One major theme in Catch-22 is that the human body is not immortal. Death will occur at one point or another, and there is an innumerable amount of causes that could bring it about. Yossarian realizes this on his mission over Avignon, after Snowden was injured. Yossarian tries to save him, yet he is unable to do so. He witnesses Snowden slow death, and can't do anything to help, except say, “there, there.” The fact that there is nothing Yossarian could do to keep him from dying shows Yossarian that death is unavoidable. Realizing this, he makes the decision to prolong life as long as possible, and at all costs. He begins to see danger lurking around every corner, and is afraid to fly any more missions, realizing the risk involved in flying them. As more and more of his friends are killed in combat, he reasons that the next mission he flies could be his last, so he refuses to fly anymore. He realizes how precious his life is, and feels that it's a miracle that he's survived as long as he has.

Throughout Catch-22, the narrator's attitude towards women is that they are only for sex, and that they are inferior to men. Not only is almost every woman in this novel is a prostitute, but also the way the men act towards them is very degrading. At one point, Yossarian remarks, “Women are crazy.” (Chapter 28, page 315) Furthermore, Orr asks, “Did you ever screw Nately's girl?” and also, “Did you ever screw my girl?” (Chapter 28, pg 314) The way those two questions are worded implies that the two girls are merely possessions, rather than individuals. Moreover, when discussing Yossarian's new roommates, the author writes, “They were worse than women,” (Chapter 32, pg 347) which is obviously demeaning of them. Finally, Nately says to his girl friend, “Don't argue with me, I'm the man and you have to do whatever I say.” (Chapter 33, pg 356) This statement suggests that men are superior women, and that women must obey them.

Another major theme in this novel is the difference between sanity and insanity. Throughout the novel, people constantly are calling each other crazy and insane. Most people in Yossarian's squadron believe that he and Orr are the craziest ones there, for separate reasons. Yossarian is believed to be crazy because he is petrified of flying missions, and because he thinks everyone is trying to kill him. Orr, on the other hand, is considered insane because his plane has been shot down during almost every mission, yet he still flies. However it seems that they, out of everyone, have the clearest view of the absurdities of both the war and the bureaucracy. Unlike the people who call them crazy, they both understand the dangers of war, and try to escape from them. As Yossarian sees it, the people who truly are insane are the men who continue to go to combat and put their own lives at risk.

The tone throughout Catch-22 is wry, sarcastic, and very satirical. One example of the satire in the novel is when Yossarian's bomb squadron is ordered to bomb a tiny, peaceful, undefended village, reducing the whole community to rubble without warning them first. The “reason” they have to do this is to “knock the whole village sliding down the side of the mountain and create a roadblock that the Germans will have to clear.” (Chapter 29, pg 325) This ridiculous mission would cause many deaths, and it is completely unnecessary. Right during the briefing, Colonal Korn even admits that they don't care about the roadblock, as long as the bombs are placed close together, in order to look nice in a photograph.

A second example of the satire in Catch-22 is when the chaplain is being interrogated in the cellar. The officer states, “We accuse you also of the commission of crimes and infractions we don't even know about yet. Guilty or innocent?” (Chapter 36, pg 386) The chaplain responds, “I don't know,sir. How can I say if you don't tell me what they are first?” (Chapter 36, pg 386) Then, they suddenly mark him down as guilty, without any evidence whatsoever to back up their absurd accusation. A final example of Joseph Heller's satirical tone is when Doc Daneeka gets reported as being killed. He is marked down as “dead” because he's on the flight roster of the crashed plane, even though he is clearly living all the while. He even goes to the Gus and Wes to get his temperature taken, and they say, “You're dead, sir... That's probably the reason you always feel so cold.” (Chapter 31, pg 341) Also, Sergeant Towser was heavy hearted, because of “Doc Daneeka, the new dead man in the squadron, who most certainly was there and gave every indication of proving a still thornier administrative problem for him.” (Chapter 31, pg 340) The fact that Doc Daneeka is still obviously living, and yet everyone is acting as if he's dead, is completely ridiculous and very satirical.

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.

Chaplain Tappman

Very kind, forgiving, and sympathetic, Chaplain Tappman is afraid of confrontation and isn't very brave. He is lonely and misses his family, and he cares very deeply about them. He always worries that some tragedy will occur, killing them. The chaplain also has very little self confidence and not many friends; however, he treasures the few he does have. Chaplain Tappman shows his compassion when he sees Captain Flume in the woods. Upon seeing him, “The chaplain was moved almost to tears by the harassed, bedraggled picture the captain presented, and he filled with deference and compassion at the thought of the many severe rigors the poor man had to endure daily.” (Chapter 25, pg 278) Throughout the novel, many of the horrible things involved with war test the chaplain's faith, which grows steadily weaker. At the end of the novel, he once again rediscovers his faith in God when he realizes that Orr is still alive and well. Along with increased faith, Orr's perseverence in paddling to Sweden gives him hope, and he says, “If Orr could row to Sweden, then I can triumph over Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn, if I persevere.” (Chapter 41, pg 451) Chaplain Tappman suddenly becomes very brave and confident, and he even feels up to punching Captain Black in the nose the very next time he sees him. The chaplain can be compared to the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz, who, after being very timid and shy, finally becomes courageous at the conclusion of the movie.

Chief White Halfoat

Of Native American ancestry, Chief white Halfoat often brings up how the White Man forced his family off their land. Any time they tried to settle down, they were moved away because oil was discovered there, which is why his family had lived in several different states. Halfoat is an alcoholic, and even tried to bring whiskey into the hospital by smuggling it inside empty shampoo bottles. He made up his mind early on that he would die of pneumonia, and stuck with that decision. He punches Colonel Moodus in the nose each time he saw him, and he also threatens to slit Captain Flume's throat from ear to ear. Eventually, just as he predicted, Chief White Halfoat did die of pneumonia. In the novel, his character represents most Native Americans and their opinions of the “White Man.”

Orr

As Yossarian's optimistic roommate, Orr is continually making improvements to their tent, such as putting in a concrete floor and the fixing the stove. He is “an eccentric midget, a freakish, likable dwarf with a smutty mind and a thousand valuable skills that would keep him in a low income group all his life.” (Chapter 28, pg 312) Yossarian also describes him as “a happy imbecile” and a “warm-hearted, simple-minded gnome.” (Chapter 28, pg 310) When asked why he doesn't stop flying missions, Orr tells Yossarian that he doesn't mind flying missions even though he gets shot down almost every time. Later on, Yossarian realizes that Orr was deliberately being shot down to gain experience at crash landing. He had planned all along on being shot down, and then rowing to neutral Sweden, that way he wouldn't have to fight any longer. At the end of the novel, he carried through with this plan, and ended up alive and well in Sweden. Despite his simple-mindedness, Orr is also very intelligent, for he clearly understands the dangers of war, and he escapes to Sweden.

Captain “Aarfy” Aardvark

Aarfy is Yossarian's flight navigator, and is useless at navigating. He also seems to have no sense for danger whatsoever. Whenever flak is shot at Yossarian's plane and Yossarian is scared and frustrated out of his mind, Aarfy just stands there with a dumb smile on his fearless face, pretending he can't hear Yossarian's orders. Later on in the novel, Aarfy rapes Michaela, a maid, and throws her out the window, killing her. When Yossarian first tells him that he is in huge trouble and would be arrested, he says that he only raped her once. Yossarian shouts back, “But you killed her, Aarfy!” (Chapter 39, pg 418) “Oh, I had to do that after I raped her,” (Chapter 39, pg 418) Aarfy replies with a clear conscience, showing that he doesn't care at all about the woman he had just killed. Soon, when the police was arriving, he began to show fear for the first time in the novel. Aarfy is also a “Climber,” as Nately's parents would describe him. For example, throughout the novel, Aarfy tries to make friends with Nately, that way he could get a job from Nately's wealthy father after the war.

Doc Daneeka

Doc Daneeka was an unsuccessful physician living on Staten Island before the war. When the war started, other doctors were drafted into the army, and his practice started booming because of it. Life was good, and he was happy. Suddenly, Doc Daneeka, himself, was drafted into the army, making him unable to enjoy his new-found success. Because of this, whenever somebody else complains about their problems, Doc Daneeka always says “You think you've got it bad?”, and then goes on to tell them about his problems. He has a very big sense of self pity, and he is very often uncaring and unimpressed when it comes to other people's problems. Doc Daneeka is also the person who first introduces Yossarian to Catch-22. Finally, because Doc Daneeka's name is on the flight roster for McWatt's plane, he is pronounced dead when the plane crashes into a mountain. People instantly begin to ignore him and act as though he's dead, even though he is obviously still living. Even Sergeant Knight insists that Doc Daneeka is dead, despite the fact that the two of them are standing side by side. This ridiculousness is symbolic of the insanity and inefficiency of bureaucracy.

Hungry Joe

Obsessed with taking pictures naked girls, Hungry Joe used to be a photographer for Life Magazine before the war started. Since then, he has just been using that past occupation as an excuse to get girls naked and photograph them, although the pictures never come out anyway. Hungry Joe is also very short tempered, angering extremely easily. Everything from Aarfy smacking his lips while puffing on a pipe to McWatt snapping his cards while playing blackjack aggravates him. Additionally, whenever Hungry Joe doesn't have to fly more missions, he has nightmares as he sleeps, yelling at the top of his voice, while Huple's cat sleeps on his face. Eventually, the cat suffocates him to death while he sleeps, for he doesn't wake up before he runs out of air. Finally, as Colonal Cathcart raises the mandatory number of missions, Hungry Joe is also a victim, just like Yossarian. Every time he finishes the missions and packs his bagsto go home, the number of missions is raised again. He is then forced to unpack everything and risk his life flying more missions.

Filled with both funny and serious moments, Catch-22 presents an insane society governed by an all powerful bureaucracy. Throughout his novel, his heavy criticism of the bureaucracy serves as a major driving force. Initially not popular with the post-war audience, baby boomers who identified with its criticism of war and government later resurrected the novel.

Catch-22 follows Yossarian, a WWII pilot, and his adventures in an insane world governed by insane people with insane ideas. Throughout the entire story, Yossarian is bent on survival by escaping aerial missions, though he's constantly unsuccessful. Sick and frightened by war, Yossarian irrationally believes that the entire world wants to kill him. He wants to leave the war, but before he can do so, he has to complete a set number of missions. However, this is impossible because the number of completed missions required to leave constantly increases.

The entire novel is filled with irrationality, from a black-market trader who buys eggs for seven cents and sells them for five cents (and still makes a profit) to a man who bores himself out to increase his life span. Even the book itself is structured illogically: the chronology is disorganized, with numerous flashbacks and randomly events presented.

Amongst all the irrationality comes the most irrational aspect of the entire novel: Catch-22. The government officials create the law Catch-22 to justify all their actions. When Yossarian first encounters it, it is initially a law that prevented pilots from ever being grounded for insanity. To be grounded for insanity, a pilot must ask for it and admit his insanity. However, if he asks for it, he must be sane.

As the novel progresses, Catch-22 becomes more and more extensive, with its further clauses being as irrational and paradoxical as the one above. An Italian woman in the book best summarizes the law: “They [bureaucrats] have the right to do anything we can't stop them from doing” and Catch-22 enforces this right.

Catch-22 eventually comes as a harsh criticism of bureaucracy. It reminds us of the bureaucracy's powers, how our lives are under its control and how it can enforce anything it wants. The bureaucrats' power is further shown when they act illogically and refuse to listen to any reasoning. Heller portrays them as selfish pigs bent on achieving their personal interests, particularly Colonel Cathcart, who constantly increases the number of missions to gain promotion.

It becomes eventually clear that Heller has achieved what he set out to achieve: To elicit negative response towards the bureaucracy. From Catch-22 to the constant addition of missions to the government administrators' irrational behavior, the readers learn to sympathize with Yossarian and the victims of bureaucracy. Even though his primary enemies are the Germans, Yossarian seems to fear his military superiors more than the Germans.

The concept of Catch-22 has become so powerful that it has taken on a life of its own. Nowadays, the term Catch-22 is synonymous with a situation where one is victim regardless of the choice one makes, popularized in modern culture with the phrase, “Heads, I win. Tails, you lose.”

Yossarian's friends in the novel are shown as victims of bureaucracy, garnering even more negativity towards the military bureaucrats. At the novel's end, most of Yossarian's friends are either physically dead or mentally dead, mostly tied in one way or another with bureaucracy. Even Yossarian eventually remarks how almost all his friends are gone.

The characters add to the novel's humor, as one can't help but laugh at all their craziness. Their actions, spontaneous and bizarre, comprise the bulk of the humor. One notable example of a ridiculous character is Orr, who stuffs crabapples in his cheeks without ever mentioning a reason. Whenever he is asked about it, he never gives a straightforward answer.

One very confusing aspect of Catch-22 is the organization of the events. The events presented in the novel do not follow one another chronologically and at certain times, the narrator will assume the reader knows certain information when in reality, he doesn't. Although this adds to the theme of insanity and irrationality, the prose amounts to a confusingly told story that may vex some readers.

However, the confusing narration does not stop Catch-22 from being one of modern literature's finest books. Funny, interesting, and insightful, Catch-22 is a perfect book for anyone who's willing to laugh at war. It provides a dark commentary on the forces that govern us and Heller presents it masterfully.