Joseph-Heller

BlackhumorDefinition1:Blackhumor,inliterature,drama,andfilm,grotesqueormorbidhumorusedtoexpresstheabsurdity,insensitivity,paradox,andcrueltyofthemodernworld.Ordinarycharactersorsituationsareusuallyexaggeratedfarbeyondthelimitsofnormalsatireorirony.Blackhumorusesdevicesassociatedwithtragedyandissometimesequatedwithtragicfarce.Forexample,StanleyKubrick'sfilmDr.Strangelove;or,HowILearnedtoStopWorryingandLovetheBomb(1963)isaterrifyingcomictreatmentofthecircumstancessurroundingthedroppingofanatombomb,whileJulesFeiffer'scomedyLittleMurders(1965)isadelineationofthehorrorsofmodernurbanlife,focusingparticularlyonrandomassassinations.ThenovelsofsuchwritersasKurtVonnegut,ThomasPynchon,JohnBarth,JosephHeller,andPhilipRothcontainelementsofblackhumor.Definition2:BlackHumormarkedbytheuseofmorbid,ironic,orgrotesquelycomicepisodesthatridiculehumanfolly.Thetermcameintocommonuseinthe1960stodescribetheworkofnovelistssuchasJosephHeller,whoseCatch-22(1961)isanoutstandingexample;KurtVonnegut,particularlyinSlaughterhouseFive(1969);andThomasPynchon,inV(1963)andGravity'sRainbow(1973).JosephHellerHeisasurrealnovelistwhose1961classicCatch-22remainsaseminalantiwarnovel.Morethan10millioncopiesofthebookhavebeensoldintheUnitedStatesalone,andmuchofitspopularitywassparkedbyword-of-mouth.Heller,knownforhisblackhumorandmordant（尖酸的）wit,basedthebookonhisownexperiencesasabombardier（投弹手）intheMediterraneanduringWWII.Theterm“catch-22,”meaning,“anyillogicalorparadoxicalproblemorsituation,”hasbecomepartoftheAmericanvernacular.HisotherbooksincludeSomethingHappenedandGoodasGold.Asastrugglingwriter,Helleralsotriedhishandatwritingscreenplaysandplays.Hisfilmcreditsincludethespoofs（愚弄）CasinoRoyaleandDirtyDingusMagee.MikeNicholsdirectedthefilmadaptationofCatch-22.In1994HellerpublishedClosingTime,asequeltoCatch-22.Hellerdiedofaheartattack.Catch-22Catch-22isasatirical,historicalnovelbytheAmericanauthorJosephHeller.Hebeganwritingitin1953,andthenovelwasfirstpublishedin1961.ItissetduringWorldWarIIin1943andisfrequentlycitedasoneofthegreatliteraryworksofthetwentiethcentury.Ithasadistinctivenon-chronologicalstylewhereeventsaredescribedfromdifferentcharacters'pointsofviewandoutofsequencesothatthetimelinedevelopsalongwiththeplot.ThenovelfollowsCaptainJohnYossarian,aU.S.ArmyAirForcesB-25bombardier,andanumberofothercharacters.MosteventsoccurwhiletheAirmenofthefictional256thsquadron（骑兵营）arebasedontheislandofPianosa,intheMediterraneanSeawestofItaly.ConceptAmongotherthings,Catch-22isageneralcritiqueofbureaucratic（官僚的）operationandreasoning.Resultingfromitsspecificuseinthebook,thephraseCatch-22iscommonidiomaticusagemeaningano-winsituationoradoublebindofanytype.Withinthebook,Catch-22isamilitaryrule,theself-contradictorycircularlogicthat,forexample,preventsanyonefromavoidingcombatmissions.InHeller'sownwords:TherewasonlyonecatchandthatwasCatch-22,whichspecifiedthataconcernforone'ssafetyinthefaceofdangersthatwererealandimmediatewastheprocessofarationalmind.Orrwascrazyandcouldbegrounded.Allhehadtodowasask;andassoonashedid,hewouldnolongerbecrazyandwouldhavetoflymoremissions.Orrwouldbecrazytoflymoremissionsandsaneifhedidn't,butifheweresanehehadtoflythem.Ifheflewthemhewascrazyanddidn'thaveto;butifhedidn'twanttohewassaneandhadto.YossarianwasmovedverydeeplybytheabsolutesimplicityofthisclauseofCatch-22andletoutarespectfulwhistle.OtherformsofCatch-22areinvokedthroughoutthenoveltojustifyvariousbureaucraticactions.Atonepoint,victimsofharassmentbymilitarypolicequotetheMPs'explanationofoneofCatch-22'sprovisions:Catch-22statesthatagentsenforcingCatch-22neednotprovethatCatch-22actuallycontainswhateverprovisiontheaccusedviolator（违反者）isaccusedofviolating.Anothercharacterexplains:Catch-22saystheyhavearighttodoanythingwecan'tstopthemfromdoing.ThethemeofabureaucracymarginalizingtheindividualinanabsurdwayissimilartotheworldofKafka'sTheTrial,andGeorgeOrwell'sNineteenEighty-Four.TheconceptofdoublethinkhasdefiniteechoesinHeller'swork.YossariancomestorealizethatCatch-22doesnotactuallyexist,butbecausethepowersthatbeclaimitdoes,andtheworldbelievesitdoes,itneverthelesshaspotenteffects.Indeed,becauseitdoesnotexist,thereisnowayitcanberepealed,undone,overthrown,ordenounced.Thecombinationofforcewithspeciousandspuriouslegalisticjustificationisoneofthebook'sprimarymotifs.Themotif(主题)ofbureaucraticabsurdityisfurtherexploredin1994'sClosingTime,Heller'ssequeltoCatch-22.Thisdarker,slower-paced,apocalypticnovelexploresthepre-andpost-warlivesofsomeofthemajorcharactersinCatch-22,withparticularemphasisontherelationshipbetweenYossarianandtailgunnerSammySinger.