John Yossarian
The protagonist of the novel, Yossarian is a rational and realistic person, whose goal is simply to stay alive. However, this isn't easy for him, because total strangers are trying to murder him whenever he flies his missions. In addition to that, there's also Colonel Cathcart, who keeps raising the number of missions he has to fly whenever he comes close to finishing them. Yossarian does anything and everything he can to prevent himself from having to complete those missions. He plans on faking engine failure over the Italian Alps, and landing in a neutral country. He also fakes liver problems to be able to stay in the comfortable hospital, secluded from the dangers of war. The pain in his liver which he feigns dumbfounds the doctors, because it falls just short of jaundice, and yet it refuses to go away. Furthermore, Yossarian attempts to escape from the war by asking to be grounded by Doc Daneeka, the one person who can ground him. Unfortunately, Yossarian comes across a major problem there: Catch-22. Catch-22 states that anyone who is willing to risk their life by flying missions is obviously insane and unfit to fly. However, by asking to be grounded, they prove themselves to be sane, and therefore have to be kept on duty.
Yossarian's outlook throughout the novel is expressed very well when it states, “Nobody had a right to take such frightful risks with his life.” (Chapter 30, pg 332) He felt that Colonel Cathcart didn't have the right to increase the number of missions, therefore putting him in danger. Despite Yossarian's goal of saving himself, however, he is not a selfish person. He turns down Colonel Korn and Colonel Cathcart's deal at the end of the novel, because he doesn't want to let down the rest of his squadron. This shows his selfless nature. Yossarian is also very brave, regardless of his fear of flying. When he refuses to complete any more missions, even Colonel Korn says, “You're an intelligent person of great moral character who has taken a very courageous stand.” He is not afraid of confrontation with his superiors, and he will oppose them if he feels it is right or necessary. Finally, Yossarian is a very caring individual, because he grieves for the deaths of his friends. When he hears of Hungry Joe's death, he even begins to cry, and hides his tears in the crook of his shoulder.
Colonel Cathcart
Has aspires to become a general, and therefore is always trying to make a good impression on his superiors. He does this by increasing the mandatory number of missions throughout the book and also volunteering his squadron for the hardest missions, in order to prove that he's a good leader. He even goes as far as to carry around a cigarette holder wherever he goes, in a desperate attempt to improve his image. Colonel Cathcart is not a very bright person, and he often looks to Colonel Korn for reassurance. At one point, he “began banging on his buzzer with his fist for Colonel Korn to come running into his office and assure him that everybody loved him, that Yossarian was a figment of his imagination, and that he was making wonderful progress in the splendid and valiant campaign he was waging to become a general.” (Chapter 21, pg 215) Cathcart is a very selfish person, and he is willing to do anything to get himself into The Saturday Evening Post. He even decides to volunteer his group for the second mission to Avignon to help “speed things up.” (Chapter 25, pg 282) On that same page, he also states “The sooner we get some casualties, the sooner we can make some progress on this,” thus showing his heartless character.
Nately
A kind, caring, good-natured teenage boy, Nately comes from a rich family that dislikes “new money.” He falls in love with a prostitute in Rome, and finally wins over her heart by letting her get a full night's sleep. The next morning, he spends his time dashing about the apartment, shushing everyone in sight. This shows his considerate feelings towards her. He respects her and scolds his friends for speaking of her in a derogatory manner. Also, while in the hospital after Yossarian punches him in the nose, Nately repeatedly apologizes to Yossarian. He had done nothing wrong, so there was no need to apologize, but doing so anyway shows his good nature.
Milo Minderbinder
Milo is greedy and is willing to kill his own men to earn money. He cares so much about his syndicate that he even attempts to feed his squadron chocolate-covered cotton, knowing that it would make them sick. To increase his prosperity and the success of his syndicate, he even signed a contract with Germany, saying that he would bomb his own squadron for money. Many deaths and injuries were caused by doing so, but all he could think about was the money, showing his selfishness. Another example confirming this trait is when he carries out an elaborate plan on gullible Colonel Cathcart. Falling for it, Cathcart gives him permission to not fly any more combat missions. Instead, other men, including Yossarian, will be forced to fly them for Milo, while he gets rewarded for their efforts. By carrying out that plan, Milo is endangering the lives of his friends, in order to protect his own, which is extremely selfish.
