Katie Fukushima
AP Literature and Composition
Mrs. Engelkes
19 October, 2015
Novel Notebook: Catch-22
Setting/Matter:
Catch-22 is set in Italy during WWII, amidst the army. It is not a happy place or circumstance that many are in. It is mentioned in the foreword that Catch-22 takes place on the island of Pianosa, but the author explains, “The island of Pianosa lies in the Mediterranean Sea eight miles south of Elba. It is very small and obviously could not accommodate all of the actions described” (Heller ). Located 8 miles south of Elba, Pianosa is a tiny island in the Tuscan Archipelago. At only 3.9 square miles, it is far too small to have contained the air base and village described by Heller. Bombing targets in Italy where Yossarian and others flew missions that were mentioned include Ferrara, Bologna, and Avignon. Why use a real place for the setting of this novel? Does a real world event reflect into the story, and in what way?
Plot:
The plot of Catch-22 is centered around the unavoidable rule of catch 22. As the number of required missions goes up, no one can escape from duty. This “catch” was explained by Doc Daneeka. “There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specifies …show more content…
Throughout most of the book the narration is focused on the main character, Yossarian. We a lot about what’s going on from what he knows. Though, sometimes there seem to be times when Yossarian knows what some of the other characters know or think, for example, the chaplain. Since each chapter introduces a new person, sometimes the reader sees through that character's eyes. We learn about Milo, and Major Major’s stories. The narrator is limited omniscient, because the story is shown through only certain points of view so we, as the reader, don’t know everything that is going on with other characters all the time. Who is the narrator, and can we trust them? Why is the narration through third person limited
AP Literature and Composition
Mrs. Engelkes
19 October, 2015
Novel Notebook: Catch-22
Setting/Matter:
Catch-22 is set in Italy during WWII, amidst the army. It is not a happy place or circumstance that many are in. It is mentioned in the foreword that Catch-22 takes place on the island of Pianosa, but the author explains, “The island of Pianosa lies in the Mediterranean Sea eight miles south of Elba. It is very small and obviously could not accommodate all of the actions described” (Heller ). Located 8 miles south of Elba, Pianosa is a tiny island in the Tuscan Archipelago. At only 3.9 square miles, it is far too small to have contained the air base and village described by Heller. Bombing targets in Italy where Yossarian and others flew missions that were mentioned include Ferrara, Bologna, and Avignon. Why use a real place for the setting of this novel? Does a real world event reflect into the story, and in what way?
Plot:
The plot of Catch-22 is centered around the unavoidable rule of catch 22. As the number of required missions goes up, no one can escape from duty. This “catch” was explained by Doc Daneeka. “There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specifies …show more content…
Throughout most of the book the narration is focused on the main character, Yossarian. We a lot about what’s going on from what he knows. Though, sometimes there seem to be times when Yossarian knows what some of the other characters know or think, for example, the chaplain. Since each chapter introduces a new person, sometimes the reader sees through that character's eyes. We learn about Milo, and Major Major’s stories. The narrator is limited omniscient, because the story is shown through only certain points of view so we, as the reader, don’t know everything that is going on with other characters all the time. Who is the narrator, and can we trust them? Why is the narration through third person limited