Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… less comfortably than he'd like to be. Until he was drafted, Doc led a pretty comfortable life in the States – but now that he's a part of the war effort, his cushy doctor's life has been abruptly replaced by that of a wartime surgeon.
Visiting… Pianosa, Italy, where the 256th Squadron is positioned. But while the island may be scenic, the Nazis make it hard to do much sightseeing.
Profession… flight surgeon, and unhappy about it. Doc wasn't happy when he was called from his successful practice in the states, and he's even unhappier now that his "precious medical skills are rusting away here on this lousy island." Still, he's good at what he does, and the army's policy of catch-22 means he's not getting a discharge anytime soon.
Interests… his health. It would be charitable to call Doc a hypochondriac. He obsessively checks his temperature, hears burglars every night, and refuses to go swimming because he might "suffer a mild coronary occlusion in an inch or two of water and drown to death." When he's on the job or not staring at his tongue in a mirror, Doc likes to indulge in his favorite hobby: complaining.
Relationship Status… married, though it's been a while since he's seen Mrs. Daneeka. And with communication being as difficult as it is, getting his letters to her is no picnic, either.
Challenge… staying alive. Doc has a paralyzing, almost histrionic, fear of death, but it's not hard to see why – as a doctor stuck in a warzone, he deals almost daily with dead or dying men. In these wounded soldiers, Doc sees "a dreadful portent of his own decay," and consequently works all the harder to save them.
Personality… self-pitying and melodramatic, but dutiful. Doc will gripe, whine, and complain, but when put on a battlefield, he shows an unnatural courage and dedication. He might not be the most pleasant presence, but if you're a soldier in the 256th, he's a good man to have around.
Get to Know him in...
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A bombardier in World War II tries desperately to escape the insanity of the war. However, sometimes insanity is the only sane way cope with a crazy situation. Catch-22 is a parody of a "military mentality" and of a bureaucratic society in general.
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Set in Italy during World War II, this is the story of the incomparable, malingering bombardier, Yossarian, a hero who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy—it is his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to excuse himself from the perilous missions he's assigned, he'll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule: a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but if he makes a formal request to be removed from duty, he is proven sane and therefore ineligible to be relieved.
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Pianosa Island, Italy, World War II. Bombardier John Yossarian tries to fulfill his duty, maintain sanity and return home as soon as possible, but incompetence and bureaucracy constantly stand in his way.
