Yossarian's squadron is bursting with odd individuals, causing some critics to complain that the characters are little more than embodiments of comic attributes. The quirks are certainly entertaining, but beneath the humor is an insistent theme of individuality in a military system that demands conformity. For the most part, Yossarian's comrades are individuals, not just fighting machines, and one of the strangest is his roommate, Orr.
The exchange with Orr when Yossarian returns to his tent is another example of a classic comic routine based on responses that seem nonsensical (non sequiturs) but in fact are valid within the context of the routine. It also reveals Orr's playful nature and his pleasure in having his own little secrets. Looking at just the dialogue, we can see the comic rhythm of the piece:
Orr: "When I was a kid, I used to walk around all day with crab apples in my cheeks. One in each cheek."
Yossarian: "Why?"
Orr (tittering triumphantly): "Because they're better than horse chestnuts. When I couldn't get crab apples, I used horse chestnuts. Horse chestnuts are about the same size as crab apples and actually have a better shape, although the shape doesn't matter a bit."
Yossarian: "Why did you walk around with crab apples in your cheeks? That's what I asked."
Orr: "Because they've got a better shape than horse chestnuts. I just told you that."
Yossarian: "Why, you evil-eyed, mechanically-aptituded, disaffiliated son of a bitch, did you walk around with anything in your cheeks?"
Orr: "I didn't walk around with anything in my cheeks. I walked around with crab apples in my cheeks. . . ."
The answer, not that it matters, is that Orr wanted "apple cheeks" — not the color so much as the shape. He then extends the routine by revealing, in a similar pattern, that he also walked around with rubber balls in his hands. If anyone asked about the crab apples in his cheeks, he could just open his hands and say they weren't crab apples in his cheeks, they were rubber balls in his hands.
