Abstract:Catch-22 is the master work of Joseph Heller, who is a noted American writer in the last century. Once this novel is published, it achieves a remarkable response all over the nation. It not only creates the precedent of American postmodern literature, but also makes Heller celebrated. The novel shows a crazy world from the perspective of Captain John Yossarian. In addition, the novel exposes fraud and corruption of American capitalism and bureaucracy. Furthermore, it discloses the ordinary people’s pain and dissatisfaction brought by the description of main characters: Colonel Cathcart, Lieutenant Scheisskopf, Millo Minderbinder and so on. As one of the pioneering work of American postmodern literature, Catch-22 vividly reveals the absurd American society at that time through the postmodernism way. This paper will interpret Catch-22 from the perspective of postmodernism including content devices and language devices, to make readers have a clear comprehension of the novel.

Key words: Catch-22; capitalism; bureaucracy; postmodernism, absurd

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1.Introduction.1

  1.1 Joseph Heller and Catch-22.1

  1.2 Previous Studies on Catch-223

2. The Introduction of Postmodernism5

  2.1 Definition of Postmodernism.5

  2.2 Features of Postmodernism6

  2.3 Genre of Postmodernism6

  2.4 Influence of Postmodernism.7

3. Postmodernist Characteristics in Catch-227

  3.1 Absurdity of Characters.8

    3.1.1 Milo Minderbinder8

    3.1.2 Lieutenant Scheisskopf.9

    3.1.3 The Women.10

  3.2 Combination of Realities and Illusions11

  3.3 Discontinuity of Structure12

  3.4 Language Devices14

    3.4.1 Black Humor.14

    3.4.2 Contradiction.16

3.4.3 Repetition18

4. Conclusion20

References21