Abstract

Catch-22 is one of Joseph Heller’s most famous novels. Catch-22 is under the background of the Second World War, but it is not a war novel in the real meaning. In fact, Catch-22 is an epitome of American society in the 1950s and 1960s. In the novel, Joseph Heller presents the real American society more vividly through symbolism. This thesis is mainly aimed to analyze Catch-22 from the angle of symbolism by interpreting four categories of primary symbols which are title, structure, characters and plot, which will contribute to readers’ profounding understanding of Catch-22 and Symbolism. Meanwhile, by analyzing the symbolism in Catch-22, readers could know more about the American society in the 1950s and 1960s.

Key Words：Joseph Heller  Catch-22  Symbolism

摘 要

《第二十二条军规》是约瑟夫•海勒最著名的一部作品。这是一部以第二次世界大战为背景，但却不是真正意义上的战争小说，而是二十世纪五、六十年代美国社会的缩影。在这部小说中，约瑟夫•海勒通过象征手法充分地表现出当时美国社会的昏暗与动荡。本研究主要从象征主义的角度来分析《第二十二条军规》，主要通过小说中四种主要象征—标题、结构、人物和情节进行分析，使读者对《第二十二条军规》和象征主义有更好地了解。同时，也让读者更好地了解二十世纪五、六十年代的美国社会。

关键词：约瑟夫•海勒 《第二十二条军规》 象征主义

1   Introduction
Catch-22 is a novel with black humor about the Second World War, which is regarded by the literary critics as one of the most excellent novels. Through the work Catch-22, Joseph Heller presents the condition of American society in the fifties and sixties. Some critics consider that Catch-22 is the best novel which reveals the Second World War most deeply. At the same time, they think that the novel has exceeded the meaning of the war itself. Barden N. (2008) points out in the book Words and Symbols: Language and Communication in Therapy that Joseph Heller reveals the crazy and absurd society by symbolism, which exposes the American society more thoroughly.
Since the work was published, there have been many researches about the work at home and abroad, including the research of black humor, the research of the characters and the research of the structure. However, this study will concentrate on the research of the symbolism in Catch-22, including the symbolism of the book title, the symbolism of the characters, the symbolism of the structure and the symbolism of the plot. Joseph Heller does not concentrate on the Second World War, but presents the American society from the absurd form of his expression.