About Catch 22
Catch 22 is a novel by Joseph Heller about the experiences of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier during World War II.The novel is set during World War II, and follows the story of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Yossarian is stationed on the small island of Pianosa, off the coast of Italy. The novel follows Yossarian’s experiences during his time in the army, as he deals with the absurdities and horrors of war.Yossarian is a young man who is extremely patriotic, and he enlisted in the army as soon as the war began. He is a very talented bombardier, and he quickly finds himself in a position of responsibility. However, as he witnesses the death and destruction wrought by the war, he begins to question the sanity of it all.He is especially disturbed by the Catch-22 policy, which states that a soldier can be discharged from the army if he is deemed to be mentally unfit for service.
However, the only way to be discharged on these grounds is to request it, which immediately marks the soldier as being mentally unfit.As the novel progresses, Yossarian becomes more and more disillusioned with the war, and he eventually decides to desert. However, he is constantly thwarted in his attempts, and he eventually finds himself back on Pianosa.
The novel ends with Yossarian finally escaping from the army, and he is last seen heading towards Sweden.Catch 22 is a classic novel that is often cited as one of the greatest works of literature of the 20th century. It is a searing indictment of war, and a powerful exploration of the human condition.