CHAPTER 34: THANKSGIVING

Summary

Yossarian is wakened by the sound of machine-gun fire while he is sleeping in his tent. On Thanksgiving, he realizes that an American soldier is playing a prank. Yossarian hopes to shoot the prankster. Nately follows Yossarian and tries to stop him but Yossarian punches Nately in the nose.

Nately ends up in hospital with a broken nose. Duckett tells Yossarian that she has decided to marry a doctor. The chaplain tells a lie in order to enter the hospital. He is very pleased with himself for having told a lie. Meanwhile, the soldier in white makes a reappearance. Duckett informs Yossarian that the soldier is a certain Lieutenant Schmulkar who is burnt all over. She tells Yossarian that the authorities are going to "disappear" Dunbar.

Notes

Once again the emphasis is on YossarianÂ’s nervous condition; he cannot bear to hear machine gun fire and even thinks of killing the man who is playing the prank. This is the third time that Heller gives us YossarianÂ’s Thanksgiving Days.

DuckettÂ’s message about DunbarÂ’s impending disappearance cannot be understood by Yossarian. Some authorities have removed Dunbar from the context of the novel; after this chapter, Dunbar makes no further appearance. He has "disappeared."

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