blackhumorandCatch-22

1、绵阳师范学院本科毕业论文题目OnBlackHumorinCatch-22论第二十二条军规中的黑色幽默姓名胡亮班级2003级11班指导教师高建国讲师专业英语院系名称外国语学院答辩时间2007年6月绵阳师范学院学位委员会办公室制中国.绵阳论第二十二条军规中的黑色幽默学生姓名：胡亮指导教师：高建国摘要：第二十二条军规是美国“黑色幽默”的经典之作。第二十二条军规式的处境指一种无法摆脱的困境。“黑色幽默”作为一个文学流派的名称出现在六十年代的美国，绝非偶然。黑色幽默的典型情感是笑中带着泪水。本论文将通过三方面对小说中的黑色幽默进行分析，包括对小说中的荒谬的分析，对本书叙事结构分析，以及对文中叙事语调的分

2、析。从对小说中的黑色幽默进行分析中，探究作家对待当时社会的态度，黑色幽默所表现的深刻意义和阐释为什么第二十二条军规这个词语会进入美国人民的日常用语。关键词：黑色幽默；荒诞；困境HuLiangGaoJianguoOntheBlackHumorinCatch-22Undergraduate:Supervisor:Abstract:Catch-22isatypicalworkofAmerican“blackhumor"novels.Catch-22indicatesadilemmafromwhichoneisunabletoescape.“Backhumor"asaschoolo

3、fliteraturedidnotoccurinthe60sofAmericabychance.Theprominentemotionofblackhumorislaughingatcruelthingswithtears.ThisthesiswillanalyzetheblackhumorinCatch-22fromthreeaspects,whicharetheanalysisoftheabsurdityinthenovel,theunusualnarrativestructureandthenarrativetone.Throughtheanalysisoftheblackhumorin

4、Catch-22,thethesiswillexploretheauthor'sattitudetowardsthesocietywherehelivedin,theprofoundmeaningreflectedbyblackhumorandwillexplainwhycatch-22canenterinthegeneraluseofAmericanpeoplelanguage.KeyWords:blackhumor;absurdity;dilemmaContents1. Introduction11.1 Anintroductiontoblackhumor12. Abriefint

5、roductiontoCatch-221AnanalysisofblackhumorinCatch-2222.1 Ananalysisoftheabsurdsquadron22.1.1 Theabsurdmen22.1.2 Theabsurdconversations42.2 Ananalysisoftheunusualnarrativestructure5Ananalysisofthenarrativetone6Conclusion7Notes8Bibliography9Acknowledgement101.1 IntroductionAnintroductiontoblackhumor“B

6、lackhumor“occurredbychanceasaschoolofcapitalistliterature.In19J5,B.FriedmancollectedtheworksoftwelvemodernAmericanwritersintoananthologynaming“blackhumoowingtothesimilarityoftheircreativeintentionandtechniques.Thecreativeintentionofthesewriterscanbedescribedasfollows:theyloathetheworldandfeeldespair

7、totheworld.Theyusethedevicesofsatireandabsurditywithextremelyexaggerationtomakethereadersdoubtofeverything.Thedistortedphenomenonisalsoemployedwiththepurposeofprovokingthereaderstosuspectwhatisthetruthonearth.Theyaimtorevealthattheseeminglyimpossiblematterisinfactoccurringinthesociety.Theyusetheabsu

8、rdfarcetorevealthetruth.Soul,morality,truthandcivilizationareallreversed.Theoccurrenceofblackhumornovels“hasitssocialbackground.ThewriterswhowereenlistedintheschoolofblackhumorliteratureweredeeplyshockedbytheunprecedentedcrueltyofWorldWarTwoThewaroverturnedthetruthandthelovelylifeandmadepeoplesuffer

9、fromdeathandpain.Thesewritersfeltthatonlyblackhumorcouldbeusedtoexpresstheirdespairingmoodtowardsthesociety.Therefore,therewerethetheatreoftheabsurd'inFranceandtheblackhumornovels"whichdescribedtheabsurdityoftheworldaroundpeopleandtheconstraintoftheoutsideworldinAmericabetweentheperiodsof19

10、50sand1960s.Black"referstotheterriblesocialrealitywhilehumor"referstocynicallaughatsocialreality.Therealitymakespeoplefeelhumorous;however,themoodofhumorisgloomyanddark.Thisisacomplicatedandcontradictoryfeeling.Blackhumorexpressestheresentmentandthedespairthatemergefromthelopsidedcapitalis

11、tsocialcalamitybythegenerationafterWorldWarTwo.Laughatcruelthingswithtearsisthetypicalmoodofblackhumor.1.2 AbriefintroductiontoCatch-22JosephHeller,Americanwriter,gainedaworldwidefamewithhissatirical,anti-warnovelCatch-22.ThenovelispartlybasedontheexperiencesofHeller,whoservedasabombardierintheArmyA

12、irForceoftheUnitedStatesduringWorldWarTwo.HellerwasinvolvedinonepartofthewarinEurope:theattacksonenemyItalyandonoccupiedFrance.1Duringthisperiod,anactofdiplomacyremindsthereaderofthephilosophyoftheoldmanwhoarguedwithNatelyinRome,inChapter23ofthenovel.AftertheAllieslandedonthemainlandofItalyinSeptemb

13、er1943,Italycapitulated.Fromthenon,theAlliesadvancedsteadilynorthwards.RomewasfreedinJune1944andFlorenceinAugust.ThisadvancewascoordinatedwithOperationAnvil,whichpenetratedintoSouthernFrance.Manyoftheseeventswerereferredtointhenovel,forinstance,theentryintoRome,theSalernobeachhead,theGothicLine,theb

14、ombingofthebridgesatAvignon,Florence,BolognaandFerrara.Catch-22wasfirstpublishedin1961andwasanimmediatesuccess,bothcriticallyandcommercially.TheNationsaidCatch-22wasthebestnoveltocomeoutinyears”andtheNewYorkHeraldTribuneconsidereditas“Awild,moving,shocking,hilarious,raging,exhilarating,giantroller-c

15、oasterofabook.2ThewholesalesvolumehasreachedeightmillionsinAmericawithintenyears.NowitbecomestheboundreadingbookofstudentsinmanycollegesofEuropeancountriesandAmerica.1.3 AnanalysisofblackhumorinCatch-22AnanalysisoftheabsurdsquadronTheabsurdity,insensitivity,paradox,andcrueltyofthemodernworldareappea

16、redinthenovel.Ordinarycharactersorsituationsareusuallyexaggeratedfarbeyondthelimitsofnormalsatireorironytocreateasenseofabsurdity.CaptainJohnYossarian,thenovel'sprotagonist,abombardierinthe256thSquadronoftheArmyAirForceduringWorldWarTwo.ThewriterHellerpresentsagrotesquesquadronwheretheabsurdityi

17、snormal.GeneralPeckemrequiredalltentsintheMediterraneantheaterofoperationstobepitchedalongparallellineswithentrancesfacingbackproudlytowardtheWashingtonMonumentinordertoshowtheirpatriotismbutactuallyinordertoshowthemomentumofthesquadron.CaptainBlackstartedtheGloriousLoyaltyOathCrusade.Heorderedthatt

18、hepilothavetosignaloyaltyoathtogetthemap,toreceivetheirflaksuits,eventohavetheirhaircut.ColonelKornsucceededwitharulegoverningtheaskingofquestions.Underhisrule,theonlypeoplepermittedtoaskquestionswerethosewhoneverdid.”(p.36)Theseordersareridiculousandmakethereadersfeelfunny.Muddwhowaskeptalive“onthe

19、officialrosterwaslongdead.DocDaneekawasstillalivebutwasdeclareddead.Hebecamethegarbagewithoutsoul.Thisisatragedyoutofquestion.Thesituationsmakethereadersfeelabsurd.Hellerfalsifiestherealityandkeepsthepeoplefromcomprehendingitsabsurdity.Heoffersakindofcomedythatvergesonbeinggrotesque.Inthemeanwhile,h

20、eevokesthereaderstodosomethinkingaboutthecauseofabsurdity.1.3.1 TheabsurdmenInsuchasquadron,themenseemtobeinsaneandabnormalbecauseoftheirabsurdideasandbehaviors.ColonelCathcartwasdashinganddejected,poisedandchagrined/p.191)Hewasconceitedbecausehewasafullcolonelwithacombatcommandattheageofonlythirty-

21、six;andhewasdejectedbecausealthoughhewasalreadythirty-sixhewasstillonlyafullcolonel."(p.192)Hewantedtobeageneraldesperatelyandraisedthenumberofmissionstoforty,fifty,sixtyandevenmoremissionsarbitrarilywiththepurposeofwinningthefavourofhigherauthorities.Oneofficer,MajorMajorMajor,welcomedvisitors

22、inhisofficeonlywhenhewasout.Hebecameaninvisiblemaninthesquadron.Miloasamessofficerformedasyndicateinwhicheveryoneinthesquadronhadashare.Eachmesshallofferedhimaplaneandapilotwhowaswillingtodowhatheasked.Milosplaneflewinfromeverywhere,thepursuitplanes,bombers,andcargoshipsstreamingintothefieldofColone

23、lCathcart.TheplanesweredecoratedwithflamboyantsquadronemblemsillustratingsuchlaudableidealsasCourage,Might,Justice,Truth,Liberty,Love,HonorandPatriotism.HecontractedwiththeAmericanmilitaryauthoritiestobombtheGerman-heldhighwaybridgeatOrvietowiththeGermanmilitaryauthoritiestodefendthehighwaybridgeatO

24、rvietowithantiaircraftfireagainsthisownattack.Intheend,Milorealizedafantasticprofitfrombothhalvesofhisprojectforjustsigninghisnametwice.Duringsuchacruelwar,manwoulddieatanytime.Andthewarbecomesmerelythetooltomakemoneyforhim.ThisisextremelysatireandabsurdWhatHellercastigatesistheabsurdityofnotonlythe

25、militarybureaucracybutalsothewholecapitalistworldinwhichatraitorandaprofiteerlikeMilo.Themenwithpowerusesoundreasonablewords,suchasflyingforpatriotism",tokeepthepilotsflyingmoreandmorecombatmissions.Thepilotsarenotallowedtorefuseonlyiftheydie,otherwisetheywouldbeguiltyaccordingtotheAirForcerule

26、Catch-22.Thisrulestipulatesthepilotstoflycombatmissionscontinuouslywithoutaskingforrelief.Iftheyareinsane,theycouldbegrounded.Alltheyhavetodoisask,andassoonastheydo,theywouldnolongerbecrazyandwouldhavetoflymoremissions.Thisabsurdrulecreatesadilemmathatkeepsthepilotsflyingmissions.Thissignifiesthatth

27、ereisonlyonewaytorelief,andthatisdeath.ItisjustasYossarianoncesaidthateveryonewantedtokillmebecausetheyaskedmetofly.Thepilotssufferthefearofdeathconstantly.Therefore,HungryJoescreamedwhensleepingeverynightandendedhislifeinhisnightmareeventually.ApilotNatelywasdeadinbattlewhenthenumberofflyingmission

28、shadalreadyrisentoeighty.Dunber,Clevinger,McwattandChiefWhiteHalfoatalldiedordisappeared.Deathandabsurditystalktheworld.Allthepilotshavetoobeytheorderofsuperiorsandcontinuetofly.Theyarethepitifulcreaturesofthesociety.LeonF.Seltzerhasmadestatementabouttheabsurdityatch-22that“thenovelabsurdities-comic

29、andotherwise-operatealmostalwaystoexposethealarminginhumanitieswhichpolluteourpolitical,social,andeconomicsystems.Thesquadron”canbeexaminedasthemirroroftherealworld.Thisnovelreflectsthatthereisanabsurd,ugly,chaoticandcorruptrulinginstitutionintherealsocietyofAmerica.ThisinstitutionmakesthesocietyofA

30、mericabeingengagedintoaprettybadmesswithitsownpowerandasetofabsurdlogic,suchascatch-22.TheinstitutionislikelytocompletelyeliminatethepersonalityandtheunrestrainedwillofAmericanpeoplewhoareservedasthecannonfodder,blindobedienttotheinstitution.Thisisoneofthemostabsurdfactors.Thelaughterofreadersendsin

31、tearswhentheybecomeawareofpatheticsituationofthebomberpilots.1.3.2 TheabsurdconversationsThenormalsequenceoflanguagedoesnotexistinthenovelinordertoshowtheabsurdityandtogeneratetheintensiveeffectofblackhumor.Hellerusesasurface川ogicallanguagetoreflectthedepthoftheabsurdityoftheworld.Insuchanabsurdandh

32、ideoussituation,theAmericanpeopledonothaveanyawareofdangeratall.Theyarewipedoutwithoutrestriction.Theyaccepttheexecution.Moreover,theybecometheaccessoryofmurdererwithoutawareness.Theirlanguagealsocannotbeusedtoexpresstheirideabecauseoftheirconfusiontotheworld.Thenovelproclaimsthatlanguagecouldnotcom

33、municateideaswithothersandcouldnotreducetheconfusion.Manuseslanguagetoproceedthinking,tounderstandtheworldandtocommunicateideas.However,thenormallogicinferencescanmerelycausetheconfusioninthenovelbecauseoftheabsurdityandthedisorderofthesociety.Thefollowingexamplecanillustratethispointofviewverywell.

34、“They'retryingtokillme,“Yossariantoldhimcalmly.“Noonstryingtokillyou,“Clevingercried.“Thenwhyaretheyshootingatme?”Yossarianasked.“They'reshootingateveryone,"Clevingeranswered."They'retryingtokilleveryone.”“Andwhatdifferencedoesthatmake?p.255)”Theambiguityensuingfromtheseoddresp

35、onsesprovokesourlaugh.Theillogicaluseoflanguagehelpstocreateanatmosphereofabsurdityastateinwhichunreal,irrationalthingshappeneveryday.Nevertheless,whilethereadersthinkabouttheimplicitmeaningofthedialogue,theconcealingsorrowemergesfromtheabsurdatmosphereunwittingly.Furthermore,thepervasionofself-cont

36、radictorystatementsismeaninglessinthemostpartofthenovel.“Natelyhadabadstart.Hecamefromagoodfam(ly.17);“Hedidnothatehismotherandfather,eventhoughtheyhadbothbeenverygoodtohim”(p.13).Thewriterusesthesewittystatementsthatlikelanguagegamestostirupthereaderslaughinstinctively.Thisislargelysubconsciousreac

37、tionthatispromptedbywhatJerryPalmertermsasthe“logicoftheabsurd”.1.4 AnanalysisoftheunusualnarrativestructureOnefeatureofCatch-22isitsunusualnarrativestructure.ThemostsignificantaspectofthestructureofCatch-22isitsformlessness.Itisalsoadrasticcontroversialissueamongthecritics.Somecriticsholdsthatitsun

38、usualstructureiscarefullyconstructedtosupportthepervasiveabsurdityandHellerannouncedthattheformlessstructureofCatch-22wascompiledwithgreateffortswhilehewaspresentatmanyinterviews.Inthenovel,timerapidlychangeswithoutwarningsometimes.Pastandpresentmingle.Hellerpresentschaostorevealthedisorderoftheworl

39、d.Yossarianisaprotagonistaswellasastrandcharacterpenetratingthroughthewholenovel.Alotofstoriesandplotsarepiecedtogethertocomposethenovel.Mostoftheactionstakeplacefromspringtowinterof1944,butthereareflashbacksto1942,whenYossarianwasinbasictrainingatLoweryFieldinColorado,andto1943whenhewasincadettrain

40、ingatSantaAna,California.Eventsrecur.Thepersonwhohasalreadydiedmaybealiveinlaterchapters.SnowdenhadalreadybeentoldthathewaskilledoverAvignonaweekbeforethedecorationofYossarianandbeforetheGreatSiegeofBologna,butatanotherplotYossarianwasseentakinghisrestleaveafterBolognawhenSnowdenwasalivethen,andYoss

41、ariancouldtellitwasSnowden'sroom."(p.168)TheoccurringofsomeeventscomplieswiththeconsciousnessofYossarian.Yossarian'straumaticrecollectionsofSnowden'sdeathareseeminglyarbitraryepisodes.Thisutterlyconfusingchronologymaybethebestwaytocreateanabsurdworld,whichisreadlikeamindreminiscinga

42、boutanightmareofthepast.Timestopsfunctioningasacoordinatesystem.AlthoughmanycriticsarestillpuzzledbythestructureofCatch-22,themoststrikingfeatureofthenovelisitsunusualnarrativestructure,whichhasbeenrecognizedasatechnicalinnovation.Whentimeisabsent,lifelosesitstimelyorder."naworldwherelifeceases

43、toberationalandorderly,nothinglikeasequentialdevelopmentispossibleand,consequently,topresentitinanylogicaltimesequencewouldbe4Thestyleoftheblackhumornovelsislooseanddisorderly.Hellercomposeshisworkusinglotsoffragments.Thenovelsuccessfullyconfusesthereadersthroughthetemporalchaos,themazeofincrediblep

44、eopleandincidentsfromthefarceofitsearlypagestotheeventualprotestandhorroritreveals.Thereadersfeelfrustratedwhentheytrytofindtheregularorderofthenovel.HellerintendstoexpressthatthenovelCatch-22isametaphorformanfindingwaysofescapingpowercontrolanddeath,andthisundertakingistimelessnaturally.1.5 Ananaly

45、sisofthenarrativetoneHellerdescribesthepainfulthingsusingacool,mercilessandtriflingtonebycontrariestocreatetheeffectofblackhumor.Thismorbidnarrativetoneisthemaincausethatmakeshumorbecomedim.ThesuccessfulapplicationofthiskindoftoneinCatch-22alsobecomesaforerunnerofthatperiod.Thiscanbeillustratedbythe

46、followingexample.WhileYossarianstayedatthemilitaryhospital,hethoughtthatthemilitaryhospitalwasasafeplacewherenoonedroppeddownfromtheairplaneacceleratingattherateofthirtytwofeetpersecondtolandwithahideousploponthesidewalkanddiedisgustinglythereinpubliclikeanalpacasackfullofhairystrawberryicecream,ble

47、eding,picktoesawry/7P.171)Tooursurprise,thereisfullofvivid,cruelimageryandscientificcoldmoodinthedescriptionofsuchaseverescene.Itisdread.However,itisjustthetypicalfeatureofblackhumor,whichtreatsdeathasajokeandtriestofindproperadjectivestodescribethedeathwithcompletelyindifferentattitude.Onlyifsomeon

48、efeelsextremelydespair,hisattitudetowardsthecrueltyofdeathreachestotheextentofindifference.Inordertogeneratetheeffectofirony,Hellerintroducesanabnormalcontenttothereaderswithanormalnarration.ItprovokesthereaderstothinkthatwhatcauseHellerusethiskindoftechniquetoexpresshisdespairingmood.Afterexperienc

49、ingthecrueltyoftheWorldWarTwoandtheshameddecadetotheAmericansexemplifiedbyMcCarthy,Hellersuffersalotofillusionandhopelessness.Heacceptsthatmanexistingonearthisjustmatter.“Drophimoutawindowandhewillfall.Setfiretohimandhewillburn.Buryhimandhewillrotlikeotherkindsofgarbage.Thespiritgone,manisgarbage.(p

50、.450)Theirexistenceseemsabsurdandmeaningless.Theyarecontrolledbymysteriousforce.Yetinfacttheforceistheendlessappetiteforpowerandmoneyofman.Themanwhohasthepowerandthemoneyplayhisrightsuponthemanfromthelowerclass.Hellerfindsthathecanmerelystruggleagainstthesituationwithjokesandderidestheabsurdsituatio

51、ntocomforthim.HeisasensitivemanwhoistheoneinafewawakeningpeoplewhileotherAmericansdonothaveanyawareofdangeratall.HeplaceshisemotionsonYossariananduseshisacidandnonchalanttonetosatirize,tocriticizeandtoexposetheabsurdsocietyofAmericaandthehypocriticalcapitalistsociety.Therefore,blackhumor,anillhumorc

52、omesout.2. ConclusionThisthesisdiscussesCatch-22fromthepointofblackhumor.ToanalyzeblackhumorinCatch-22ismainlyfromthreeaspects,theabsurdsquadron,theunusualnarrativestructureandthenarrativetone.Throughtheanalysisoftheabsurdsquadron,thereadersknowthatthisisabsurdworld.Thewriterappliesanunusualnarrativ

53、estructuretoreinforceanimpressionofabsurdityoftheworld.Thenarrativetoneisemployedbythewriterinordertogenerateaprofoundthoughtonthereasonwhytheworldisabsurd.AnalyzingtheblackhumorinCatch-22makesthereadersknowtheexistingproblemsofAmericancapitalistsocietyin1950sandexplainsthereasonfortheprevalenceofblackhumornovels.Fromtheanalysisabove,theultimateconclusionisthatthenovelischaracterizedbythecombinat