Milo Minderbinder as a symbol of capitalism and greed
Milo's enterprising skills and ability to speak persuasively allow him to make deals with almost anyone. He has a talent for keeping track of numerous orders and shipments in many different countri...
The soldier in white as a symbol of the inhumanity with which the bureaucracy treats its men
The soldier in white serves as a symbol of the inhumanity with which the bureaucracy treats its men. This soldier is nameless and faceless; the bureaucracy views its men not as unique individuals,...
Major Major as a symbol of loneliness and alienation
Through no fault of his own, Major Major is constantly harassed and avoided for his strange name, virtue, and unnerving sincerity. Though he tries hard to fit in and make friends, Major Major is sh...
The hospital as a symbol of shelter and safety
Yossarian and the other men use the hospital as an excuse to avoid combat duty. Yossarian comments that the hospital has learned to tame death so that men can die with dignity. However, the hospita...
Chocolate-covered cotton as a symbol of artifice and worthlessness
The fact that Milo covers his excess cotton with chocolate and tries to feed it to the men reveals his greed and need to get rid of financial liabilities. The chocolate here is utterly worthless, f...
Snowden's guts as a symbol of man's mortality
Yossarian refers to Snowden's guts as his "secret." They are hidden inside his flak suit, though pierced by flak, until Yossarian rips open the suit and out they come. Yossarian "reads" Snowden's s...
The increasing number of missions as a symbol of injustice and absurdity
The best thing about the required missions is how they function in the "time" of Catch-22. The number of required missions tells us where we are in time. We know if there are sixty required mission...