ChapterThepost-warprosperityproducedasenseofoptimism,butitsoonwasspoiledbythe“ColdWar”betweenpowers.TheChapterThepost-warprosperityproducedasenseofoptimism,butitsoonwasspoiledbythe“ColdWar”betweenpowers.Thelifeofthefiftieswaspoisonedattherootbytheanti-communisthysteriaofMcCarthyism.ThelifeofthesixtiesenrichedbytheCivilRightsMovement.Butatthesametime,theVietnamWarhadallthetimeweighedontheconsciousnessofthepeople.Everythingseemedtobesubjectedtoaprevailingskepticism.Newadvancesinscienceandtechnology,whilegivingpeopleanincreasingsenseofpower,havedeprivedlifeofitsmysteriesandcontinuedtodehumanizeman.Sothepost-warperiodisaperiodduringwhichtheuniverseisoutofjoint,theworldisacrazy,random,chaoticandtragicplace.Man’sexistenceisabsurd;peoplebecomegrotesque,writersbecomemoreandmorenihilistic.SaulBellow索.貝婁thebestrepresentativewriterafterWorldWarJewishAmericanwriter,scholarwriter,likeaphilosopher.NobelPrizewinnerin1976.Hisstrengthliesinhisfaithinmanandman’sabilitytooffera“spiritualresistancetotheforceofourtime”.Hisnovelsusuallyendonanaffirmativenote.Itisnotalwaysaending,butitisanendingwhichcallsforhopemorethanSubjectmatter:Hewroteaboutthespiritualconflictsoftheintellectuals,andaboutbigcitylife.MostofhisheroesareJewishintellectualsorwriters.Characters:ordinary,troubledinlife,burdenedbythepressureoflife,facingviolenceandvictimization,tryingtodiscoverthequeernessofexistenceandovercomeit.Famousnovels:DanglingMan(晃來(lái)晃去的人)Itisaboutayoungmanwaitingforrecruit.Hegivesuphisjob,andissupportedbyhiswife.Danglinghereandtherewithoutdoinganything,hefeelsevenmoredepressed.Withtimegoeson,thespiritandsouloftheprotagonistareexposedtothereaders.Hefeelsthathedoesnotliveinaspaciousworld,butiscoopedupinaprisonwithouttomorrow,onlythepastremains.(ManyofSaulBellow’sprotagonistsarethesamekind.Theydanglehereandthere,attemptingtoseektheiridentityorthenatureofTheAdventuresofAugieMarch(p.413.)anoveltoldfromfirstpersonalviewpoint.ItfollowsAugiefromhischildhoodandyouthinChicago,toMexicoandthentohismanhoodinParis.AugieisanorphanofJewishborninaChicagoslum.Fromhisboyhood,therehavebeenexistedforcestryingtomanipulatehim,andhetriestogetoutofit.Heendeavorstodiscoverhisownidentityanddefineitinhisownterm.Hewantstoobecomewhathewouldlikehimselftobe,be.Soheisseenrunningawayallthetime.Theworlddoesnotallowhimtoliveashepleases,heneverfindstherightthingtodo.Hekeepsdreaming:marryingalovelywifeanddoingsomefarmingandbeekeepingona“privategreenplace”.ButthispastoralidealnevercomesThenhestartswonderingwhetherheis“amanofhopeorfoolishness”.Indeedisboth:heisfoolishbecauseheishopeful.Somoderncivilizationhasmadeitimpossiblekeepone’skeepone’sindividualHenderson,theRainKing.(雨王漢德遜).Theprotagonist,notJewish,amillionaireinhisfifties,notsatisfiedwithhisrichmateriallife,goestoanimaginedAfricanlandtosearchforspiritualpowerandmeaningoflife,andbecomesrainmakerandheirtoathrone.Intheend,realizingthattodosomethingforthesocietyistherealpleasureoflife,hereturnstoAmericatostudymedicine.ThenovelisanaffirmativeonetolifeandindividualityintheformofUtopia.Herzog(赫索格)concerningspiritualcrisisofintellectuals.Herzog,aJewishprofessorofphysicshasbeenconcernedaboutthedevelopmentofmanandhiscivilization.Heisambitiousenoughtoplanabigbookonsocialprogress.However,hefindsitimpossibletocarryouthisprojectbecauselifehassomehowgonewrong.Hisfamilylifeisfrustrating.Hisfirstmarriageisnotahappyone,sohegetsdivorced.Buthethenfindsthathisbestfriendcommitsadulterywithhissecondwife.Furthermore,unemployment,socialunrest,politicalhysteria,industrialpollution,poverty,racialconflicts,crimeviolence…allthesetroublehissanityandmakeshimeccentric.Hebeginstowritetoboththelivingandthedeadtorelievehimselfofthesuffering.TheVictim(受害者)SeizetheDay(只爭(zhēng)朝夕NormanMailer梅勒FamousTheNakedandtheDead裸者與死者)TheArmiesoftheNight(夜間軍隊(duì))TheNakedandtheDead(裸者與死者Thefirstandthebestnovelofhis.Itwaswrittenaccordingtohisexperienceasasoldier.Ittellsthestoryof14-manplatoonthatlandsonthebarrenbeachofAnopopei,asmallJapanese-heldislandintheSouthPacific.Theplatoonispartofa6,000-man-forcetoseizecontroloftheislandandpreparethewayforalargerAmericanmoveintothePhilippines.Midway,PrivateWilsonisshotinthebelly.Fourattempttocarryhimtothesafety,buttwogivesupinexhaustion.Theothertwotakehimovermuddyhills,acrossbakedfieldsandthroughthesuffocatingjungle,butheeventuallydiesThepatrolgoesforwardslowlyandanothertwodieonthewaytothesummit.Justastheyareabouttoattainthesummit,anestofhornetsexplodesuponthem,andtheyfalldowntheslope.Withthepublicationofthenovel,MaileristhoughtasoneoftheAmericannaturalistwriters.Inthenaturalisticworld,theindividualispreytocertainforcesoverwhichhehasnocontrol.Theseforcesarebiological,socialorgeographical.TheuniverseofTheNakedandtheDeadisacold,indifferentcosmos,manlaborsonlytodie,andGodtakesnointerestinhisJ.DSalinger(塞琳杰TheCatcherintheRye(麥田里的守望者)hebestEnglishnovelcomingoutofWorldWarII.ItrelatesthepainfulstoryofahighschoolboygrowingupintheworldofdecadentNewYork.Thenoveldepictsanadolescent’sdisgustanddespairatthefallenstateofthatadultworldaroundhim.Itisaworldofjerksandperverts(sexualbehaviorisconsideredabnormal),asalientofwhichisitsYoungHoldenCaufieldisexpelledfromschoolbecauseofpooracademicrecords.Afraidtohisparents,hecheckshimselfintoahotel,butfindsthatitisfullofprostitutesandHebecomes,verysoon,awareofthefactthattheworldofadultsisafalseone,andthatheissurroundedbyJerksofallkinds.Hequarrelswithoneofthemwhotriestocheathimoutofhispocket,Hebecomes,verysoon,awareofthefactthattheworldofadultsisafalseone,andthatheissurroundedbyJerksofallkinds.Hequarrelswithoneofthemwhotriestocheathimoutofhispocket,andisbeatenup.Theseconddaymovesonslowly,sadandweary.Ameetingwithafriendendswithanotherquarrel.Hegetsdrunkandfeelslonesomeanddepressed.Nightfalls,hesneaksbackhometoseehissister.Hisparentcomebackhome,sohecreepsoutofhome,andgoestohisformerteacher,onlytofindthatthemanisahomosexual.Heescapeshastilyfromtheteacher’shome.Nowheisthinkingofgoingwestandspendingtherestofhislifethere.Hegoestosaygoodbyetohissister.Butsheinsistsongoingwithhim.Thisunexpectedactoflovejostleshimoutofhisdreamandhisnightmarishthree-dayadventureinNewYork.Hegoeshome,fallsill,andrecoversinamentalhome.ItistherethatherecountshissadstoryofgrowingupinTheCatcherintherye.Theimplicationofthetitle:Realizingthatallkidslikehimareindangeroflosingtheirinnocence,hewishestobea“catcherintherye”.Whilemanychildrenareplayingsomegameinabigfieldofryenearacliff,hewouldtrytocatcheveryoneiftheystarttogooverthecliff,thatis,tosavechildrenfromlosingtheirintegrityandInthedecadeofthesixties,sthmoreradicaloccurredwhichpushedtheAmericannovelintoanewphase,phaseofabsurd.Thenblackhumororblackcomedyiscommonlyusedbythenovelistsoftheabsurd.Writersbelievethattheworldiscrazyandabsurd,andthereisnooutletforhumanbeings,onlydilemma.Sotheirresponsetotheblacknessofmodernlifeislaughter,laughinginfaceofatragicsituation.BlackHumor:akindofdramaoranon-dramaticworkinwhichdisturbingsubjectlikedeath,disease,orwarfarearetreatedwithbitteramusement,usuallyinamannerdesignedtooffendandJosephHeller海勒Catcher-22(22條軍規(guī)Itmarkedthebeginningofanewperiod,thatoftheItprotestedagainsttheabsurdityofmodernAmericaasembodiedbythemilitarypowerstructureitdescribes.IttakesplaceinaUnitedStatesAirForcebaseinwartimeItaly.Asarule,anypilotwhohasfinished25missionscanbedemobilizedandreturnhome.Butbeingeagertobepromoted,ColonelCathcartandKornincreaseitfrom25to30,to35,40,eventuallyto80.PilotYossarianrefusestoflymoreandprotestsagainstit.Ifhestays,hewillmaketroublefortheColonel,astheotherswillfollowhim.SotheydecidetosendhimbacktoAmericaasahero,butthereisadeal:AfterYossarianreturnshome,heshouldliketwoofthem,andsaynicethingsaboutthem.Catch-22isarule:Allthebomberpilotsareafraidofflyingbombingmissionsandwishedtobegroundedandescapedeath.Oneofthem,Orr,iscrazyandcanbegroundedAllhehastodoistoasktobegrounded.