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Chapter 13
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Catch-22, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Paradox and Impossibility
War and Bureaucracy
Communication and Miscommunication
Gallows Humor
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality
Summary
Analysis
On the first mission to Bologna, Yossarian gets on the mic and asks whether something is wrong on the plane. This sparks some dismay among the crew, although they soon determine that nothing is wrong, which is no relief, since they must then fly the mission.
Yossarian in effect sabotages his own mission here, because he is worried that his plane will encounter dangerous resistance over Bologna.
Themes
Yossarian tears out the intercom and orders Kid Sampon, the pilot of the mission, to turn back, since they cannot hear one another on the plane. They return to base. Yossarian is elated but then disappointed, inexplicably, by his abandonment of the mission. He decides to go for a swim.
Although Yossarian does everything he can to avoid combat, he nevertheless feels, in this case, that he has behaved with some cowardice.
Themes
Yossarian swims peacefully and relaxes on the beach, which is deserted—all other men are flying the mission. He hears the squadron returning and assumes there must be terrible losses, but the mission was a “milk run,” an easy mission with no enemy resistance, and all the planes make it back safely.
