's members asked what the reciprocal obligation of taking the benefits from an organization without standing up against the negative actions that organization takes, and this was a question we really couldn't answer, despite several members having actively protested in the 60s or recently. That question is one of the central conflicts at “Catch-22”'s core and is even more applicable today when the individual is surrounded by faceless, logicless bureaucracies in the form of corporations, think tanks, and government.

Below are the discussion questions that I pulled from other, existing discussion questions lists, including the publisher.

1. One of the most challenging aspects of the novel is piecing together the order in which events occur. How does Heller manipulate time, fragment the action, and confuse cause and effect? Does this form fit the function?
2. Heller's dialogue style is reminiscent of Abbott and Costello's “Who's on First?” comic routine of the 1940s. How does Heller use this back-and-forth disorderly logic to develop character?
3. Heller is sometimes criticized for his failure to develop female characters. Do you agree or disagree with this assessment and why?
4. Chief White Halfoat is illiterate, yet he is assigned to military intelligence. Does Milo Minderbinder, head of the M&M Syndicate, represent the individual's triumph over bureaucracy, or is he a symbol of what is wrong with capitalism? Would you include one of the major themes of the novel as the struggle between the individual and an institution?
5. Chapters tend to be named for individuals in the story; however, titles are deceptive because they tend to be about other characters. Why might Heller have named chapters after one character but have written them about another?
6. How does the Chaplain's religious faith develop and change as the story progresses? What does his timidity say about the power of moral absolutes in the world of the military? What is the significance of his sensation of déjà vu in relation to religious faith?
7. Is Catch-22 a comedy, tragedy, story of morality, or an allegory?
8. What does Catch-22 say about war? How does Catch-22 compare to other war stories you have read or seen, particularly those about World War II? How does it compare to other satires?
9. Does there seem to be any system of justice in the novel? Are “good” characters rewarded while “evil” ones are punished? Can we clearly say who is “good” or “evil”? If not, is there such thing as justice at all?
10. Circumstances surrounding Snowden's death are revealed slowly. What does his death mean to Yossarian? To others?
11. What are some of the examples of Catch-22s found in the novel? What is the true meaning of the title? Ironically, at the end of the novel, Yossarian has the opportunity to go home a hero and has the system in a Catch-22. Do you think the ending is a victory or a defeat?