Catch-22 Part 2

Although Catch-22 is written mostly from the perspective of a third-person narrator who describes what each of the characters is thinking, we hear mostly what is happening in Yossarian’s mind, and many of the observations about the absurdity of the war seem to be his own. So, despite the fact that each chapter of Catch-22 bears the name of a character described in that chapter, the narrative generally returns to Yossarian. A significant departure from this organizational method occurs in the chapter entitled “Bologna,” however: instead of operating as a largely humorous description of the nature and history of one of the novel’s characters, this chapter remains almost entirely in the present of the story, and Yossarian is forced to confront his desire to live at the expense of everything else. The chapter title itself—a place name rather than a person’s name—marks a shift from a satirical and humorous focus on the unwitting characters engaged in the war to a serious focus on the present reali-ties of the war.

The fragmented chronology functions as an instrument for building suspense. The lengthy digression about the Great Loyalty Oath Crusade interrupts the tense build-up to the Bologna mission, which occurs shortly before the scene at the beginning of the novel, when the number of required missions is still thirty-five. The Great Loyalty Oath Crusade story is ironic and funny; the Bologna mission is a dismal story told in terms of endless rain and growing worry. By breaking off the Bologna story in the middle to tell the exaggerated parable of the Loyalty Oath Crusade, Heller heightens the sense of uncertainty and anticipation surrounding the outcome of the Bologna mission. During the description of the actual bombing run to Bologna, however, Heller devotes a chapter almost entirely to a single event, without his usual digressions. This very detailed, vivid account of the attack makes time appear to move more slowly, trapping the reader in the same drawn-out terror as the characters. The earnest, straightforward manner in which the Bologna story is told is a signal that we are meant to take this episode seriously—that there is nothing funny about this aspect of war.

This chapter is also different from the rest of the story because it is the first time that the ethics of Yossarian's philosophy comes into questioning. He feels guilty about abandoning his friends, whom he actually cares for. He has no qualms about abandoning the mission in pursuit of self preservation, but he worries while waiting for their return from said mission. His entire goal in life has been to live, and caring for others seems about to destroy his life, because not abandoning them means flying missions. For Yossarian, flying missions = one more chance for everyone to kill him. (553)

http://www.jstor.org/stable/view/1345211?seq=1
http://www.jstor.org/action/showArticle?doi=10.2307/440667&Search=yes&term=
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http://www.jstor.org/action/showArticle?doi=10.2307/1769440&Search=yes&term=
joseph&term=heller&term=catch-&item=10&returnArticleService=showArticle&ttl=
74&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoAdvancedSearch%3Fq0%3DCatch-22%26f0%3Dall%26c0%3
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http://www.jstor.org/action/showArticle?doi=10.2307/440542&Search=yes&term=
joseph&term=heller&term=catch-&item=9&returnArticleService=showArticle&ttl=
74&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoAdvancedSearch%3Fq0%3DCatch-22%26f0%3Dall%26c0%3
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Administration

These are my sources, I think.