Yossarian was cold, too, and shivering uncontrollably. He felt goose pimples clacking all over him as he gazed down despondently at the grim secret Snowden had spilled all over the messy floor. It was easy to read the message in his entrails. Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a window and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll burn. Bury him and he'll rot, like other kinds of garbage. The spirit gone, man is garbage. That was Snowden's secret. Ripeness was all.I'm cold,' Snowden said. 'I'm cold.
In this passage from "Catch-22," Yossarian experiences a profound sense of despair as he confronts the brutal reality of life and death. The imagery of Snowden's spilled entrails serves as a stark reminder of the physicality of human existence. Yossarian realizes that without spirit or purpose, human beings are reduced to mere matter, akin to garbage that decays when removed from the warmth of life.
Snowden's repetition of "I'm cold" underscores the fragility and vulnerability of human life. This moment encapsulates the idea that existence is a transient state, and when one is stripped of their essence, they become lifeless and meaningless. The poignant message reflects Heller's themes of the absurdity of war and the inevitable decay that all humans face.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
