The Individual vs. the System

Catch-22

Yossarian's rebellion against the military-industrial complex that seeks to consume him.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The system's demands The system's demands from "Catch-22". The Machine The Mission Count The system demands more missions. It treats men as expendable resources.

The system's demands from "Catch-22". The Machine The Mission Count The system demands more missions. It treats men as expendable resources.

The Machine The Mission Count The system demands more missions. It treats men as expendable resources. The Bureaucracy Catch-22, the loyalty oaths, the form letters—all are tools of control. The system is designed to perpetuate itself. The Resistance Yossarian's refusal is an act of individual defiance. He will not be a cog.

The co-option attempt The co-option attempt from "Catch-22". The Temptation The Offer The system tries to co-opt Yossarian. It offers him a place within it if he betrays his principles. The Rejection Yossarian refuses.

The co-option attempt from "Catch-22". The Temptation The Offer The system tries to co-opt Yossarian. It offers him a place within it if he betrays his principles. The Rejection Yossarian refuses.

The Temptation The Offer The system tries to co-opt Yossarian. It offers him a place within it if he betrays his principles. The Rejection Yossarian refuses. He chooses to remain an outsider. He will not become part of the machine. The Escape He runs away. The only way to beat the system is to leave it. His escape is a victory for the individual.

Throughout the novel

When Yossarian is offered the deal