catch-22美国文学选读

JosephHeller(1923-1999)Catch-22BlackHumorDefinitionoftheterm•Itusedtobeamilitaryterm•BecauseofJosephHeller’sCatch-22,ithasbecomeanEnglishidiom.•Definition:animpossiblesituation;oneinwhichthesolutionorsuccessdependsonmutuallydependentfactors:AdependsonB;B,inturn,isdependentonA;soitisaninterlockingsituationinwhichthereisnowayout.•Anexample:job-huntingAnalysisofthetext•GeneralSetting:inanAmericanarmycampontheislandofPianosa,RomeduringWorldWarⅡ.•Minorsetting:yossarianrememberedSnowden’sdeathwhenhe(Yossarian)waswounded.Briefsummary•ThenoveltellsastoryofapilotsoldierYossarianinWWⅡ.Histaskistoaccomplishacertainnumberofflyingmissions.ButhissuperiorkeepsraisingthenumberusingonemilitaryruleCatch-22.itmainlydescribeseveryefforttheprotagonistYossarianhasmadeforhisescapefromtheCatch-22andultimatelyfromthewar.•Chapter41:hewaswoundedandthentreatedbytwofakedoctors.Whenthe“treatment”wasover,hewastoldhissuperiorwasgoingtomakehima“hero,andthisacknowledgementlethimrememberhiscomradeSnowden’sdeath.MainCharacters•Protagonist•Yossarian:•paranoid,thinkseveryoneistryingtokillhim(whichistrue);thinkseveryoneiscrazy;feelsguiltyaboutthedeathofSnowden,whichchangeshisviewofwar.•Antagonist•Cathcart:•colonelthatdesperatelywantedtobeageneral;unsureofhimself,wanttoimpresshissuperior-whichiswhyhekeepsraisingthenumberofthemissionsMinorcharactersSnowden-soldierwhodiesinYossarian'splane;whileYossarianwastreatinghimforminorlegwounds,Snowdenwasdyingoffatalchestwounds-Yossarianfeelsguiltybecauseifhehadknownabouttherealproblem,hethinkshecouldhavesavedSnowden'slife(chapter41).MiloMinderbinder-messofficer;leaderofthesyndicate(blackmarket/undergroundbusinessdealings);willdoanythingforaprofit,evenbombhisownsquadron.Orr-sharestentwithYossarian,practicescrashingeverymission-eventuallycrashesandescapes.Nately–asoldierwhohadaloveaffairwithagirlbeforehisdeath.YossarianbrokethenewsofNately’sdeathtoher.Inviolentrage,shetriedtokllhim.Becauseofthis,Yossarianwaswounded(beginningofchapter41).Thetheme•Pity-Thereaderhaspityforeachsoldiereverytimeheisafraidtogoonamission.•Reality-Eachsoldierhastofacethefactthatthereisachancethathemaynevercomedownfromamissionalive.•Hope-OrrhasaconstanthopeofcrashingsuccessfullyandescapingtoSweden.•Sanity--Yossarianclaimsthatheistheonlysaneoneinthesquadronandeveryoneelseiscrazy.•Friendship--Yossarian'sbondswiththeothermenareimportant.•Confusion--AgreatdealofconfusioniscausedbytheuseofthetermCatch-22.•Greed--TheMachiavellianphilosophy(theendjustifiesthemeans)ofCathcartandMilodemonstratesthistheme.•Guilt--ThedeathofSnowdenplaguesYossarianthroughoutthewar.Keyissuesofthenovel•Confusion---Catch-22;thewaritself•Greed---Cathcart’sgreedforpower;Milo’sgreedformoney•Guilt---Yossarian’ssenseofguiltyforSnowden’sdeathWritingtechnique•asatiricalfarce(Alightdramaticcompositionmarkedbybroadlysatiricalcomedyandimprobableplot),whichisararelyusedliteraryform.•BlackhumorDefinitionofBlackhumor•inliterature,drama,andfilm,grotesqueormorbidhumorusedtoexpresstheabsurdity,insensitivity,paradox,andcrueltyofthemodernworld.•Ordinarycharactersorsituationsareusuallyexaggeratedfarbeyondthelimitsofnormalsatireorirony.•Blackhumorusesdevicesoftenassociatedwithtragedyandissometimesequatedwithtragicfarce.Itseffects•Throughextremeironyandexaggeration,thewritermayexpresshis/herstronghatredandcontempttocruelreality.•Showingwriter’s(narrator)anguishandpainBlackhumorinthetext•Theunprofessionalconversationbetweenthetwo“doctors”•Snowden’smurmuring(I’mcold,I’mcold)andYossarian’sresponse(there,there).•QuotationofShakespeare’splays.•DescriptionofSnowden’swound.lessons,moralsandapplications•Fromthethemesofconfusionandgreed,aswellasthemen'sexperienceswiththeideaofcatch-22,itisquiteplaintoseethatmenwithpowerwillkeeppower,andthosewithoutpowersuffertheconsequences.•Asafamiliarquotesays,Absolutepowercorruptsabsolutely.Yossarianlearnsthehardwaythatmenwithpowerhaveatendencytoabusetheirauthority.Guilt•GuiltisavisiblethemeinHeller'snovel,butthereaderfindsthatguiltisnotalwaysneeded.•Forexample,YossariancouldnothavehelpedSnowdeninhishourofneed,buthefeltguiltybecausehedidnotsavehislife.•Itisonlyhumannaturetofeelguiltwhenonetakestheblameforanincident,evenifitwasnothisfault.Questions•HowwouldyouactinYossarian’ssituation?•WhatdoyouthinkarethemajorsourcesofHeller’shumorbasedonthetext?•Howdoyouunderstand“manisgarbagewithoutsprit”?