The group’s medic, Daneeka is not permitted to ground soldiers on account of insanity, according to orders issued by Cathcart. Daneeka has his name placed on the flight rolls of McWatt’s plane, despite not actually flying, in order to collect his combat pay. When McWatt’s plane goes down, Daneeka is treated by the army as if he has died, even though he continues to live and work on Pianosa.
Doc Daneeka Quotes in Catch-22
The Catch-22 quotes below are all either spoken by Doc Daneeka or refer to Doc Daneeka. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 5
Quotes
Sure there’s a catch . . . Catch-22. Anyone who wants to get out of combat duty isn’t really crazy.
Related Characters:
Doc Daneeka (speaker)
Related Symbols:
Catch-22
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11
Quotes
“What makes you so sure Major Major is a Communist?”
“You never heard him denying it until we began accusing him, did you? And you don’t see him signing any of our loyalty oaths.”
“You aren’t letting him sign any.”
“Of course not . . . that would defeat the whole purpose of our crusade.”
Related Characters:
Doc Daneeka (speaker), Captain Black (speaker), Major Major
Related Symbols:
Catch-22
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Catch-22 LitChart as a printable PDF.
Doc Daneeka Character Timeline in Catch-22
The timeline below shows where the character Doc Daneeka appears in Catch-22. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Clevinger
...him” and resolves war is, in fact, terrible. He runs into the group doctor, Doc Daneeka, who informs Yossarian that Colonel Cathcart, commander of Yossarian’s group, has ordered 50 missions as...
(full context)
Chapter 3: Havermeyer
...but that they must attend—it’s an order. Yossarian complains about the USO shows to Doc Daneeka, who is himself always complaining, in turn, about his health and his financial problems at...
(full context)
Chapter 4: Doc Daneeka
...crazy—his bad dreams occur every night—but he does not know how to help him. Doc Daneeka complains about his own health—he fears constantly that he is getting sick. Daneeka has a...
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Daneeka worries he will be sent to the Pacific theater of the war; he fears the...
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Chapter 5: Chief White Halfoat
Doc Daneeka shares a tent with Chief White Halfoat, a Native American soldier whom Daneeka hates. Daneeka...
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Doc Daneeka tells Yossarian a story of two newlyweds who once came into his office: it turned...
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Yossarian flies another mission, then asks Daneeka to ground him from flying, owing to insanity. Daneeka says he cannot grant this wish...
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Daneeka explains, further, that Orr could be grounded, since he is mentally unstable, but he’d have...
(full context)
Chapter 7: McWatt
...group as mess officer (in charge of kitchen supplies). Yossarian has been ordered by Doc Daneeka to be allowed unlimited fruit, because of his liver condition. Yossarian claims never to eat...
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Chapter 10: Wintergreen
...its large stores of ammunition. All soldiers are required to fly these missions, and Doc Daneeka is no longer permitted to rest soldiers, and take them off duty, for petty ailments.
(full context)
Chapter 11: Captain Black
...Major cannot prove his loyalty, since he is not allowed to sign the oaths. Doc Daneeka points this out to Black, who is unmoved by his logic.
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Chapter 17: The Soldier in White
...in war, and runs through a list of fatal diseases that could kill him. Doc Daneeka also worries about rare diseases, and Yossarian wonders if it isn’t better simply to wait...
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Yossarian recalls how he asked Doc Daneeka to ground him from flying, since Major Major asserted only Daneeka could deem him medically...
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Daneeka tells Yossarian to actually finish a tour—the required number of missions—before he asks to be...
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Chapter 24: Milo
Doc Daneeka tends to Yossarian after Milo’s bombing of the group. This reminds Yossarian of the way...
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Chapter 27: Nurse Duckett
Yossarian speaks with Doc Daneeka, who is worried that, if the Germans surrender too quickly, before Japan is defeated, he...
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Chapter 30: Dunbar
McWatt lets the others in his plane parachute out, although he has also placed Doc Daneeka on his flight logs, so the officers assume Daneeka is in the plane (even though...
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Chapter 31: Mrs. Daneeka
After McWatt’s death, Cathcart, in mourning, increases the mission requirement to 70. Daneeka walks around, speaking to his two assistants, but they insist he is dead, and that...
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Daneeka’s wife is informed of his death via letter, but Daneeka, understanding the administrative mistake, dashes...
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But the War Department writes to Mrs. Daneeka, saying someone has forged this letter from Daneeka, and that the doctor really is dead....
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In the meantime, Daneeka is no longer allowed to draw a salary, eat his meals, or otherwise coexist with...
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Daneeka writes once more to his wife, pleading that he is alive, but at the same...
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