Women: The Roles Of The Other And The Victim

Up till now, few scholars have studied the image, identity, role, value and situation of woman in Catch-22. Interpreting Catch-22 from the perspective of feminist theory, readers may realize that many thoughts and behaviors of the characters in the novel show that the ideologies and norms of patriarchy are prevailing in the novel, thus women have become the roles of the Other and the victim in the patriarchal society. It is typically shown in three aspects: firstly, the focus of male gaze is on woman's body, and representations of women are mainly about their bodies; secondly, women are viciously attacked, and their images have been seriously distorted. Some negative qualities are imposed on the female characters, for they are the victims of men's misogyny; thirdly, men take the double standard towards themselves and women. Since patriarchy is deeply rooted in the mind of people, Heller's writing of Catch-22, the thoughts and behaviors of the characters in the novel, and readers' interpretation haven't been free from the yoke of patriarchy, which also explains why the enslavement, marginalization, masochism, injustice and the unfair treatment that women suffer in the novel have been long covered.