Chapter 40 "Catch-22" Summary

There's a catch to Yossarian being sent home. Colonel Korn explains that, by refusing to fly missions, Yossarian has given the men the impression that they have a say in whether or not they will continue to fly missions. This false hope, Korn claims, has damaged morale. Colonel Korn makes Yossarian an offer. If Yossarian will pretend to like the Colonels and speak well of them to the other men, Yossarian will be promoted to Major, decorated, and sent home as a war hero. If Yossarian refuses, Korn explains, he will be Court-Martialed. After some wrangling, Yossarian, feeling that he doesn't have much of a choice, finally agrees. Just outside the office, Yossarian is ambushed by Nately's whore, who has been disguised as a private. Colonels Korn and Cathcart respond, scaring her away, but not before Yossarian is knifed...