Catch-22 June 2015

June 2015 Book Selection

The Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group will meet Thursday, June 11th at 7 p.m. to discuss our June book  Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.

Discussion questions are below.

Here are some links for additional background and information:

Author Interview by George Plimpton in the Paris Review

TV Interview (with Michael Douglas, Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon on the couch)

Obituary of Joseph Heller from The Independent

Coming up, we have the following books to look forward to reading:

No book group in July – happy summer!

Thurs. Aug 13           The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Thurs. Sept. 10         Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Thanks for reading with us. I look forward to seeing you at the Fairfax Library.

Beth Bailey-Gates

Friends of the Fairfax Library

Discussion Questions

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

1. A complex, chaotic structure makes the novel difficult to follow. How might this structure parallel, represent, and/or elevate themes in the story? How does Heller piece together the chronology of events?

2. Heller’s dialogue style is reminiscent of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First?” comic routine of the 1940s. How does Heller use this back-and-forth disorderly logic to develop character?

3. Chapters tend to be named for individuals in the story; however, titles are deceptive because they tend to be about other characters. Why might Heller have named chapters after one character but have written them about another? 

4. Yossarian shares a tent with a “dead man.” What role does this mysterious character play?

5. Chief White Halfoat is illiterate, yet he is assigned to military intelligence. Identify and discuss other examples of Heller’s cynicism toward the government and/or other institutions.

6. Choose a poignant passage/scene. How does Heller make this passage/scene work (e.g., how does he evoke emotion in the reader)?

7. Of the multiple characters in the story, which are you drawn to the most? Why? Are there any completely moral characters in the story? Explain.

8. Major Major is described as “the most mediocre of men.” What do the events in his past and present life tell us about humanity and destiny? 

9. Both Captain Wren and Captain Piltchard are described as “mild” and “soft-spoken” officers, and they love the war. Why might their personalities be fitting for someone who loves the war?

10. Yossarian returns to the hospital several times. What role do the hospital settings play in the story? In what way might the hospital settings foil the bombing/war scenes? In what way might they be reflective times for Yossarian? For other characters?

11. Compare and contrast Colonel Cathcart and Colonel Korn. Are they both hypocrites? Why or why not?

12. Circumstances surrounding Snowden’s death are revealed slowly. What does his death mean to Yossarian? To others?

13. Discuss the significance of déjà vu in the story and how it relates to religious faith.

14. While much of the novel is military satire, the story does delve into the private sector. How might Mrs. Daneeka be a satirical character?

15. One of the ironies of the story occurs at the end in which Yossarian has an opportunity to go home a hero. In essence, he has the system in a Catch-22. Explain.

16. Discuss whether the ending of Catch-22 is uplifting or downbeat. Is it a victory or a defeat? 

17. Most of the characters in Catch-22 are over-the-top in the sense that, in many ways, they are caricatures of themselves. What must Heller have known about humanity to make them all so recognizable?

18. What do you believe is Heller’s view of a capitalistic society?

19. Is Catch-22 a comic novel or a story of morality? Explain.

20. What does Catch-22 say about war? How does it differ from other war stories?

21. Discuss the literary significance of Catch-22 and its relevance in the twenty-first century.

22. How does Catch-22 compare to other war stories you have read? How does it compare to other satires

23. How might Catch-22 be described as an allegory? 

24. Discuss how the novel can be described as a struggle between the individual and an institution.

25. Discuss the meaning of sanity as it applies to the story.

26. Throughout the novel, the idea of Catch-22 is explained in a number of ways. What are some of them? Do any of them represent the real Catch-22, or are they all simply examples of a larger abstract idea? If Catch-22 is an abstract concept, which explanation comes closest to it? 

27. Discuss Milo. Does the fact that he seems to exist outside military authority make him a positive figure or a negative one? 

28. What role do women play in Catch-22? 

29. Think about chronology in the novel. How does the disordered, tangential presentation of events affect the flow of the story? What devices does Heller employ to allow the reader to piece together the order of events? What kind of unified narrative, if any, ultimately emerges? What does this portrayal say about the idea of time in Catch-22? 

30. Discuss the chaplain. How does his religious faith develop and change as the story progresses? What does his timidity say about the power of moral absolutes in the world of the military? What is the significance of his sensation of déjà vu? 

31. Think about the novel’s use of setting and scene. What effect do the rapid shifts between the base and the hospital, or between Pianosa and Rome, have on the presentation of the story? What does each location seem to represent?