In this video I’ll summarize the plot of Catch-22 in about four minutes and give you an analysis of the story. Okay, let’s get started with the introduction.
1. Yossarian’s Dilemma
Set during World War II, Catch-22 follows Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Force bombardier stationed on the fictional island of Pianosa. From the start, Yossarian is obsessed with escaping the war, convinced that everyone—from the enemy to his own superiors—is trying to kill him. His biggest obstacle is the paradoxical military regulation known as Catch-22: a rule that states a soldier can be relieved from combat duty if he is insane, but requesting to be relieved proves he is sane, making escape impossible. As Yossarian flies mission after mission, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the absurdity of war.
2. Expansion of Bureaucracy
As Yossarian struggles with the impossibility of escape, the military bureaucracy continues to tighten its grip. Colonel Cathcart, desperate for promotions, keeps increasing the required number of missions for soldiers, ensuring that no one can ever leave. Meanwhile, the characters around Yossarian—including his friends Dunbar and Orr—experience their own versions of military insanity. Some, like Major Major Major Major, retreat into isolation, while others, like Milo Minderbinder, turn war into a business, profiting from both allies and enemies. Yossarian’s paranoia grows as the senseless deaths of his comrades, including the young and innocent Snowden, reinforce his belief that survival is all that matters.
3. Yossarian’s Breaking Point
The novel frequently flashes back to a traumatic event: the death of Snowden. During a mission, Yossarian watches as Snowden is mortally wounded. Initially believing it to be a minor injury, Yossarian discovers that Snowden’s guts have spilled out, revealing the gruesome reality of war. This moment shatters Yossarian’s already fragile grip on duty and honor, convincing him that war is meaningless and his only priority should be self-preservation. The horror of Snowden’s death lingers throughout the novel, shaping Yossarian’s every decision.
4. Yossarian’s Rebellion
Determined to escape, Yossarian begins openly defying orders. He refuses to fly more missions, gets himself hospitalized by faking illness, and even walks around naked to protest the war. His commanders, desperate to maintain order, offer him a deal: he can go home if he agrees to praise their leadership. However, this would mean betraying his fellow soldiers, something Yossarian refuses to do. Facing either court-martial or endless missions, he contemplates desertion. His paranoia reaches its peak when he realizes that the military would rather see him dead than let him undermine the system.
5. The Escape
Just when it seems Yossarian is out of options, he learns that his friend Orr—who was thought to have been lost at sea—has successfully escaped to neutral Sweden. Inspired by this revelation, Yossarian makes a bold decision: he will desert and follow Orr’s path to freedom. The novel ends ambiguously, with Yossarian fleeing the military, uncertain of his future but finally taking control of his own fate.
Theme 1: The Absurdity of War
One of the central themes of Catch-22 is the absurdity and irrationality of war. The novel presents war not as a noble cause, but as a chaotic system governed by senseless bureaucracy and self-serving officers. Soldiers are caught in an endless cycle of orders and regulations that contradict each other, leaving them powerless. Through Yossarian’s perspective, the reader sees how survival becomes the only rational response to an irrational world.
Theme 2: The Power of Bureaucracy
Another key theme in the novel is the overwhelming power of bureaucracy. The military structure in Catch-22 is depicted as a vast, inescapable machine that prioritizes its own survival over the lives of soldiers. The titular rule, Catch-22, embodies this paradox: it ensures that no one can escape, no matter how logical their reasoning. Through satire and dark humor, the novel exposes how institutions manipulate rules to maintain control, trapping individuals in a cycle of obedience and futility.