Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Catch-22 Topic #1: Characterization

DIRECT and INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION
Two techniques that writers use to create character are "direct" and "indirect" characterization. Direct characterization TELLS the reader about the character. For example, an omniscent narrator may tell the reader "the class waited patiently for the teacher to announce the due date for the big paper."
In contrast to "direct" characterization, "indirect" characterization SHOWS the reader who a character is through speech, thoughts, and actions. An example of indirect characterization may read: on the first day of class Kevin sauntered confidently into the room with his ten page HTRLLAP paper in hand. Flopping it down on Erik’s desk, he bragged, “Dude, I would’ve been up all night working on this if my mom didn't help me finish. If I don’t get an A on this, the teacher is whack.”
Erik held his breath in annoyed silence. “Man,” he thought to himself, “this could be a long year…”


Looking at the examples of direct and indirect characterization, select your favorite or least favorite charachter and briefly analyze him or her. How does Heller create character? Consider dialogue, sensory imagery, point of view, timeline, action...

31 comments:

  1. Milo is my favorite character because although his syndicate ultimately spirals out of control into an obsession of personal greed, he is extremely brilliant when it comes to monetary affairs and therefore seems far more sane than most of the other individuals in the book. While others see the war through classic military standpoints, such as through the shadow of fear and the ambition for promotion, Milo manages to not only create his own empire—a worldwide enterprise— but also beat Colonel Cathcart’s system; instead of flying excessive amounts of missions like the other soldiers, Milo flies around distributing an assortment of goods, like chocolate-covered cotton and plump tomatoes, to feed his syndicate. To him the war has not two sides –Americans versus the Germans— but one, capitalism, and repeatedly declares that “everyone has a share”.

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  2. My favorite character is Clevinger for his logic and reason in a novel where those two qualities seem to be lacking. His unfortunate position is set when Yossarian points out, "There were many principles in which Clevinger believed passionately. He was crazy."
    Yossarian, of course, believes principles to be a bad thing. In reality, Clevinger is among the few logical people living in the cynical, illogical military camp. Heller uses arguments between the two to compare Clevinger's logic to Yossarian's cynical rhetoric, and provides readers a clear look at Clevinger's mental state.
    Clevinger therefore gains sympathy from readers because we know he is almost always right, but can never articulate it in a way that outsmarts Yossarian. This frustrates Clevinger, but he is unable to change things.
    Basically, Clevinger is to Catch-22 what Toby Flenderson is to television's "The office." In a real-life scenario, they would be the most "normal" people. In the messed-up, fictional environments in which they live, they are victimized for being odd.

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  3. My favorite character is Major Major Major because he appears to be the only man of true innocence in the novel. From birth Major Major was saddled with not only an unfortunate joke of a name but also with "a sickly resemblance to Henry Fonda". His father, a "wise" man who makes his profits purely off of lies, named Major Major in an attempt not to "waste opportunity" but ultimately killed his wife and set his son up for a childhood of alienation.
    Major Major is made out to be the underdog of the story, which is a significant part of the reason I was drawn to the character. He grew up believed to be a "total stranger" and "flagrant nonconformist", hated by those who had once been his friends. When Major Major found purchase in the Army and felt happiness again, it was quickly divested by his promotion to squadron commander. He is forced once again to withstand the scrutiny and disaffection of his peers and to withdraw himself from the social scene into an isolated life in which his only perks are those that come from the dishonesty and rebellion of forging false names to official documents.
    I feel that Major Major reflects those good-hearted, innocent, and kind people in society who are constantly underestimated and given the "short end of the stick".

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  4. My favorite character is Doc Daneeka. I find his logic amusing because of the way it goes around in circles.
    In his opinion it is horrible that a country can’t trust the word of a doctor, even though he, a licensed physician, is lying and therefore should not be trusted. The idea that there is not trust in the world upsets Doc Daneeka, but he himself will not change his ways and become a trustworthy person. He stops before taking the next logical step in his cycle and admitting he is part of the problem. I find this lack of follow through in his logic amusing. He is solely concerned with the logic that serves him best.
    This is similar to the way many people in society feel; they wish to be treated with respect and trust, but often times they do not deserve it. They do not take the next logical step to see that the only way to get something is to earn it. An example of this is the way some rich people behave. They act as if it is their right to have certain privileges solely because they have money. This is same way the doctor feels. Under his logic, because he is a licensed physician, he should be trusted to properly diagnose himself. This sense of self importance is amusing to me and that why he is my favorite character.

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  5. My least favorite character, for the moment anyways,is Captain Black. Unlike our friend actor Jack Black, who likes to make people laugh, Captain Black likes to laugh AT people. Especially people who are terrified of flying doomed missions over Bologna.
    Captain Black is easy to hate for several reasons. The first being that we encounter his chapter right after reading about Major Major Major, one of the most innocent and sympathy inducing characters in the entire book. Major Major Major's heartbreaking story of ostracization and pummeling by peers has the effect of garnering some serious warm feelings for the poor sap, so when Captain Black decides to ruin Major Major Major's existence and reputation by excluding him from the glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade, one can't help but want to punch the obnoxious fool in the face. Heller's decision to pit Captain Black against the timid, humble, Major Major Major really highlights the true nastiness of Black's selfish nature.
    The second main reason Captain Black is so deliciously detestable is that he continuosly goes after the characters we have come to identify with. Black's response to the announcement regarding the mission over Bologna is to call everyone 'bastards' and tell them to "Eat their livers now" since they're all doomed. Yossarian, the central character who most of us will feel for, is one of the many men who are beside themselves with terror upon this announcement, and none of the nameless, faceless, other men have done anything to keep me from feeling sympathy for them too. Considering this readily expected sympathy wave, Captain Black's 'kick em while they're down' 'hit em below the belt' responses really do make a girl want to kick him where it hurts.

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  6. While I was reading Catch-22 the honor of being my favorite character gracefully landed upon the business-savvy Milo Minderbinder. In the beginning of the novel I was very fond of the fact that Milo held his job in such high regard and was determined to be the best mess officer he could. In the backwards military camp that Heller created in which very little soldiers or officers took their job seriously, I was happily surprised to find a character who was very persevering and intelligent. Milo's inner business workings were very obscure and over everyone's heads. He used this to his advantage; this was illustrated by the commonly stated fact that Milo could "buy seven-cent eggs in Malta and sell them for five cents" and still turn a profit. Milo used the complexity of his syndicate as a shield behind which he gained huge amounts of profit while he convinced everyone that they had an equal share. However, Milo's greed turned on him when his mistake of buying the whole crop of Egyptian cotton led him to bombing his squadron in order to make a little extra money. Milo's allegiance is determined simply by who can offer the most. Even after his betrayal all he can say is "I just can't sit here and watch while those mess halls let my syndicate die." Milo is everything associated with capitalism rolled into one little package.

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  7. The beauty of Heller’s characters is that with each one, I had a moment of “Hey, I know that guy!” I thoroughly enjoyed watching which human vices Heller chose to poke fun at. Heller covers pretty much all of the bases, attributing men with alcoholism, gambling addiction, spinelessness, and body modification with apples. However, there was one character whose perversion and explosive mental instability won him my favor – Crazy Joe. As his name denotes, Crazy Joe is without a doubt messed up in the head, as normal people do not usually have “shrieking nightmares” and are described as a “jumpy, emaciated wretches.”I find his neuroticism humorous, especially in his dealings with his so called more sane compatriots. Crazy Joe is the most traditionally and obviously insane, but certainly not the craziest of the lot. While he is the “biggest here the Air Force had”, he is most openly regarded by the men as mad because his insanity manifests itself in common ways. Men like Milo are far more insane to me because not everyone recognizes their insanity. Crazy Joe’s only real duty is to continue to fly missions, something he is good at. Milo’s insanity is far more subtle, but far more catastrophic. Milo is terrifying to me because of the power people give him, despite his insanity. While Milo starts out as a good mess hall officer, his greed coupled with power from the syndicate makes him a true threat, something Crazy Joe never was. Crazy Joe screams in his sleep and takes pictures up ladies’ skirts, but Milo bombs his own men and openly trades with the enemy. I would take one hundred Crazy Joes over a single Milo any day.

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  8. My favorite character in the novel is the Chaplain, because of his innocence and his integrity, despite the less than admirable influences that are present at the camp. Throughout the novel, the Chaplain remains loyal to Yossarian and his friends, even though he himself struggles with his beliefs and his conviction that he can a make difference in the world.
    When present in the novel, the Chaplain is perceived as a timid and thoughtful character who in most cases is too cowardly to assert himself in matters that would improve the lives and morals of men at the camp. Nevertheless, in several cases, such as his visit to Colonel Cathcart, he overrides his fear of authority.
    However, my main reason for admiring the chaplain lies at the end of the novel, where he renews hope in the hearts of both Yossarian and Major Danby, not to mention readers, by informing them that Orr has “washed ashore in Sweden.” Although merely the vessel that delivered the news, the Chaplain himself also has a revelation that reignites his conviction in himself and his actions. When all is said and done, the Chaplain proves himself to be a devote man who truly desires to improve the lives of everyone he meets.

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  9. So far, my favorite character in this book is Dunbar. I personally find him hilarious. Dunbar has this obsession that life moves by too quickly, but if you fill your time with dull, boring activities then you can actually extend the time that you have. One quote in the beginning of the book really struck me, when Heller writes that "Dunbar loved shooting skeet because he hated every minute of it and the time passed so slowly. He had figured out that a single hour on the skeet-shooting range with people like Havermeyer and Appleby could be worth as much as eleven-times-seventeen years." Heller is directly characterizing Dunbar by showing that he wants to slow time down as much as possible, that he doesn't want his life to move by quickly. But he is also indirectly characterizing that Dunbar might have a fear of dying, or maybe just not having enough time in his life in general. A few lines later, Dunbar rants that, "You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age? A half minute before that you were stepping into high school...Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?" Dunbar is shown as being angry after finishing this small speech, and it shows his complete paranoia about time moving too quickly. This might indirectly show that Dunbar also likes being able to control things, which would explain his probably with the rate at which time moves by. Contrary to Dunbar's (and many other people in real life) belief, time cannot be controlled. It will keep moving at the same speed and there is nothing that can be done about it. This constant persuit to slow down time almost drives Dunbar mad in a sense, and the way Heller shows this through his actions and thought processes is quite entertaining, making him my favorite character.

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  10. For strange reasons, I have taken a liking to Lieutenant Scheisskopf. First of all, his drive to be the best at unimportant things is admirable. Whether it is his coping mechanism in response to the stresses of the war, or whether he just likes parades, the effort he puts into the events is so humorous and impressive. Heller seems to find a way to make various characters turn into the comic relief, and Lieutenant Scheisskopf is no exception. The way he gets so worked up about the parade actually made me laugh out loud. First, he "longed desperately to win parades and sat up half the night working on it while his wife waited amorously for him". Later, he is wondering where the time went, because "there it was Sunday already, with only seven days left in the week to get ready for the next parade." Of course, the parades do not matter at all (as Yossarian likes to point out), and if it was Sunday, Scheisskopf had the maximum time to prepare. He plays the role of that insane man (though all of them appear to be insane) who has a passion for worthless things, and whom everybody still seems to respect. For example, he is both prosecuting Clevinger, and defending him in court. Heller never needs to tell the reader that Scheisskopf is an entertaining lunatic, but actions speak louder than words, right?

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  11. I would have to agree with Michael in his analysis of Clevinger. Although not particularly my most favorite, Clevinger is the most refreshing character thus far in the book. In a novel where everyone seems to be clinically insane to a certain extenet, Clevinger seems to be the most level-headed person in the scenario, sadly putting him in a situation in which he is the odd man out, creating for a sympathetic response from the reader. I feel that many people take kindly to Clevinger because they can relate to him on a multitude of levels. It is extremely difficult expressing your views to another that simply does not understand them and therefore judges you for them, which is seen whenever Yossarian and Clevinger get into their arguments. On page 17, the narrator expresses that "Clevinger really thought he was right, but Yossarian had proof," which further emphasizes how frustrating the situation may be for someone in Clevinger's position. I am drawn to him because he seems to be the only voice of reason in the novel which is a hard thing to find. Everyone involved in the war seems to have some unsound way of thinking that makes sense to the particular individual, but everyone else can see just how twisted their thought process really is. Clevinger is a nice addition to the plot because he underlines to the reader just how chaotic the minds of the other characters are. It adds another layer to the novel that I think it necessary and without Clevinger in it, the same points would not be expressed. His point of view is a perfect support to accentuate the flawed views of his peers.

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  12. My favorite character is the remarkable, enigmatic Orr. From the first mention of crab apples and horse chestnuts, there is something so unique about Orr that he stands out even amongst the vast number of crazy characters in Heller’s novel. Orr is striking to me because of this small town, homey personality – he is the kind of guy who can fix anything and laugh at everything. Yossarian seems to be perpetually and simultaneously transfixed and annoyed with his incomprehensible tent-mate. Orr is often described by Yossarian as a “grinning pygmy” with an uncontrollable giggle that, to Yossarian, is surely a sign of his inner madness. Orr truly became my favorite character when his plane crashes into the ocean for the first time. He saves everyone in his plane, gets them onto rafts, and follows every single instruction in the raft – from making tea to catching cod – all while giggling like a mad man. Orr shows such a sense of control and leadership and yet no one takes him seriously because of his manic personality and insufficient stature. The best thing about Orr is how he tricks everyone. Acting like a “crazy little freak” allows Orr to come up with a brilliantly simple plan to save himself from the myriad dangers of war and the incompetency of the officers. In the end, Orr is the only one who makes it out of the war safely and I have so much respect for his determination and sheer genius.

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  13. It is interesting that you like Lieutenant Scheisskopf, Hannah. In German, scheisskopf is slang for "shithead". (Sorry Mrs. Beck) I think that sums up Scheisskopf very well.

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  14. Oddly enough, my favorite character happens to be Aarfy. Although he is mentioned in a very brief description, he is the most entertaining character to me and the most respectable in his moral values. I do realize he is painfully annoying to most of the other characters in the story, like when keeps asking Yossarian to repeat himself because he, "can't hear him" over the roaring sound of the engines in the plane (which was the part that entertained me). Aarfy, may come off as a terrible character then (which i thought) but the next chapter really convinced me that he was a character that i could get to like. When all the other characters are filling there stomachs and bodies with 'pleasures' and hanging out with 'loose' women, Aarfy is the only character to respect those women properly. The characters depicted in this chapter take advantage of the girls getting them drunk and basically convincing them to have intercourse with them. Aarfy is the only one who takes the girls feelings into consideration which is something that i take to admire in such a book as "Catch-22". During all this commotion after the team returns from a mission Aarfy refuses to "take advantage of a sweet kid.... because she'd had a little too much to drink." Showing great respect in a book of deception and excuses. The other characters take this as a "sinful" act, and something that gives him the tag of a "bastard" (excuse my language). Aarfy shows his true integrity and calmness in a scenario filled with craziness, which is one of my favorite qualities. The last and best quality, of Aarfy includes his positive attitude throughout the thick and thin of his part. In the plane during the mission being painstakingly annoying to Yossarian and still having the composure to point out where Orr's location is in the battlefield, and also not having any reaction to all the barbaric name-calling from his mates shows someone that is truly devoted to being himself and unafected by others comments, something that all are taught when they are young but rarely follow, making him one of my favorite characters so far. (I acknowledge this is a very weird viewpoint, but i wanted to bring up something that would be interesting to all!)

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  15. Dawson, I would be interested to see if your opinion of Aarfy changes later on in the book. (I'm guessing you haven't finished it?) I think his true colors are revealed near the end. To me, Aarfy epitomizes the kind of person who portrays confident while really struggling with some sort of internal issue like low self esteem. He pulls off a kind of dual personality to the point where I wonder if he is really sane at all. The most worrying part of Aarfy's character though, is the fact that people indulge in his wrong doings (the police) and praise his false confidence (officers like Cathcart) - which only allows him to think he can get away with anything without an repercussions.
    I also find that his attitude toward the "sweet kid" is based more on his own longing to anger Hungry Joe and less on the fact that she had a little too much to drink and he didn't want to take advantage of her. Aarfy finds pleasure in angering the people around him - Yossarian is a good example of this, like you mentioned. Also, interestingly, I don't really think he was doing that girl much of a favor. The prostitutes in this novel (although satirized to some extent) are actually fairly realistic in the sense that they do need to sleep with people in order to make a living. It's their job. I don't think the girl Aarfy took home thought Aarfy was doing her a favor - she probably would have liked to get paid more than she liked having her already spoiled image upheld. But I totally understand your thinking. I just feel as if you might be relating the prostitutes in the novel to people you know now, when really, they live in totally seperate mindsets. For example, Nately's whore was outraged at the thought of not sleeping with guys anymore. She said she had to work and wondered how would she make any money without her job. It's the lifestyle they have come to accept, willingly or not. So to me, I don't know if I see Aarfy's lack of participation with the whore's as showing "great respect", but that's just my opinion.

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  16. To those of you who said that Milo is your favorite character:
    I think that Milo is actually one of my least favorite characters. Though he is amusing and capable of outwitting those around, his morals are so loose as to make you want to slap him. He at first promises to help Yossarian find the whore's kid sister, but as soon as he hears there is a profit to be made, he runs off and leaves yossarian stranded. This is made even worse by the fact that this profit is to be made through illegal smuggling of a dangerous substance, tobacco. As a final slap in the face, Milo is the "Marchese" of the town, and still heads out to actively undermine the police who work for HIM just to make a bit more money. Milo cares only for himself, and even when he has cornered all legal markets and runs the world economy, he still cannot keep his mind on anything except money for long enough to help out a supposed "friend".

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  17. I definitely have to agree with John on this.
    Although I initially saw Milo as one of my favorite characters in the novel, as the story unfolded and as more of his conniving actions came to light, I became more and more jaded against him and his precious syndicate. In fact, he is the only character in the entire novel that I would say I openly despise.
    Yet in many ways Milo has a lot in common with one of my favorite characters: Doc Dankee. Both of these men are all too eager to use deception to take advantage of dire circumstances. (Dankee lies to stay out of the war in order to keep working at his busy clinic, whereas Milo lies to, well, everyone, telling them that they stand to gain by supporting his syndicate). Both men also show little real remorse for anyone’s problems but their own. And both men, for the most part, are cowards, avoiding combat at all costs. So what separates Milo for Dankee?
    Sure I could point to the obvious and say that Dankee never bombed his own men. But that isn’t what truly bothers me about Milo. Of course I find his willingness to do anything for a quick buck and his complete indifference to the welfare of anyone around him disturbing, but these things aren’t what make me truly hate Milo. What truly sickens me about Milo is that he is the very thing that truly threatens Yossarian’s life. (Yossarian just happens to be my favorite character, but I’ll talk about that some other time). Yes, he does drop bombs on Yossarian’s camp and directs anti-aircraft fire against him, but more importantly, it was revealed throughout the book that Milo has become the force that is ultimately driving the war. On several occasions he evens hints that the war is justifiable because it helps his syndicate.
    But so what if Milo values his money above the life of the countless soldiers his syndicate is responsible for killing? Plenty of people care more about their own profit than the very lives of their compatriots (Doc Dankee included). But what really makes Milo the ultimate bad guys of this novel is that he, more than anyone, even Ex-PFC Wintergreens, who is described as the most influential man in the army, has the power to end the war. Heck, Milo could just cut off Germany’s supplies for a couple of months and end the war without another shot being fired, and he would still find a way to profit. But Milo instead chooses to try and keep the conflict in a stalemate for as long as possible, to protect the stability of his syndicate.
    I know this is cheesy, but I find myself needing to quote Spiderman at this point, because “with great power comes great responsibility”.
    Forget that Milo is a member of the United States military. Even if he swore allegiance to neither side of this conflict, it is his responsibility to do what’s best for mankind and find a way to end the war. This duty comes with the territory of being arguably the most powerful man in the world. Unfortunately, Milo reflects the great trend in our world that “with great power comes great irresponsibility”.

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  18. I now have an agreement with Alex to some extent. I do agree that the whores make their living that way and need the soldiers to make a living. My point (that i was trying to make) was that sometimes there are girls who become whores at an age that is not really respectable in my eyes, so basically
    Aarfy, was the only person who has the respect to take in things like age into consideration rather than just going ahead and doing it. (But i completely see where the lifestyles play in) My opinion was based on the standards that people had (moral in their eyes but not in mine.) I thank you for bringing this to my attention. Aarfy is a very difficult character to understand in my opinion, and can make people, as readers, think differently about him. I do agree a lot with the point Alex brought up about Aarfy's dual personality and can see why he tries to annoy people. By annoying people like Yossarrian he is just getting more attention from the rest of the group, most of it being hatred, but hey it is his way to make himself feel noticed and meant to be there, and support his low self esteem problem like Alex said. I do, however have to disagree with Alex's point of getting away with no repercussions, after Aarfy does something wrong he is constantly hazed and yelled at by the other soldiers, which i consider a repercussion. I get a different view of Aarfy from reading the rest of the book and completely agree with some of Alex's points, and thank her for bringing them up!

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  19. My favorite character in the book is Major Major Major. Although he isn’t the most prominent character throughout the majority of the book, I have to admit that I was thoroughly entertained by the pages in which he was present. Major Major fell victim to a series of destiny’s practical jokes of which made him live a “joyless life”. Besides being burdened with a deplorable joke of a name, he was “born with a sickly resemblance to Henry Fonda”, as well as born of a sick minded father that would “never hesitate to whine, whimper, wheedle and extort for as much as he could get from whomever he could.”

    Heller depicts Major Major as the awkward outcast of the story. At a young age he found out he was not the man he thought himself to be. After his realization that he was not Caleb Major and instead a “total stranger” his “playmates…withdrew from him and never returned.” The same thing happened years later when he had “found true happiness” in the time he spent playing basketball with the “enlisted men who were almost his friends”. He enjoyed his time playing basketball in rapturous enthusiasm until he was brought the news that he was being promoted to squadron commander. His new title also brought him to a new rank and made it impossible for others to view him in the same way and yet again his playmates withdrew from him and never returned.

    Heller’s explanation of Major Major shows someone of good character. Major Major was a good person, he listened and did what he was told, abided by the commandments and did well in school. But, by the end of the book Major Major has retreated so far from society and into an isolated life that he begins to become useless to the war efforts. The fact that Major Major sits holed up in his office signing Washington Irving and John Milton on official documents while forbidding anyone to see or speak to him at any time proves that he was slowly becoming as insane as the idea of Catch 22. Heller created Major Major as a child who was given tough obstacles in his life, primarily his name, but in the end we see that it is because of Major Major’s name that he suffers and isolates himself completely from society.

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  20. Just adding to my last comment, Aarfy is definetly struggling with insecurity as shown at the swimming part where he does not take off any clothes. His only way of getting attention as I said before is to be annoying or do stupid things like killing. After readIng further my respect for Aarfy has gone down but I guess I feel bad that he has to do those things to make himsel fit in. I thank Alex again for bringing in her points!

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  21. Major Major Major Major was going to be my pick but as I read on I realized my liking of him was just pity. So far Doc Daneeka is my favorite character because he is smart (a doctor) and is always able to find something to complain about. He is also good at explaining things (such as the catch-22 clause itself) but sometimes manages to have the people he talks to miss his entire point (the newly wed couple). What makes Doc Daneeka clever is that he is able to avoid flying but still is able to get his name on the flight log and get his “light pay” every month. Doc even has to assistance who do most the work for him. As Tyler said Doc is Similar to Milo but personally I think Doc is more similar to Yossarian because they both have a mind set of survival while Milo seems pretty content with the war.

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  22. Dylan Holt said...

    My favorite character of this novel is Orr. His abilities to repair and modify almost anything in the camp is very appealing to me because those are things that i love doing and things that are often taken for granted by others. The camp and Yossarian's tent would not be the same without the help of Orr. He is also a genius amongst lunatics because he is the only one able to actually escape the war. His brilliantly simple plan of escape only because everyone thought he was crazy and no one would mind if he crashed one more plane. Another reason that Orr stood out to me was that he found beauty in the little things and humor in everything, an ability that is widely missed throughout our world today and throughout the world in Catch-22. Orr is a man that can think for himself and by himself because he is naturally smart and no one else seems to realize that.

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  23. One of my favorite characters is Orr as well because he is deceptive (in a good way), a type of character I enjoy reading about. He finds his way of life in the army by letting his more crazy side take over his personality in order to not be a person of study by others. He therefore conceals his ingeniousness and, in the end, is able to escape in one piece. I’m sure much of his frequently occurring giggling was laughing at himself. He also adds comfort mentally and physically to Yossarine and his other tent mates. Physically because of all the things he can invent and fix that make the tent nicer living quarters, but mentally because, although he is described as annoying, he is always upbeat throughout the war, he is quietly smart as to not drain people being stupid or overly boastful, he adds entertainment with his horse chestnuts and whore stories, and lastly his escape gives Yossarine comfort that not all was lost and that there was hope. I found his and Yossarine's relationship very interesting since throughout the novel since Orr seemed like a young boy following his older brother around yet Orr ended up being the smarter and more mature one and even though they never came across as friends Orr still invited Yossarine to escape with him and Yossarine showed a lot feelings of friendship towards Orr when he found out he had escaped.

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  24. Brandon Yan said...

    I agree with Tyler on Milo Minderbinder being a very deceptive con- artist who is able to bend the rules to make a profit of his own syndicate. However, I can’t overlook his monetary brilliance and deception skills. I believe that he is my favorite character for being able to avoid Colonel Cathcart’s demonic reign on other soldiers in favor for creating a profit. His capitalistic attitude toward the war could be provocative to some, but he ensures soldiers like Yossarian that he is providing a profit for all and thus causes no turmoil with his own men. Although he bombs his own men and deceives them, he is able to keep the morale high with other soldiers and poorer countries because of the service he provides by creating and serving quality food to these areas and his ability to create a worldwide empire for himself and by creating a stronger economy worldwide.

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  26. My least favorite character is Milo. He's a coniving, conceited,self-centered git who's only concern is making money.
    Although Milo appears to make a stronger economy and raise the morale of whomever he is currently serving, as Brandon says, he acheives this by cheating others out of their hard-earned savings and livelyhoods. Look at the bombing incident. Milo raises the morale of the enemy and possibly strengthens the economy by bombing his own squadron. The money and morale he's making for his current clients always comes from someone else - in this case Yossarian's squadron and the US government. So really Milo isn't raising morale or money- he's just stealing it from someone else.
    And then Milo won't take responsibility for his action. Instead of repaying the US gov or even apologizing to his squadron for bombing them, he just jabbers on about his syndicate and how everyone has a share.
    Another example of Milo's dodging consequences is when he messes up by buying the Egyptian cotton, instead of taking responsibility for his actions and ending the syndicate, he forces the government to buy it all and feeds it to the soldiers.
    One of my problems with Milo is the same as what Tyler said- that he has the power to stop the war but is too content with the profit he's making to give a thought to suffering of others. He actaully wants the war to continue, and helps it to do so by aiding both sides.
    The thing I find most despicable about Milo though is his lack of loyalty to his "friends". Milo bombs his own squadron, feeds his men chocolate covered cotton, supports both sides of the war equally, abandons Yossarian in his quest to find the kid sister, and finally tricks colonel Cathcart into forbidding him to fly anymore missions when he's only flown four, leaving his squadron to make up the difference. Milo does all this and never once is any indication given that he feels even the slightest bit of remorse doing it.
    And to those of you who think he's just looking out for his syndicate and that nothing's wrong with betraying your friends to make a profit - just look at the little passage where Yossarian poignantly asks if the dead man in his tent had a share in the syndicate. I think that sums up the extent of Milo's corrupt business practices.

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  27. To Fiona's comment earlier-
    Yes. I understand that the man is... as you say. But I cannot help but feel a little pity for him, and throughout the whole book, I found myself rooting for him, stupidity and all.

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  28. Johnathan PartridgeAugust 23, 2011 at 1:15 PM

    I hate Milo, and Heller does a great job making be hate him. Primarily, indirect characterization is used to portray who Milo is and why he is a major antagonist. In this case, actions speak louder than words, and Milo performs many self centered acts to promote his business. Inevitably, whenever Milo is mentioned there will be some talk about everyone owning a share in his syndicate. This is the device that Milo uses to con everyone else into buying from him, making them believe that by purchasing from him they are increasing the size of their own share simultaneously. He continues this charade throughout the entirety of the novel, deceiving everyone as he does it.
    Even worse though, are the self-profiting actions Heller has him do in order to advance his syndicate; the major ones being his making a deal with the Germans to bomb his own squadron, replacing the morphine tablets with IOU notes, and the betrayals of Yossarian. First of all, making deals with the people who are killing your friends is deeply bad karma, but then to go and bomb allies for the Germans is outright Satanism. But of course Milo, being Milo, escapes accusations of treason by basically saying, “But look, I’ve made all this money! That makes my actions good!” Then later, during the incredibly moving Snowden scene, while readers are emotionally in tatters, Heller throws in more of Milo’s cruelty by having Milo remove beforehand the morphine tablets that would finally bring some relief to the hysterical Snowden. Even after all these fine examples of cruelty, Heller still needs Milo to betray the protagonist. He does this in two ways; first, by having Milo make a deal with the main antagonist, Colonel Cathcart, to raise the required missions to 80 and then to force Yossarian to fly Milo’s missions for him; and second, by having Milo agree to help Yossarian find Nately’s whore’s kid sister and then succumbing totally to the lures of his business and abandoning Yossarian. Even to the man whom Milo trusts the most, he shows no respect of Yossarian’s wishes and actually increases the chance of him dying.
    Even though Milo has the outstanding brains to manipulate basically all of Europe he is still a despicable character to me because of his great lacking in morals. To be willing to betray his own friends for self-gain makes Milo the worst of the worst in my point of view. I believe that Heller might have somewhat believed in the maxim: money is the root of all evil.

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  29. My favorite character is the chaplain because i found myself hoping that he would finally stand up to all his bullies. Heller does an amazing job creating this character through the detailing of the chaplain's incompetence and the personal ordeals that he had to go through every day.

    Even though he was kind, the only person who ever made him feel like he belonged was Yossarian who also, coincidentally, was the one who got him in trouble for signing all the letters as Washington Irving. The problem with the Chaplain is that people constantly belittled him and took advantage of him and each time, he started belittling himself. Heller did a great job of showing the progression of his sorrows through indirect characterization. Because we were able to see into his mind and see how the progression of insults built up, we really get attached to the character. I kept seeing patterns in how he dealt with the pain and I kept wanting to reach out and tell him things like "don't believe him!" or "stick up for yourself!". I always found myself cheering him on and in the end, I got some satisfaction when he decided to stray a bit from his complacent demeanor.

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  30. My personal favorite character from Heller's Catch-22 would have to be Major Major Major Major (often referred to as simply Major Major Major). Not only is his name humorous, but everything about him had me smiling as I read, especially the fact that he only sees people in his office when he is not in his office.

    Heller characterizes Major Major Major as one of the few truly innocent characters in Catch-22, but at the same time he is the one most picked on. Heller states how Major Major Major did absolutely everything his elders asked him to, but they still disliked him "because he was such a flagrant nonconformist." Ironically, Major Major Major's naturally good heart is what gets him picked on.

    Heller has the reader feeling bad for Major Major Major because he is so nice, yet unlucky. His innocence makes him one of the most entertaining characters to read about.

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  31. Even though I wrote this comment several weeks ago, I waited off on posting it until now because I wanted to see if anyone would post something similar, and to my great surprise, no one did.
    I don’t know if people excluded Yossarian from their selections of favorite character for some odd reason, and I am shocked that no one else said that Yossarian was their favorite character. Perhaps everyone overlooked him for this discussion because he is described much more in depth than any other character, thus making it hard to compare him to the rest of the people in the story. But anyways, moving on:
    Yossarian is the only character that I would say I really truly liked throughout the entire novel. Certainly many other characters were amusing, but I found that there was always something in every character, except Yossarian, that I utterly despised. Each of these lesser characters were designed to over exaggerate some personality trait that Heller found disgusting, such as Peckman’s overzealous desire to gain power and position.
    That’s not to say that Yossarian doesn’t have any undesirable traits. Someone who constantly tries to grab the breasts of nearly every female he encounters isn’t exactly the nicest person to be around. Yet I found myself rooting for Yossarian 100 percent of the way. This is probably most likely due to the fact that I consider Yossarian to be the only sane person in the novel, except for maybe Orr, who turns out to be just as much a coward as Yossarian. The reason that I consider Yossarian to be the only sane man in the novel is that all of the other characters display an illogical loyalty to something or another, even though these allegiances put their lives in danger. Don’t get me wrong, I find nothing wrong with a man who has strong loyalties to something other than himself, but at some point, or at many points in the crazy world of Catch-22, one’s outward loyalties should take a backseat to one’s loyalty to himself.
    Yossarian, as Heller shows time and time again by having Yossarian shirk his duties in order to avoid any form of danger, is someone who truly values himself above anything else in the world. Some people may call this selfish, and on paper it really is, but I would call this human. There is nothing more human that struggling against all opposition to survive for as long as possible—to exist and to experience life for just a few more precious moments. And this is ultimately why Yossarian is my favorite character. At his core, he represents little more than the scared and confused person that is inside each and every one of us, a person who wants nothing more than to exist. This simple elegance is hard not to appreciate.

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