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Catch-22

Quick/Fast Review:

The novel takes place during World War Two in an American army camp on the island of Pianosa as well as in Rome. The main character is Yossarian, who suffers from a severe fear of death. He and his comrades are in the Air Force in the 256th squadron.

Yossarian's main antagonist is Colonel Cathcart, whose goal in life is to become a general. Yossarian wants to stop flying missions so he wont get killed, yet Cathcart's aim is to continue raising the number of required missions in order to impress his superiors. He uses Catch-22's unfair illogical rules to keep the men flying. This creates a constant conflict between Yossarian and Colonel Cathcart.

Orr, a member of the squadron, manages to outmaneuver the catch-22 problem and escape the horror of the war through careful planning. Each mission he goes on is a practice in the art of crashing and survival in the sea. He makes sure he is able to inflate rafts, get food, and maneuver properly using a tiny spoon. These plans come in handy when on one mission he crashes and does not return. It is only then that Yossarian realizes Orr's genius. All of this planning was used to help Orr sail off to freedom in Sweden, away from the death and destruction of World War II.