The book is growing on me now. In the beginning it was difficult to read; I thought it was one of those books that I would have to force myself to get through, but it’s actually quite good.
I suppose I’ll just list off a few things I noticed while reading:
- The description of Sergeant Towser: white blonde hair, white marshmellow teeth, and sunken cheeks. I forget which chapter this was from exactly, but I do remember there being (in the beginning of the chapter) a description about a white cloud. Then of course, in the beginning of the book, there was the Soldier in White. I’m trying to figure out if there’s a correlation, or if white is just an important color in the book. Once again, I feel like I have a few pieces, I just don’t know how to put them together!
- Mudd! It was interesting the way Heller described him as well: how he was an unknown soldier, how his clothes were left in Yossarian’s tent the same way he had left them there three months ago, the day he never arrived. Also, how he never had a chance and "had to be dead." I suppose Heller is telling people that no one ever thinks about the soldiers. There are so many that die in wars, but it doesn’t affect everyone (excluding family and friends) because we don’t know them. Or at least I think that’s what he’s trying to say. I hope I'm at least...somewhat right.
- Orr’s name. I’m not sure why, but it stood out for me.
- Captain Black and his Great Loyalty Oath: it reminded me of McCarthy, (McCarthyism), and how he basically convinced everyone that Communists were everywhere. He, at one point, even accused the U.S. Army of being Communists.
- The mushrooms! Heller described them as being lifeless bodies.
- Irony: it makes the book hilarious! I mean, it’s great because you can tell it’s done purposely, but it’s just so ridiculously funny. Ha, take for example when Yossarian moved the bomb line over Bologna hoping that it would mean they wouldn’t have to fly the mission. Mr. (intelligent) Black (in his intelligence tent) believed it. I’m sorry, I just thought it was funny :D
- Hungry Joe’s dreams: I mean, there was that one scene, with Huple’s cat, where he dreamt of how the cat was on his face, then he woke up and it was. Then there are his screaming night tremors. I find it odd that he has these terrible screaming fits, then he’s completely normal, (well, kind of), during the day. It’s obvious that he dreams of the reality of their situation; his screaming is what they all feel.
- The attack at Bologna: it was so vivid; it felt as though I was actually there, which I’m sure is what the author intended for us to feel.
- Major --- de Coverley: he has one blind eye. Also, this: “…the wall of officers before him parted like the Red Sea.” Definitely an allusion, but does it mean anything else?
No comments:
Post a Comment