The book starts with an American soldier named Yossarian not wanting to face the grim violence of the war and tries to escape it by going to an Italian military base claiming his liver is giving him grievous amounts of pain. The doctors let's him stay as they cannot prove that he is healthy, but is perplexed by the fact that he does not seem to either recover or worsen during his stay. He is also playing a game with himself, as soldiers must to censor letters they send home so they do not give out information he has decided to play by his own rules and censors words after his own arbitrary rules and signing it under the false name of "Washington Irving". With him in the ward, there are a few nurses who seem to dislike him and a fellow soldier who is bandaged and immobile, his name is Dunbar, even though he goes by the nickname "the soldier in white" a nickname given to him due to the excessive amounts of bandages on him. After a while another soldier comes to the ward, all we know so far about this soldier is that he is from Texas, and will hereby be referred to as the Texan. The Texan will not stop talking about how he feels as though "decent" people should have two votes. His patriotic talk seems to annoy not only Yossarian but all the other patients and the nurses too. Yossarian and others are not able to stand the Texan with his constant patriotic babbling and escapes the ward, suddenly recovering from their ailments and return to active duty.
a brief summary of the first chapter and a mood setter for the rest of the book, it is written in a way that makes you feel for Yossarian and his "troubles" in a war he seem to be the only one to think is senseless.
The book takes a stance through Yossarian that the war is senseless and idiotic. I believe this to be a reflection of what Heller thought about the war during his stay in Italy. As for my expectations and feelings towards the book, i assume it will be a good read and that it will reflect some of my own opinions on war. At the same time, i hope the book holds the same form throughout and keeps me wanting to read more about Yossarian and his "adventure". I also feel as though it accurately reflects the mind and actions of soldiers during a time of war.
I believe the book will have a lot of reflection on the morality and at times moronic decisions made by governments, soldiers and commanding officers during a time of war. In addition, that towards the end Yossarian will grow weary and tired of telling his nonsensical and fictitious, although at times comedic stories to those around him and do what he can to escape the war and go back to the United States of America.
