The Naked and the Dead
First edition
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| Author | Norman Mailer |
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| Cover artist | "Joe Caroff" |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Rinehart & Company |
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Publication date
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1948 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 721 |
The Naked and the Dead is a 1948 novel by Norman Mailer. It was partly based on his experiences with the 112th Cavalry Regiment during the Philippines Campaign in World War II. It was later adapted into a film of the same name in 1958.
In 1998 the Modern Library ranked The Naked and the Dead 51st on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
The novel is divided into four Parts: Wave, Argil and Mold, Plant and Phantom, and Wake. Within these parts are Chorus sections, consisting of play-like dialogue between characters, as well as Time Machine sections, which give brief histories and flashbacks of individual characters’ lives. The story takes place on Anopopei, a fictional island somewhere in the South Pacific. American forces are faced with a campaign to drive out the Japanese so that Americans can advance into the Philippines. The novel itself focuses on the experiences of one platoon.
Characters are introduced as they wait around for orders. A naval bombardment takes place. The men take their places on a boat and are driven to the invasion shore. Here they fire back and forth at the Japanese. Hennessey becomes so frightened that he soils in his pants. Overcome by panic, he runs out of his foxhole and is killed by a grenade. Part One concludes with this death, which alarms many of the men, since for many soldiers Hennessey’s death is the first comrade death they witness.
The campaign continues. General Cummings has a soft spot for Lieutenant Hearn, the only officer he can relate to intellectually; they have many discussions together. At one point, the platoon takes a Japanese soldier as prisoner. When Gallagher gives the Japanese soldier a cigarette to smoke, the soldier closes his eyes in relaxation. At this moment, Croft shoots and kills him, demonstrating his coldblooded personality. Later, Gallagher receives word that his wife, Mary, died in childbirth. Although Gallagher’s child survived, he is overcome by immense grief throughout the rest of the novel.
Hearn is assigned by Cummings to lead the platoon through the jungle and up Mountain Anaka to find a way to the rear of the enemy. After a clash with Japanese, Wilson is shot and left behind. Croft sends men back to get Wilson. Brown, Stanley, Goldstein, and Ridges then carry Wilson back to the beach on a stretcher. The trip takes several days, and Wilson ends up dying. The men eventually lose Wilson’s body in a river.
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Wikipedia