1. As a class project, divide into small groups, with each presenting a scene from the novel as a short play. 2. If you could change any single aspect of the style or plot of Catch-22, what would it be? Show how you would change it. 3. Are there any […]
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1. Discuss the theme of justice as it applies to Clevinger and Chaplain Tappman. 2. Consider the characters of Aarfy, Doc Daneeka, and Chaplain Tappman. Which are static characters, and which ones grow or change throughout the novel? 3. Satire is sometimes thought of as being either comic or tragic. […]
Read more Study Help Essay QuestionsStudy Help Full Glossary for Catch-22
Achilles Greek warrior and leader in the Trojan War; hero in Homer’s Iliad who temporarily refuses to fight. acquiesce to agree or consent quietly, without protest, but without enthusiasm. acrimonious bitter and caustic in temper, manner, or speech. affably pleasantly; in a friendly manner. ambivalence simultaneous conflicting feelings toward a […]
Read more Study Help Full Glossary for Catch-22Critical Essays Major Themes in Catch-22
In a work of literature, a theme is a recurring, unifying subject or idea, a motif that helps us better understand a work of art. With a novel as richly ambiguous as Catch-22, we look to themes as guides; but it is important to be open-minded and flexible while we […]
Read more Critical Essays Major Themes in Catch-22Critical Essays Heller’s Use of Satire
Catch-22 is usually called a comic satirical novel, but the category may be too narrow. Traditionally, literary satire involves a topical work that examines human folly, shortcomings, vices, abuses, or irrational behavior. The author might use exaggeration, distortion, or irony to hold up weaknesses for ridicule, derision, or just plain […]
Read more Critical Essays Heller’s Use of SatireJoseph Heller Biography
His Life and Times Joseph Heller was born on May 1, 1923, in the Coney Island district of Brooklyn, New York, the son of Isaac and Lena Heller. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. Isaac, who arrived in America in 1913, was agnostic, interested in socialist politics, and a […]
Read more Joseph Heller BiographyCharacter Analysis Aardvark (Aarfy)
Aarfy may be the most despicable character in the novel. At first he seems merely incompetent, a navigator who somehow manages to direct his plane into the worst flak on a mission that is supposed to be so easy that it’s called a “milk run.” Or perhaps he is just […]
Read more Character Analysis Aardvark (Aarfy)Character Analysis Milo Minderbinder
Milo is a man with a brilliant talent but no conscience. Initially a friend of Yossarian’s, the mess officer is a genius as an entrepreneur, creating a syndicate that controls the black market. But as a human being, he is almost exclusively interested only in his own best interests. Milo […]
Read more Character Analysis Milo MinderbinderCharacter Analysis Chaplain Tappman
Chaplain Tappman may be the most decent character in the novel. He is consistently a friend to Yossarian; the first line of the novel indicates that Yossarian immediately cares a great deal for the chaplain as well. The chaplain grows from a timid, ineffectual fool to a bold and assertive […]
Read more Character Analysis Chaplain TappmanCharacter Analysis Yossarian
The protagonist of Catch-22 is Captain John Yossarian, age twenty-eight, a bombardier in the 256th Squadron of the Twenty-seventh Air Force, stationed on Pianosa during World War II. Critics often refer to Yossarian as an antihero. By that, they mean that he is a leading character who is unlike — […]
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