The "Catch 22" is a classic work of modern literature, a novel by Joseph Heller that serves as both a critique of World War II and a satire of military bureaucracy. The story is told through the eyes of Yossarian, a bombardier in the United States Air Force stationed in Italy. Yossarian struggles to complete his required number of missions before being declared a hero, but is thwarted by the Catch-22, a paradoxical situation in which a service member must request a transfer to avoid further dangerous combat missions, yet any such request is deemed a form of mental instability that could lead to discharge unless the individual is already on the point of death. As Yossarian and his fellow soldiers navigate the complexities of the Catch-22 and the war itself, they are forced to question the very nature of heroism and sanity.
