Yes, I realize this question comes directly from your study guide. The point of part of the blog is cut down the amount of time we will need to review when you come back to school.
If you have questions about the reading, send them to me and I will post them on the blog. Your classmates will help you resolve the problems and you will both earn extra credit assuming the questions are worthwhile and more than simple reading comprehension.
The character I choose is Clevinger.
ReplyDeleteClevinger is an important character in the novel because he always states his opinion about the war, which is often different then Yossarian’s. He is the idealistic soldier because he believes in loyalty to his country and the fact that everyone has a duty and must serve it. In some ways, Clevinger makes Yossarian the way he is. Throughout the novel, there are flashbacks involving Clevinger’s and Yossarian’s arguments , and I think that these arguments make the novel more interesting. It shows that not everyone agrees with Yossarian’s and Dunbar’s opinion that the war is just ridiculous.
I am looking more for how the name symbolizes the person. For example, if one of the character's names was Jesus, we would expect that character to be the savior type. That is an easy one. Try to figure out why Heller chose the names for the characters. Is there more to the name than simply being the person's given name?
ReplyDeleteThe character I choose is Clevinger.
ReplyDeleteClevinger is supposed to be the intelligent character in the novel. He always has a strong opinion and usually doesn’t agree with Yossarian’s. In fact, I think that Heller gave Clevinger his name to suggest a “clever” character. This makes perfect sense because as you read on through the novel, you start to notice the flashbacks of Yossarian’s and Clevinger’s arguments. To be honest, I think that Clevinger’s opinion is a bit more realistic then Yossarian’s.
Lieutenant Scheisskopf
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion J. Heller gave Lt. Scheisskopf his name because he is a very driven character. When i hear the name Lieutenant i think of someone who is dedicated and willing to go the extra mile to succeed. He shows that he is driven/dedicated when he has the troops do the parade with no signals or commands. Lt. Scheisskopf also sacrificed time with his wife to do very well in the parade. I don't entirely agree that winning a parade means giving up everything but Lt. Scheisskopf was overly determined to win and prove to the other officers he could do it.
Don't focus on the title of the character. Read Sean's second analysis of Clevenger.
ReplyDeleteLieutenant Scheisskopf
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Joseph Heller gave Lt. Scheisskopf his name because in German terms it means "poophead" (PG version). He shows that he is "poophead" by being obsessed with parades and dedicating all his time into perfecting his troops in the parade, by doing so he has them act with no commands or signals. As a result of being so focused he neglects his wife and doesn't realize that she is sleeping with the ofter troops.
Yes, much better. You see how the name actually characterizes the person. Sometimes looking at the name of a character can tell you some hints about the character before you even read what he/she is like.
ReplyDeleteHungry Joe
ReplyDeleteWhen the word "Hungry" is placed before Joe in his name, we can interpret the "hungry" to mean yearning of some sort of thing. We know of two main points to Hungry Joe and that is that he 1: lusts for women and 2: gets nightmares on nights when he does not have a mission scheduled for him in the morning. Now, we can conclude from looking at those two points that they are the reason for his name of "hunger." The symbolization in this is that we can see that because of this war, it has turned him from fearing more missions to the feelings of desire and craving for more. Instead of feeling greater aversion to obtaining more mission assignments, he seemingly "hungers" for more! Because of this deranged war, it has made a greatly negative effect on him.
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ReplyDeleteAarfy
ReplyDelete"Aarfy" first off, is not a regal name that seems to demand respect or attention. Aarfy fits his name well in this way. He is practically incompetent as a pilot, and terribly annoying to Yossarian (not letting Yossarian out of the nose of the plane, smoking a pipe and scaring Yossarian, claiming he cannot hear Yossarian). Also, Aarfy has obviously sunken to some low levels that by no means deserve respect. At one point Aarfy brags about how he and his frat brothers tortured and raped two high-school girls. Aarfy is obviously a man that has no qualms about sinking to low levels or about the feelings of others. These traits make him looked down upon by most of the men, and his name comes across similarly, a more low-status name.
Yossarian
ReplyDeleteYossarian is the protagonist of the novel, and so his name sets him apart from the other characters. The name itself seems to be of Armenian background instead of the American names that superiors such as Cathcart feel comfortable with (in fact, the very sound of Yossarian's name sends practically drives Cathcart into a nervous breakdown at one point). No one knows what to make of either the character or his name. The first reaction of most people upon hearing Yossarian's name is "What kind of name is Yossarian?", to which the only answer is "It's Yossarian's name", because there could only be one person with a name like that. The rarity and exoticness of "Yossarian" emphasizes the character's rejection of military culture and irrepressible individuality that eventually leads to his rebellion and desertion at the end.
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ReplyDeleteLieutenant Scheisskopf
ReplyDeleteHis name is German and I think it reflects alot on his attitude. During the chapter 8, he seemed very oriented on getting what he wanted. He didn't really care for other peoples opinions, only on his own ambition of looking good at the parade so he could win a red flag to earn back his reputation.
When I think of a German during World War II, I think of how greedy Hitler was and his own ambition of obtaining what he wanted.
During the chapter, he made his squadron work very hard to get what he wanted. He seemed to work with them and keep his plans in secrecy almost like a slave driver.
Hungry Joe
ReplyDeleteHungry Joe never seems satisfied. That’s probably why Heller named him 'Hungry' Joe. Hunger is desire, yearning; whether dealing with food or other objects, or even an emotion. The name suits him perfectly. Either he has missions to fly (and he only flies them on the desire to go home), or he goes crazy (while waiting to go home, the wait making him desire more missions). He 'hungers' for women, too, whether to take their picture, or to have his way with them. He never seems to have what he wants, always yearning for something, whether more missions, or more women.
Megan,
ReplyDeleteThat is a really cool way to put it, i never thought of Yossarians name that way.
Orr
ReplyDeleteIn Swedish, "Orr" is translated to mean black grouse. The black grouse is mainly known for its behavior while courting. During the black grouses' courting display, the bird puts on a very haughty show. This display is called lek and is literally translated to mean "to play" in Swedish. In the novel Orr pretty much "plays" everyone. He dukes them into thinking he's dead and crashes out of incompetence. Also, Sweden just happens to be the country Orr deserts to.
Nately
ReplyDeleteNately's name makes me think of night. I think that night and darkness could describe his relationship with his whore whom he wants to marry. That seems like like a secretive type thing. Nately is also killed in pointless mission by accident. His death was preventable which seems to also be very dark.
Piltchard & Wren
ReplyDeletePiltchard & Wren are the joint squadron operations officers and are almost always referred to together in the book. Wren's name undoubtedly refers to the small bird and characterizes the officers' love of flying. Piltchard's name is similar to pilchard (synonymous with sardine). Both are named after small timid animals, illustrating their quiet, shy personalities.
Shoot, I didn't see that list of names to pick from.
ReplyDeleteAarfy
Aarfy's real name, Captain Aardvark, describes his personality and appearance. Both are piggish. Aarfy is snobbish greedy and inconsiderate, concerned only with himself and his status. He values a person only by the size of their wealth. On missions he pigheadedly blocks Yossarian's escape through the crawlway. His size and "reptilian eyes" are resemblant of and aardvark, and his pipe he continually sucks on could even be his snout.
Yossarian
ReplyDeleteYossarian is the most unusual name in the book (compared with Hungry Joe, Cathcart, and Korn), which highlights his unusual personality. In fact, Heller emphasizes this through the negative reactions of the other characters upon hearing the name Yossarian. At one time in the book, another character rants on how irritating the name Yossarian is to him. Late in the book his first name John is revealed in a conversation with Korn and Cathcart, which is ironic because while Heller gave him a first name that is one of the most common in the world, the last name Yossarian is unique and quirky. Yossarian stands apart from the other characters not just because of his name, but his actions.
Milo Mindbender
ReplyDeleteLooking strictly at his last name first, Mindbender tells you a lot about the character as a whole. It represents his intelligence and how he so easily can manipulate anyone. He is able to buy eggs for 5 cents and sell them for 7cents and make a profit, to me mind-blowing. He also is so good at keeping people believing what he wants, like when he tells Yossarian that the only reason that people buy eggs from Malta is because that is where people always bought them from so they will continue to buy them from there. He also is able to run a multi-national syndicate that transcends enemy borders.
In German and Greek, Milo means uncertain or perhaps peaceful. Milo is most definitely peaceful, because even though he is in a war zone he has only flown three combat missions, including the one where he bombed his own camp. More than being peaceful he is many times very uncertain of himself. Considering he runs a multi-national syndicate he comes to Yossarian many times seeking advice about what to do and whether or not he made the right decision.
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ReplyDeleteHey Chris, Milo isn't on the name list. You might want to change it. Just letting you know.
ReplyDeleteDori Duz
ReplyDeleteIn doing a little bit of research (which was quite confusing, might I add), I found out that dori seems to be part of the fourth verb conjugation in Romanian. It means "to desire." In the book, the men desire women quite often, and Dori is one of the few women in the story. By making her one of the only women, one could see how all the men would desire her.
Nately
ReplyDeleteNately's name sounds like a very wealthy name, homely and sweet. His family is affluent and very well off. He is a kind hearted young innocent boy who is in the war and is unexpectedly killed. his death appeals to the reader, and makes you think, awww crap, Nately died. And in the story, of all the people that died, Nately's death had the biggest effect on them, causing Yossarian's rebellion, Nately's whore's rampage, and the Chaplin's faith is shaken. His character is easy to like and an easy favorite.
Clevenger.....
ReplyDeleteClevenger is a very strong name. I think it describes this character. He is very smart and doesn't hesitate to show anyone up. When i think of his name i think of the hammer-like mallot that you beat meat with (is that even close to right?????) and like this meat beating device, clevenger loves to pick fights and arguments with Yosssarian.
adding on to my last post......clevenger will pick an argument with anyone.
ReplyDeleteOrr
ReplyDeleteHis name-as most names in this novel do-can holds a variety of meanings, symbols, and even foreshadowing. One example of the slight foreshadowing it signifies lies in the understanding of the homophone between "Orr" and "Oar". At the end of the novel we find that Orr did not die in the plane crash, but rather the crash was part of a clever plan to fake his death and escape endless missions and the catch-22. After his crash he "rowed" to Sweden, and to that that he needed an oar.
:] get it?
Aarfy
ReplyDeleteHis name is perfect for his character!It almost sounds like the word "hearty" or like a colossus dog's bark. He's impenetrable and doughy. He is described as " an eerie ogre in a dream, incapable of being bruised or evaded." He seems like the typical frat duesh-bag who preys on young girls and swears his game is so tight he has never paid for intercourse like the rest of the men he's with.
Nately
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, while reading I liked to shorten Nately’s already short name and call him Nate. Nate, rhymes white ‘date’,’ wait’ and even ‘rate’. Nately had a whore that he wanted to ‘date’ and marry, but had to ‘wait’ a good deal of time before she spontaneously fell in love with him. While he waited, she would only see him if he paid her hourly ‘rate’ (and even then sometimes she wouldn’t sleep with him).
Orr
ReplyDeleteI think Orr's name is a double reference, the first to an actual oar, which Orr uses to paddle his way out of the war and into Sweden. The second meaning is related to the homonym of oar; or. Orr's desertion shows Yossarian that even in the face of a yes or no question (agree to Cathcart and Korn's plan or not) that there is always another option (he can be court-martialed,play along, OR flee to Sweden).
Nately
ReplyDeleteNately is what he’s known by. He has no other nickname or name that we know of. When he’s referred to as Nately, it gives the older men a subtle sense of maturity, since he is after all just a kid. This is presented not only by the stating of his name, but also by his confidence and his ego, which is usually more abundant in an adolescent. Examples of this cockiness are when he persistently pursues the in particular whore we know as Nately’s whore, and when he talks to the old man about the war.
Orr-
ReplyDeleteOrr sounds like "oar" Obviously, but “oar” cannot just be perceived as something that can help Orr escape death on countless missions. An“Oar” could be not just something to help him but everyone else, for instance Orr was always trying to make things better for the people around him by fixing things or making things better. Well, a boat with no “oar” is completely pointless. What about a squadron with no Orr?
Dori Duz
ReplyDeleteOk guys, this was the one with the least amount of people who already wrote about her, so I'm going to write some stuff about her. What I'm saying is just like what came from the book. So don't think I'm weird or anything.
Dori Duz has a funny name. Her last could be pronounced "dooze" or "does". When I read the book I thought it was pronounced "dooze". However, when you take the word "does" (which sounds like her last name) and put it into another verb form (doing) it all sums up to what was on page 79. "Dori Duz...loved doing it best in toolsheds, phone booths, field houses, and bus kiosks." So in other words, Dori Duz was a scandalous woman and liked to...well...enough said.
There, I said it. I'm sure plenty of other people were thinking that too, but didn't want to say it, but I believe it needed to be said.