Plant And Phantom---An Analysis Of The Theme Of The Naked And The Dead

The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer is considered one of the most important and influential novels about World War II. Critics have interpreted it in a number of different ways since its publication. However, Mailer himself insists that his book is ymbolic with the theme of the conflict between the beast and the seer in man. This paper attempts to analyze the theme of the novel. It is divided into four parts. The first part talks about some critiques on the novel and the author's own view. The second illustrates double plot lines that consist of the four major characters. The third discusses in detail a isharmony and hybrid in some of the characters in the novel. The fourth is the conclusion that the novel with the theme of the conflict between the beast and the seer in man possesses the enduring artistic charm and becomes one of the best war novels about World War II.