Catch-22

by

Joseph Heller

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Catch-22 makes teaching easy.
A man dying of a severe wound in the back of Yossarian’s plane, Snowden becomes a recurring memory of Yossarian’s. Yossarian is horrified and moved by the soldier’s death, which he only recollects in full at the end of the novel. Snowden’s death reminds Yossarian of just how frail the human body can be, especially in wartime.

Snowden Quotes in Catch-22

The Catch-22 quotes below are all either spoken by Snowden or refer to Snowden. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Paradox and Impossibility Theme Icon
).
Chapter 41 Quotes

Man was matter, that was Snowden’s secret. . . . The spirit gone, man is garbage. That was Snowden’s secret.

Related Characters: Clevinger, Snowden
Page Number: 450
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Catch-22 LitChart as a printable PDF.
Catch-22 PDF

Snowden Character Timeline in Catch-22

The timeline below shows where the character Snowden appears in Catch-22. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 4: Doc Daneeka
Paradox and Impossibility Theme Icon
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
Yossarian asks his comrades about a soldier named Snowden, who is not identified by the narrator. His commanding officers worry Yossarian asks too many... (full context)
Chapter 5: Chief White Halfoat
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Gallows Humor Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
...he’s all right, as is everyone else in the plane, except for a man named Snowden, who lies wounded, quietly, in the back of the plane. (full context)
Chapter 22: Milo the Mayor
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
...over the intercom, screaming for help, and Yossarian moved out of the bomb-bay to find Snowden in the back, hit by flak and dying quietly. (full context)
Chapter 24: Milo
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Gallows Humor Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
The chaplain sees a naked man in the tree, while performing Snowden’s funeral service, and wonders who it could be. Milo mourns his terrible financial situation—he is... (full context)
Chapter 32: Yo-Yo’s Roomies
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
...Yossarian begins thinking of the men who’ve been killed or who have disappeared: Sampson, Orr, Snowden, Clevinger. (full context)
Chapter 41: Snowden
Paradox and Impossibility Theme Icon
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
...saying to him, again, “We’ve got your pal.” Yossarian has a vision of the way Snowden died. He recalls walking to the back of his plane, over Avignon, to find Snowden.... (full context)
Paradox and Impossibility Theme Icon
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
Yossarian attempted to calm Snowden regardless. He began tending to Snowden’s leg would, which was severe but not apparently life... (full context)
Paradox and Impossibility Theme Icon
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
As he tends to Snowden’s leg wound, Snowden complains that he’s cold, and Yossarian tells him only, “There, there.” He... (full context)
Paradox and Impossibility Theme Icon
War and Bureaucracy Theme Icon
Communication and Miscommunication Theme Icon
Self-interest, Altruism, and Morality Theme Icon
...man when he is put into warfare—man falls apart, quite literally and physically. He covers Snowden with his parachute, to keep him warm, and tells him, “There, there.” (full context)