《第二十二条军规》中的黑色幽默分析

An Analysis of Black Humor in Catch-22

Abstract

Catch-22 is one of the representative works of black humor literature. The novel is set during World War II, telling a series of absurd events that captain John Yossarian encountered on the island of Iianosa. It reveals the thoughts of Joseph Heller on war and humanity.

This paper mainly researches black humor in Catch-22. It consists of four parts. It firstly introduces the author Joseph Heller and the writing background of Catch-22. Then, it gives an overview of the concept and writing techniques of black humor, making a theoretic foundation of this research. Next, it expounds elements of the black humor in Catch-22, including the chaotic narrative structure, absurd characters, and the humorous and ironical writing style of this fiction. It also concludes the main characters and writing effects of black humor literature. In the last part, this paper discusses the theme of Catch-22 that is highlighted by black humor.

In conclusion, this paper makes a tentative analysis of Catch-22 from the perspective of black humor in order to provide a relatively comprehensive interpretation of the text. With the progress of the society, peace and development have become the themes of this world. However, conflicts and local wars still take place every day. Hegemonism and terrorism have increasingly become the main factors that hinder the development of human society. By the careful analysis of the characters, this paper attempts to arouse reader’s reflection on war and human nature. 

Key words: Catch-22;black humor;absurdity;war;