Catch-22

When he hears that the number of missions has been raised to forty (he has thirty-two after Bologna), Yossarian goes directly from Rome to the base hospital on Pianosa. These two chapters consider several of his hospital stays — including the one that opens the novel — but not in chronological order. Although the soldier in white has been thoroughly discussed in Chapter 1, the character is brought back as an important element in Yossarian's hospital experience; the warrior precipitates a discussion of "justice" among several of the patients. As a recruit in training at Lowery Field in Colorado, at the beginning of Chapter 18, then-Private Yossarian discovers the possibilities for refuge in a military hospital as he enjoys Thanksgiving there. He vows to spend every Thanksgiving in a hospital but breaks his promise the next year (1943) when he engages in intellectual conversation, among other things, in a hotel room with Lieutenant Scheisskopf's wife. Time returns to the previous year as he considers lengthening his hospital stay by emulating a soldier who sees everything twice; he ultimately decides that this is not such a good idea.