Abstract

The article intends to analyze three characters in Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 : Milo, Major Major Major and Yossarian by discussing their development from the perspective of archetype in Carl Gustav Jung’s collective unconscious. First of all, the thesis generally describes how Milo turns from an original pilot to another one who is living for interest only and points out the key lies in that Milo wears a persona. On this basis, the paper states that the persona influences Milo. What’s more, the paper focuses on study of the personality of Major Major Major during his growth. It is found that he accepts the shadow. Therefore his sense of inferiority and self-isolation forms. At last, the article analyzes the main character Yossarian’s mental activity and a series of his crazy behaviors, which indicate it is the individuation that stimulates his final and successful escapement from the military and helps him to start his new life. The paper mainly explores the strong and inconspicuous collective unconscious and its effects on people, aiming to draw people’s attention to the collective unconscious and try to provide a new perspective of research on Catch-22. 

Keywords: Catch-22; C.G.Jung; the collective unconscious; archetype

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-1

3.Carl Jung’s Theory of the Collective Unconscious and Study of Significance-2

4. The Collective Unconscious in Catch-22-6

4.1 The persona-Milo-6

4.2 The shadow-Major Major Major-7

4.3 The individuation-Yossarian-9

5. Conclusion-11

Works Cited-13