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Abstract Catch-22, Joseph Heller’s masterpiece, mainly describes the wartime experience of Army Air Corps Captain John Yossarian who always tries all he can to avoid combat missions in the Second World War. It has long been regarded as a representative work of the Black Humor in 1960s.35051
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Instead of concentrating on the style of Black Humor, this thesis tries to analyze the huge effects the war have brought to all kinds of people and the anomalies people behave under the circumstance of the war in Catch-22. Three typical characters, including Colonel Cathcart，Milo Minderbinder and John Yossarian are chosen to highlight their abnormal characters. This thesis tries to find out all kinds of abnormal behaviors they have performed and probe into the symbolic meanings of these characters. In the novel, Colonel Cathcart is a symbol of inhuman power, Milo Minderbinder represents the capitalism, and John Yossarian stands for rebellion with his rebellion to his superiors and his doomed destiny. In addition, the thesis intends to argue that all of the characters’ anomalies result from the war. The end of this thesis points out the huge damage that the war can bring to both people’s mentality and body with a consideration to call on people to work together to keep away from wars and maintain the precious peace.
Key Words: Catch-22 Joseph Heller characters symbolic meaning
摘 要《第二十二条军规》是美国作家约瑟夫•海勒一生当中最重要的作品，主要讲述了二战期间空军上尉约瑟连设法逃避参战的故事。该小说被认为是上世纪60年代黑色幽默风格的代表。
本文没有从传统的黑色幽默风格出发，而是立足于战争对社会各阶级人们生活的影响，讨论《第二十二条军规》中不同的人物在战争的摧残下所表现出的种种令人匪夷所思的异象。本文选取了《第二十二条军规》中最具代表性的卡斯卡特上尉、米洛以及主人公约瑟连进行分析，从他们身上独特的性格特点出发，发掘他们身上在第二次世界大战这种特有的战争环境下所表现出来的种种异象，思索小说中人物性格的象征意义。在小说中，卡斯卡特上尉象征了毫无人性、冷酷无情的统治阶级权力，米洛象征着资本主义或者资本化的过程，而小说的主人公约瑟连则是象征着小人物身上的那种对命运的反抗。最后，本文认为所有的问题都根源于战争，深入论述了战争给人带来的各种身体伤害和心灵的摧残，呼吁人们共同努力，远离战争文护和平。
毕业论文关键词：《第二十二条军规》 约瑟夫•海勒 人物性格 象征意义
Contents
Abstract i
摘要 ii
Contents iii
Introduction …1
Chapter One Colonel Cathcart : A Symbol of Inhuman Power … 5
Chapter Two Milo Minderbinder : A Symbol of Capitalism 7
Chapter Three John Yossarian : A Symbol of Rebellion … 10
Conclusion 12
Works Cited…14
A Brief Analysis of Typical Characters and Their Symbolic Meanings in Catch-22
Introduction
Joseph Heller (May 1, 1923—December 12, 1999) was one of the most prominent American satirical novelists, short story writers, and also the representative of black humor in the postwar period. During his life, Heller wrote three plays, six novels, a dozen short stories, reviews and also many autobiographical articles. Although he has written many works, such as Something Happened, God Knows, Closing Time, concentrating on the lives of various members of the middle class and remaining examples of modern satire, he is mostly remembered for his masterpiece Catch-22, which occupies an important role in black humor.
The line of the Catch-22 was thought of by Heller when he was sitting at home one morning in 1953. When the novel came into being published, it describes the wartime experience of Army Air Corps Captain John Yossarian who always tries all he can to avoid combat missions, while the military bureaucracy can always have him stay. Just as what Heller himself has observed, “Everyone in my book accuses everyone else of being crazy. Frankly, I think the whole society is nuts---and the question is: What does a sane do in an insane society?” Heller has also commented that only peace can maintain the civilization of human beings.