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Chapter Structure. Intra-Chapter Connections. Heller opens with a character description of Colonel Cathcart , which leads into the scene: “[Colonel Cathcart ] wanted to be a general so desperately he was willing to try anything, even religion” (189). Intra-Chapter Connections (cont).
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Intra-Chapter Connections • Heller opens with a character description of Colonel Cathcart, which leads into the scene: • “[Colonel Cathcart] wanted to be a general so desperately he was willing to try anything, even religion” (189).
Intra-Chapter Connections (cont) • Shifts to chronological structure • Describes conversation with chaplain for the rest of the chapter, in which they discuss the possibility of saying prayers in the briefing room before missions • Shifts between Cathcart and Chaplain Tappman’s POV
Inter-Chapter Connections Preceding Chapters • With this chapter, Heller takes a completely different direction from the previous chapter, in which Y was in the boot camp hospital, almost at the beginning of the chronology. • Heller uses this opportunity to introduce the character who is underlying most of the book, who caused many of the events in previous chapters
Inter-Chapter Connections Following Chapters • This scene is the root from which several other chapters spring. • The next chapter (20) continues chronologically; it follows the chaplain from Cathcart’s office to his tent • Chapter 21 stays with Cathcart as he ruminates about Yossarian.
Satire and Style “Humor is everywhere, in that there's irony in just about anything a human does.” -Bill Nye
Character Dissection—the colonel Character of chapter title (Colonel Cathcart) actually main focus & perpetrator of plot action here The inner portrayal of a seemingly imposing, threatening figure of this military society Reveals the inconsistencies that effect in him the character of a walking irony!
Character Dissection—the colonel • Initial description (p. 187): • “slick, successful, slipshod” + “dashing and dejected” = alliterative emphasis mixture of +/- traits • “conceited because he was a full colonel with a combat command at the age of only thirty-six…dejected because although he was already thirty-six he was still only a full colonel” = antimetabole backwards/forwards perspectives attitude difference
Character Dissection—the colonel • Appearance, appearance, appearance • Cigarette holder • Exposure of “tough black bristles of beard” through khaki shirt • Ambition, ambition, ambition • Saturday Evening Post • Secularizes religion to his own devices • “Haven’t you got anything humorous that stays away from waters and valleys and God? I’d like to keep away from the subject of religion altogether if we can.” = irony • Everyone’s after the poor guy • “Everybody was persecuting him.” p 188 = ironic when juxtaposed with Yossarian’s sentiments • Paranoid • Feelings of superiority vs. insecurity (Korn’s superiority when of inferior origins, enlisted men excluded from prayers)
Character Dissection—the colonel • Consequent analysis: • Obsession over appearance + ambitions with rank frequent vices of military more blind to the enlisted men, consequently regarded secondary • Inefficiencies of military (“I could shop for my own food, too, but that’s Milo’s job…Your job is to lead us in prayer” –colonel’s response to chaplain’s observation p. 192) basically, military’s somewhat forced into corporate/religious relations • Colonel is arrogant and self-deprecating at the same time, “his own sarcophagus” constantly higher standards for himself, blames others when he perceives failure to reach • Worst critic and biggest fan
Saturday Evening Post & Prayer • Newspaper media recognition of war (subtle message regarding scarcity of horrific facts) media effect: modeling • Prayer a Christian practice, Christian seen as proper • Cathcart wants to avoid God (too controversial, irrelevant to his cause) but to deny God (atheism) = “Atheism is against the law, isn’t it? … Then it’s un-American, isn’t it? P. 193
Chronology • This scene takes place right after Colonel Cathcart raised the number of missions to 60 • Very late in the chronology of what we have read so far
Foreshadowing: events this scene hints at “I’m afraid he won’t be able to suffer much longer without doing something desperate.” (197) -Chaplain to Cathcart about Yossarian Heller cements what has been hinted at in previous chapters: Yossarian will eventually snap.
Foreshadowing: events this scene hints at YOSSARIAN!! “The colonel glanced up quickly with a start of vague recognition [at the sound of Yossarian’s name].” (197) Heller foreshadows that after this scene, he will begin to take more attention of Yossarian and his antics, recognizing him as the cause of many of his “black eyes.”
Recurring Subjects/Deja Vu Within the chapter, Heller briefly alludes to multiple incidents that have previously occurred, contributing to the anachronistic style and showing the views of other characters on the events. Haven’t we seen that before?
Recurring Subjects The evening when Cathcart threw the chaplain out of the officer’s club after Chief White Halfoat punched Moodus in the nose (189)
Recurring Subjects Skeet range: Dreedle “tongue-lashed” Cathcart in front of Korn and Danby and ordered him to open it to all enlisted men on duty (195)
Foreshadowing…but not really. Heller introduces a few new concepts that become important satiric devices in the following chapters.
Subjects that lead into other chapters • Black eyes and feathers in his cap--first mentioned extensively in this chapter as an introduction of Cathcart’s way of organizing his world. (Chapter 21 is when he makes the list of black eyes and feathers in his cap)
Subjects that lead into other chapters • Plum tomatoes: bushels of red plum tomatoes line Cathcart’s office • Cathcart gives the chaplain one, which leads him to trouble later with Whitcomb • Heller emphasizes their presence repeatedly, setting up for their existence as a weakness for the chaplain. • The chaplain is embarrassed when Cathcart makes a crude joke about the tomato, and in later chapters other officers antagonize him due to his possession of the fruit.
Recurring Themes The intimidation effected by authority is achieved and maintained through appearance. There is not much reliable in war—even God is not considered to be.
Introducing more… Your greatest enemy can be yourself. There are humans underneath those stern uniforms. “Fear is only in our minds, but it’s taking over all our time.”
