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Catch-22

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Characters from Catch-22

This is a brief listing of charcters in the book. If you need a blank chart for studying or character cards go here.

Character Description
Aardvark
(Aarfy)
Yossarian's navigator who pretends he can't hear Yossarian during the bomb runs. Aarfy is later exposed as both cruel and criminal. He represents the insensitive man who will probably succeed in civilian life - has no feelings or morals, so he can't be hurt.
Appleby
A member of Yossarian's squadron who angers Orr while playing ping-pong. They refer to him as having flies in his eyes.
Captain Black
The nasty intelligence officer for the squadron who frustrates Nately by procuring Nately's whore. Just like Senator Joseph McCarthy, hunting for Communists everywhere. Black = evil.
Colonel Cargill
He is Peckem's subordinate in Special Services. His special talent is to turn even sure successes into failures.
Colonel Cathcart
A full colonel who wants to be general in General Dreedle's outfit. Colonel Cathcart keeps raising the number of missions and fears "black eyes" while hoping for "feathers in his cap."
Clevinger
A members of Yossarian's squadron who has a dopey brain. He conducts the educational sessions, is prosecuted by the Action Board, and dies in the Parma bomb run. One dictionary meaning of the word "cleave" is to cling or hold fast to something. Clevinger holds fast to the idea that military justice is fair and does not question his absurd trial.
Major ____ de Coverley
The one-eyed procurer of R&R facilities for the officers and enlisted men. His Jehovah bearing puts an end to the Great Loyalty Oath Campaign. Moses on the outside and as hollow as the Soldier in White on the inside. He succeeds because appearances make the man, particularly commanding ones. His only admirable act - the breaking of the Loyalty Oath Campaign - is done for the wrong reason.
Nurse Cramer
She usually accompanies Nurse Duckett, especially when Duckett has beach dates with Yossarian.
Major Danby
The group operations officer, threatened with being shot by General Dreedle. He later argues with Yossarian over idealism and helps Yossarian to leave.
Doc Daneeka
The medical officer who first explains Catch-22 to Yossarian. He has arranged to be listed on flight schedules, but doesn't fly. His "theme" is "What about me?"
Dobbs
The co-pilot who takes the controls from Huple on the Avignon mission and who proposes Colonel Cathcart's assassination.
General Dreedle
The blunt, irascible commander of a wing in the Meditarranean theater of operations.
Nurse Duckett
A ward nurse at the hospital at Pianosa who has a brief affair with Yossarian.
Dunbar
Yossarian's companion in the hospital who tries to make time pass slowly and who is "disappeared" after the second episode with the soldier in white. He is a partially aware rebel, like Yossarian. He cultivates boredom to increase his life span.
Dori Duz
Lt. Scheisskopf's wife's promiscuous friend.
Captain Flume
The officer who shares a trailer with Chief White Halfoat until the Chief threatens to slit his throat and he moves into the woods.
Fortiori
The phrase a fortiori is used by logicians in reference to a conclusion considered more certain than the premise it's based on. He is, however, involved in illogical switches.
Gus
One of the two enlisted men who runs Doc Daneeka's medical tent, whose chief "cure" is painting patients' gums and toes purple.
Chief White Halfoat
The half-blooded Indian from Oklahoma who obligingly punches Col. Moodus in the nose for Gen. Dreedle and who "knows" he will die of pneumonia.
Havermeyer
The lead bombardier who won't take evasive action. He takes Mudd's pistol to his tent next to Yossarian's and shoots field mice.
Huple
Hungry Joe's roommate who's cat eventually kills Hungry Joe. He is the under-aged pilot on the mission to Avignon.
Hungry Joe
The lustful squad member who invents the "famous photographer" line and has nightmares whenever he's not scheduled to fly.
Colonel Korn
The assistant to Col. Cathcart. He is, by far, the most clever of the two.
Kraft
The pilot killed over Ferrara on the second run ordered by Yossarian. He wanted "only to be liked."
Luciana
The girl with the scarrred back whom Yossarian meets at the Allied Officers' club and proposes marriage to.
McWatt
A pilot, first Clevinger's and then Nately's roommate who heedlessly buzzes the squadron, eventually killing Kid Sampson.
Major Major
The squadron commander who will only see people when he is not in to see them. Identity crisis - all kinds of disguises to escape responsibility and reality.
Milo Minderbinder
The mess officer turned syndicate head who masterminds a black market and bombs his own men for profit. American capitalist, con-man extraordinaire - Everyone has a share of the syndicate.
Colonel Moodus
Gen. Dreedle's hated son-in-law who is taunted by the General's nurse and punched by Chief White Halfoat.
Mudd
The name of the dead man in Yossarian's tent, in turn the reference to a pile of belongings eventually tossed out by Yossarian's four new roomies.
Lieutenant Nately
The squadron member from a wealthy home, who loves a whore, and argues with the diabolical old man. He is killed on the La Spezia mission along with Dobbs.
Old Man in Rome
The "satanic' man who wounds Major ____ de Coverley in the eye. He runs a house of prostitution and changes his politics to meet the current situation.
Orr
Yossarian's "tinkering" roommate who nearly always has to ditch his plane. His successful arrival in Sweden renews Yossarian's faith. Existentialist who understands the system - knows that choices are available.
General Peckem
The general in charge of special operations, who, along with Col. Cargill, plots to take over Gen. Dreedle's command.
Pitchard & Wren
They enjoy their work organizing combat missions.
Kid Sampson
One of Yossarian's pilots. Eventually he is killed by McWatt in a macabre accident.
Major Sanderson
A caricature of the extremes of the Freudian school of psychoanalysis.
Lieutenant Scheisskopf
Eventually General scheisskopf, he begins as the parade-crazy assistant with the promiscuous wife.
Snark
An obnoxious corporal who puts soap in the men's food to prove they will eat anything.
Soldier in White
The whole bandaged body in the hospital asserted to be Lieutenant Schmulker.
1) a symbol of death
2) a silent sounding board allowing people to get opinions off their chest by talking at him
3) a puppet - one who is manipulated by the Establishment
4) a conforming, accepting, successful student - what goes in, comes out
5) a non-Existentialist embryo
Snowden
A squadron gunner who dies in Yossarian's arms as Yossarian patches the wrong wound. His "secret" haunts Yossarian unitl nearly the end. Innocent, pure, short-lived Snowden, whose death returns him to his mother's womb, which he never really left.
Stubbs
A dedicated flight surgeon who willingly certifies men as unable to fly, and is sent to the Pacific as punishment.
Chaplain Tappman
The kindly chaplain who befriends Yossarian.
Wes
The second of the two medics working under Doc Daneeka.
Corporal Whitcomb
The chaplain's antagonistic and atheistic assistant, who dominates the submissive chaplain, who starts the letter of condolence game, and is responsible for the CID investigation of the chaplain.
ex-PFC Wintergreen
The continually promoted and busted mail clerk at Twenty-seventh Air Force Headquarters, who virtually runs the 27th by intercepting messages and forging answers. Understands the world of Catch 22, but uses it mainly or solely for his own benefit.
Yossarian
Yossarian receives most of the attention of the novel, both as captain in the squadron, a bombardier on flights, and a culprit/vistim of catch-22.