1. Catch 22 (1961) By: Joseph Heller

2. Historical Background World War II (novel set mostly in 1944) Critical of U.S. foreign policy and capitalism This is seen in the Marshall plan which wanted to rebuild Europe while preventing Russia from having influence. Published in 1960’s during which people were beginning to question authority of the government and those in power.

3. McCarthyism had occurred a decade earlier (mistrust of government resulted) Issue of the Cold War in the 50’s during which the U.S. wanted to destroy communist countries. Think about how these issues are reflected in this novel

4. Author Background Born in Brooklyn in 1923 Jewish Joined the Twelfth Air Force (1941) where he flew 60 combat missions as a B-25 bombardier. Flew over Avignon as in novel Heller did not trust government, organized religion, bureaucracy, and the military. Was a professor of English at Pennsylvania State University

5. Literary Frame: Which Genre is it? Modernism—rejects traditional themes... – Alienation; loss of individuality – Themes of change – Classical allusions – Disillusionment; no absolute truths, tries to make sense of a broken world – “Mundane” subjects (“working class” characters) – Goes beyond “Realism” – disjointed timelines, stream of consciousness, etc. – Started in 1900’s, peaked in 1920’s (why?)

6. Portrait of Gertrude Stein (Pablo Picasso, 1906) First viewers pointed out that Stein did not look like her portrait. Picasso’s response? “She will.” “There ain’t any answer. There ain’t going to be any answer. There never has been an answer. That’s the answer.” (Gertrude Stein, 1874-1946)

7. ... or is it...? Postmodernism—rejects modernism! – Playful style; often humorous or ironic – Self-conscious – “knows” it’s a work of art (metafiction,uses literary devices in obvious way) – “pop culture” allusions – No reality or truth can be determined; subjectivity tends to be relative – Artist / author can’t solve things – Popularity began after 1945 (why?)

8. Reactions In England, Catch-22 hit the best-seller list the first week after being published in 1962. Sales rose in the United States in response. By the mid-1960s, Newsweek magazine was reporting "The Heller Cult," and college students were wearing Army field jackets with Yossarian name tags. Students related the novel not so much to World War II or the Korean Conflict as to the Vietnam War then beginning to escalate.

9. Theme Topics The power of bureaucracy Greed and power Loss of faith Confusion Guilt Value of Human Life

10. Motif Paradox Food (issues with eating it) Soldier in white Promotions/awards/ demotions

11. Literary Signature Heller does an excellent job of creating a dismal, war torn environment. One of the features of expressionist writing is its concentration on the emotional. And Heller brings out the very emotional side of war. He has certain scenes (such as the one with the Snowdon, a new recruit who dies in Yossarian’s arms in the back of a plane) that continuously repeat throughout the novel. Each time it repeats, a little more detail is added. Each time a little more detail is added, the reader reacts differently. It is beautifully done. By playing with the reader's emotions and making the reader constantly reconsider their previous reactions, Heller paints a confusing tapestry for his setting and plot. (Neeraj Sharma)