Tyler+Catch-22

== = = = __Catch-22__ = Catch-22 is a novel published in 1961, and written by Joseph Heller. It's a well-known historical, satirical novel, and is frequently cited as being one of the great literary works of the 20th Century. It is sometimes compared to the satirical franchise of [|M*A*S*H].
 * "All over the world, boys on every side of the bomb line were laying down their lives for what they had been told was their country, and no one seemed to mind, least**  **of all the boys who were laying down their young lives. There was no end in sight."**

= __About the Author__ = Joseph Heller was a satirical novelist, a short story writer, as well as a playwright. Heller was born in Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of a poor, Jewish couple who had left Russia. Two years after he graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School, he joined the United States Army Air Corps, and flew 60 combat missions as a B-25 Bombardier in Italy. He originally wrote __Catch-22__ as a novelette, but he added enough material and substance to the plot for it to become his first novel. He submitted the first chapter entitled //Catch-18// in 1955 and it was published in issue 7 of //New World Writing.// In December of 1981, Heller was diagnosed with [|Guillain-Barré syndrome], which caused him to be temporarily paralyzed. He managed to make a substantial recovery and met his future wife, Valerie Humphries, in 1984. Heller died in his home in December of 1999, due to a heart attack. This occurred shortly after he completed his final novel, __Portrait of an Artist, as An Old Man.__

= __The Book's Title Defined__ = The phrase "Catch-22" is used to describe a 'no-win' situation, or a double-bind of any kind. In Heller's own words: "There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and imme  diate was the process of a rational mind.Orr [a character] was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer b   e crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to."

In other words, if a bombardier flies missions willingly, he's considered crazy. In order to be released from this duty with the reason being insanity, he has to ask to be released. But as soon as he asks, he's considered sane because he's trying to save himself from a dangerous situation.

=__Catch-22__= The book follows the main character, John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Force B-25 Bombardier, as well as other characters. Most of the book's events take place while the 'Fighting 256th Squadron' are based in a fictional version of the island of Pianosa, located west of Italy. The book introduces a number of characters throughout the book, most of which have odd characteristics. Some examples include Gus and Wes, Doc Daneeka's medical assistants. They succeeded in elevating medicine to an exact science. Everyone who reported on sick call but had temperatures under 102 degrees had their toes and gums painted with gentian violet solution and were given a laxative (which was usually thrown into the bushes). Another example is Chief White Halfoat, who decides to die of pneumonia. Some characters have odd names as well, such as Major —— de Coverley (who's name is never given, because everyone's afraid to ask his first name), and Major Major Major Major, born Major Major Major, and who was promoted to Major his first day in the Army by an oddly mischievious computer.

The book starts with Yossarian, unable to face the violence of WWII, checked into an Italian hospital, claiming to have a pain in his liver. A person called only by the name "The Texan" is permitted into the ward, and within ten days of him being there, everyone including Yossarian had fled the ward out of annoyance to The Texan's over-Patriotic and annoying attitude. After leaving the hospital, Yossarian remembers arguing with an officer named Clevinger, and claiming that everyone was trying to kill him. Yossarian is basically considered an outsider by the rest of his company, mostly because of his Assyrian name and the fact that most of the personnel consider him insane.

The entire book can be basically split into six separate segments. The first segment tells the story in present-day time, while the second details the "Great Siege of Bologna" (a bombing mission that is continuously delayed by rain and Yossarian's misdeeds) in past events. The third continues the story in present-time, while the fourth segments returns to past-tense, and again returning to present-tense in the fifth segment. The sixth takes a grisly turn and details the dark and brutal nature of the world and war in general. Each chapter describes the story through a different character's eyes, and this is used to finish or extend jokes and punchlines that may have been told several chapters before.

=__Major Characters__=
 * Captain John Yossarian - Leader of his B-25 Bombardier squadron. Usually referred to as the hero of the novel, his actions are not those of a typical hero. Instead of risking his life to save others, he spends the novel avoiding risking his well-being. His desire to live leads him to think that millions of people are attempting to kill him, and decides to live forever or, ironically, die trying.
 * Chaplain Captain A. T. Tappman - Usually referred to as simply "The Chaplain". A friend of Yossarian, The Chaplain has a chronic sensation of déjà vu and progressively loses his faith in God throughout the novel.
 * Lieutenant Milo Minderbinder - An extremely powerful mess officer, he bends rules to expand mass operations and trades goods for the good of his 'syndicate.' He is an example of the modern businessman, and represents capitalism, because he has no allegiance to anything unless it pays him. He is later court-martialed for treason.

=__Other Characters__=
 * Doc Daneeka - The squadron physician whose main motivation is his welfare (money or staying alive).
 * Hungry Joe - Yossarian's roommate, he is the only person who continually finishes his assigned number of missions, and has screaming nightmares every night until he's reassigned back into combat duty.
 * Orr - Another of Yossarian's roommates, Orr is a bombardier and is constantly shot down and having to crash-land into the sea. He is the only character that is considered to be crazier than Yossarian.
 * Major Major Major Major - Promoted to the rank Major while still in boot camp, Major Major was given his name by his father, who informed his wife that he named their son Caleb. She learns of Major Major's real name when his birth certificate is required for kindergarten, and the shock leads to her death. Major Major's father makes a living not raising alfalfa. Major Major bears a striking resemblance to Henry Fonda.
 * Chief White Halfoat - An American Indian who has to constantly move because oil is discovered wherever they live. He threatens to slit Captain Flume's throat ear-to-ear.
 * Captain Flume - The squadron's public relations officer. He shared a tent with Chief White Halfoat until Halfoat threatened to slit his throat.
 * Captain Black - The Camp intelligence Officer. He yearned to be Squadron Commander, but was thwarted by Major Major, who was appointed Squadron Commander. Captain Black enjoys mocking the men who have combat duty.
 * Clevinger - An educated, highly principled man. He acts as Yossarian's foil throughout the story. He and Yossarian both believe the other is crazy.
 * General Dreedle - Commander of the forces in Pianosa, Dreedle is a blunt and ill-tempered person.
 * Dunbar - A soldier stationed at the same base in Pianosa. He is very similar to Yossarian, and they become friends. He is also concerned with prolonging his life.

=__Unnamed Characters__= == ryone out of the ward in less than ten days.
 * C.I.D. Investigators - Highly paranoid investigators. They started showing up when Yossarian began forging his name on letters he was forced to censor in the hospitals. They spend their time investigating small crimes.
 * Dreedle's Girl - An alledged nurse who follows Dreedle around constantly.
 * The Soldier in White - A soldier in the hospital completely wrapped in white bandages. He is connected to two jars, one feeding him intravenously, and one that drains liquid from the soldier through a 'zinc catheter.' When the IV is empty and the other jar is full, the two are switched. Dunbar claims that there is in fact no one inside the bandages.
 * The Soldier Who Sees Everything Twice - A delirious soldier that Yossarian imitates and later impersonates after he dies.
 * The Texan - A soldier in the hospital that is so friendly and patriotic that no one can stand him, and he drives eve

=__Adaptations__= Catch-22 was adapted into a feature film in 1970, and was directed by Mike Nichols. Joseph Heller also dramatised the novel for the stage, and Aquila Theatre also produced a stage adaptation, directed by Peter Meineck. It toured from 2007 to 2008. A brief television comedy was also made and starred Richard Dreyfuss as Yossarian.

=__External Links:__= [|Joseph Heller - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia] [|Joseph Heller] [|Catch-22 - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia]