Because I'm in the rogue "Catch-22" by Heller group my questions aren't in the sense or terms of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" or "Tale of Two Cities". (Just a heads up)
"fun in the beginning... You got the feeling that there was something glorious about it." -Joseph Heller on WWII
Heller himself was a pilot during the Second World War and at 21 began the first of his 60 combat missions as a B-25 Bomber on the Italian Front. And his experiences as a pilot were most likely the source of inspiration for his famous book "Catch-22". Typically I dislike having to infer what/why the author wrote the novel they did. I typically see it as swinging in the dark for an answer that may or may not be there, but at any rate it is likely that Heller (like all writers) was going after an idea while writing his novel. Just based on theme, "the absurdity of command" Heller probably had some experiences in the war with commanding officers that were completely baffling.
Catch-22 is a satire, and its important to realize and remember that while reading. The absurd situations, and ironic encounters and characters add to the over arcing theme and keep the readers engaged.
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