STUDYWORLD STUDYNOTES
Catch-22
Comprehensive Summary and Review of Chapters
22-28
Summary:
Even though the title of chapter twenty-two is "Milo
the Mayor", the beginning section deals with the mission to Avignon
and explains why Yossarian lost his nerve. Then, the chapter discusses how
Milo's entrepreneurial venture has grown and that people have nicknamed
him everything from city mayor to Assistant Governor-general.
The discussion then focuses on paying for sex. Nately is in
love/ lust with his whore – she claims that if he really loved her
he would let her leave. Nately then becomes involved in an argument with
the old man who runs the brothel about what it means to win or lose the
war. He says that whenever a country wins a war, it gets into trouble whereas
if a country loses a war, it tries hard to get back on its feet and does
well.
Nately is angry at himself for not having a counter argument
against this type of logic and he feels stymied by the old man because he
reminds him of his father.
In time, when Milo's business starts to wane, he resorts to
underhanded maneuvers to boost it. He hires out his planes to bomb his own
squadron. This almost causes him to be court-martialed until everyone realizes
how much each person benefited as a result of being involved with Milo's
business.
In Chapter twenty-five, the chaplain- Captain Albert Taylor
is described as being a kind hearted man who is unable to stand up to his
superiors. He is concerned that he is not doing an adequate job for the
men and is suffering from self doubt about his feelings about God.
On the next combat mission, Yossarian is wounded because of
an oversight by Aarfy. He is overjoyed that he has to spend time in the
hospital. He and another man, Dunbar, who has faked an illness have several
escapades with the nurses, in particular with Nurse Duckett. This episode
causes Yossarian to be sent to a psychologist named Major Sanderson, who
diagnoses him to be delusional, un-American, and an enemy of the people.
Nevertheless, this does not keep Yossarian out of combat and he is sent
back as soon as his wounds are healed.
When Yossarian returns, he finds out that Orr has crash landed
in the water and even attempted to paddle to Majorca. He didn't succeed
and returned to the base safely. This has become a fairly common occurrence
with him so that when it happens during the mission over Bologna, it is
hard for Yossarian to accept that Orr has not returned.
Review:
Chapter twenty-two explains Snowden's death and Milo's business.
This is important as it enables the reader to understand Yossarian's attitude
towards the war and the dangers of Milo's ever expanding syndicate.
The chapter opens with reference to Milo’s dealings with
the red bananas and then links back to the time that Nately met his whore
again.
Note the debate over what it means to ‘win the war’
in the old man’s terms merely means losing the least amount of men
possible.
The issue of time is debated next as the old man points out
the shortsightedness of Nately’s statement that ‘America is not
going to be destroyed’ there is a sense of inevitability about the
fact that all great kingdoms fall. The old man then mocks America’s
greatness by comparing it to a frog!
The chaplain is depicted as being meek and having a weakening
feeling about the issues of religion. This causes him to question his profession,
his life, and his sanity.
The issue of sanity again comes up when Yossarian is diagnosed
as being insane and when Orr is seen paddling off alone on a raft with a
a "toy oar".
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