An Existentialist Study Of Catch-22

Widely-known as the pioneer of black humor literature, Joseph Heller’s celebrated novel Catch-22has stirred literary circles since1961when it was originally published. It became a household name after being adapted onto the screen in the1970s. Dealing with a series of absurd events happening at the end of World War II in an American Air Force base on imaginary Pianosa Island, the novel doesn’t depict the war too much, though. On the stage of war, Heller, in desperation and disgust, subjectively and skillfully expresses the absurdity of the contemporary society and individual existential situation and fate.So far, the domestic and abroad research on Heller and his Catch-22primarily focuses on its unique style of black humor, covering the absurdity theme and the detailed analysis of anti-hero characters, from a wide range of angles including formalism criticism, chronology, artistic skills, religious paradox, modernism, postmodernism, etc. Considering the philosophical basis of black humor novels is existentialism, the thesis probes into the embodiment of Sartre’s existentialism in Catch-22, that is, atheistic existentialism represented by Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Simone de Beauvior.This thesis consists in all of five chapters. Chapter One is an introduction to Heller and Catch-22, Sartre’s Existentialism as a theoretical basis, literature review as well as originality of the thesis and its structure.Chapter Two centers on an important existentialist thought---the Absurd. This part mainly discusses absurdity and craziness embodied in Catch-22from the political, economic, military and religious aspects. The analysis of political corruption embodied by Colonel Cathcart’s selfish careerism and General Peckem’s usurping power demonstrates egoism in bureaucratic system. The economic craziness symbolized by Milo’s blind pursuit of profits and Cathcart’s collusion illustrates greediness in capitalist system. The military absurdity represented by Scheisskopf’s and Major Major’s promotion reflects the chaos in military organization. And religious crisis illustrated by Tappman’s pendulum of faith in God, Cathcart’s hierarchy of God and Yossarian’s doubt in God mirrors the shake of faith in God. Chapter Three explores the crisis of humanity in an absurd world from two aspects: spiritual crisis which is embodied by Havermeyer’s morbid delight in shooting field mice, Hungry Joe’s ear-splitting screams in nightmares, and Mc Watt’s incorrigible mania about low-flying; and identity crisis which is reflected from experiences of the non-existent man Mudd and the living dead man Doc. Daneeka. This part indicates the existentialist theory of meaningless existence.Chapter Four conducts a clear analysis of free choice of Orr and Yossarian in Catch-22to illustrate another important existentialist thought that human being is absolutely free to make choices. For existentialists, an individual has freedom to make choices according to his free will and undertakes responsibility for his acts.Based on these above analyses, the author draws the conclusion in Chapter Five that existentialist thoughts are fully embodied in Catch-22.Conducting an existentialist study of Catch-22is of practical significance, which lies in that people come to know the look of contemporary America, understand how Capitalism oppresses and decays human beings and how interpersonal relationship is under bureaucratic system, and it is also helpful in studying Heller’s other works.