Born with the name Major Major, Major Major is promoted to Major through a series of accidents that no one in the military seems willing to undo. Major Major is uncomfortable around his fellow men and spends much of his time hiding from them. He will only see visitors when he is not in his office—another Catch-22.
Major Major Quotes in Catch-22
The Catch-22 quotes below are all either spoken by Major Major or refer to Major Major. 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:
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Chapter 9
Quotes
Even among men lacking all distinction he [Major Major] inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him were always impressed by how unimpressive he was.
Related Characters:
Clevinger, Major Major
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.
Major Major Character Timeline in Catch-22
The timeline below shows where the character Major Major appears in Catch-22. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: Havermeyer
...in his tent, grouses to himself about the dead man and his personal effects, which Major Major , the squadron commander, won’t acknowledge. Orr is fixing the gas line to the stove...
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Chapter 9: Major Major Major Major
Major Major has had, according to the narrator, “a difficult time from the start.” His mother died...
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Major Major was an awkward child, disliked by other children and even by parents, who found he...
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After his promotion, Major Major found no one would talk to him—he was at once everyone’s superior, in command, and...
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Major Major , after hearing of the soldier forging “Washington Irving” at the bottom of censored letters,...
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It is revealed, through one of the documents on Major Major ’s desk, that a young soldier, assigned to group for only two hours, was killed...
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Major Major realizes that the documents he has signed with the name “Washington Irving” do not return...
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...also investigating each other, wondering if the other is in on the Washington Irving plot. Major Major , however, escapes their detection. The CID men believe Tappman, whose name was forged by...
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Major Major begins wearing a disguise—large glasses and a fake mustache—in order to avoid detection when he...
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Major Major returns to his office and cries at this mistreatment. He orders his assistant only to...
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Yossarian manages one day to tackle Major Major while the major is briefly outside—otherwise no officers ever see him. Yossarian complains that the...
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Chapter 10: Wintergreen
Appleby, the great Ping-Pong player, attempts to see Major Major , who is in his office and therefore admitting no visitors. Sergeant Towser, Major Major’s...
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Chapter 11: Captain Black
...that he was passed over for a promotion to major—a position that was given to Major Major , despite his inexperience. Black is an intelligence officer, and he appears to think this...
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To thwart Major Major , Black begins a rumor that Major is a communist. He begins a campaign—the Glorious...
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Black does not let Major Major sign any oaths, because he finds him disloyal—but Major Major cannot prove his loyalty, since...
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Black attempts to enlist Major _____ de Coverley in his scheme to further discredit Major Major , but de Coverley finds the oaths stupid and refuses to sign, with a single,...
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Chapter 17: The Soldier in White
Yossarian recalls how he asked Doc Daneeka to ground him from flying, since Major Major asserted only Daneeka could deem him medically unfit to fly. Daneeka says he won’t do...
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Chapter 25: The Chaplain
The chaplain decides to advocate on behalf of Yossarian to Major Major , arguing that the soldiers should not have their mission requirements continually raised. He walks...
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...through the woods and runs into Whitcomb, his assistant, who claims just to have seen Major Major . Whitcomb grows angry that the chaplain won’t tell him his plans with Major Major—Whitcomb...
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Frustrated, the chaplain makes his way back to Major Major ’s office and demands to see him. Sergeant Towser refuses, and says the Major’s response...
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