Make Your Way 7, Schulbuch mit Audio-CD und CD-ROM

More dreams You are going to read an extract from the satirical novel “Catch 22” by Joseph Heller. The scene takes place in a hospital, where a psychiatrist, Major Sanderson, is talking to the central character in the book, Yossarian. In fact, Sanderson is a pretty useless psychiatrist and Yossarian therefore plays games with him. 16 ‘I think your fish dream is charming,’ said Major Sanderson, the psychiatrist, with a sharp, nervous laugh, ‘and I hope it recurs frequently so that we can continue discussing it.’ He transferred a lined yellow pad from his desk to his lap. ‘This fish you dream about. Let’s talk about that. It’s always the same fish, isn’t it?’ ‘I don’t know,’ Yossarian replied. ‘I have trouble recognizing fish.’ ‘What does this fish remind you of?’ ‘Other fish.’ ‘And what do other fish remind you of?’ ‘Other fish.’ Major Sanderson sat back disappointedly. ‘Do you like fish?’ ‘Not especially.’ ‘Just why do you think you have such a morbid aversion to fish?’ asked Major Sanderson triumphantly. ‘They’re too bland,’ Yossarian answered. ‘And too bony.’ Major Sanderson nodded understandingly, with a smile that was agreeable and insincere. ‘That’s a very interesting explanation. But we’ll soon discover the true reason, I suppose. Do you like this particular fish? The one you are holding in your hand?’ ‘I have no feelings about it either way.’ ‘Do you dislike the fish? Do you have any hostile or aggressive emotions towards it?’ ‘No, not at all. In fact, I rather like the fish.’ ‘Then you do like the fish.’ ‘Oh no. I have no feelings toward it either way.’ ‘But you just said you like it. And now you say you have no feelings toward it either way. I’ve just caught you in a contradiction. Don’t you see?’ ‘Yes, sir. I suppose you have caught me in a contradiction.’ Major Sanderson proudly lettered ‘Contra- diction’ on his pad with his thick black pencil. ‘Just why do you think,’ he resumed when he had finished, looking up, ‘that you made those two statements expressing contradictory emotional responses to the fish?’ ‘I suppose I have an ambivalent attitude toward it.’ Major Sanderson sprang up with joy when he heard the words ‘ambivalent attitude’. ‘You do understand!’ he exclaimed, wringing his hands together ecstatically. ‘Oh, you can’t imagine how lonely it’s been for me, talking day after day to patients who haven’t the slightest knowledge of psychiatry, trying to cure people who have no real interest in me or my work! I’d like to show you some ink blots now to find out what certain shapes and colours remind you of.’ ‘You can save yourself the trouble, Doctor. Everything reminds me of sex.’ ‘Does it?’ cried Sanderson with delight, as though unable to believe his ears. ‘Now we are really getting somewhere! Do you ever have any good sex dreams?’ ‘My fish dream is a sex dream.’ 118 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv