Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living... in the harsh conditions of World War II. With men on the lines, dying every day, Italy is a brutal place to be. However, Milo doesn't seem to be taking it too hard.
Visiting… Pianosa, Italy, where the 256th Squadron is currently fighting on the Italian Front. But while most of the 256th is stuck on the small island, Milo often uses his off time to fly around to nearby cities and countries.
Profession… officially, mess hall officer. Unofficially, however, Milo has used his position to run a powerful syndicate he calls M & M Enterprise, which has powerful connections all over the world. It's a lucrative business, and it's because of M & M that Milo has beem knighted and made Malta's Assistant Governor-General.
Interests… money. Making it, having it, making more of it – Milo doesn't care if it's dollars, pounds, or marks, as long it's currency. People might accuse him of being a profiteer, but Milo disagrees, declaring that he's doing his patriotic duty by helping M & M succeed. After all, "what's good for Milo Minderbinder, is good for the country."
Relationship Status… in a devoted relationship with capitalism. Milo is interested in only one thing, and that's cold, hard cash.
Challenge… ensuring the success of his syndicate. M & M Enterprises is successful, sure, but it could be even more successful if the government weren't in the way. Like a true capitalist, Milo sees government interference as a cancer on society, and if he had his way, he'd "see the government get out of war altogether and leave the whole field to private industry."
Personality… fast-talking, smart, and cheerfully amoral. Milo has plenty of people skills, but he holds loyalties to no one and nothing but himself. Axis, Allied, Nazis, fascists – they're all names to Milo Minderbinder, whose first and only priority is his bank account.
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.
