How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #13
Colonel Cathcart was helpless to assess exactly how much ground he had gained or lost with his goddam skeet-shooting range and wished that Colonel Korn were in his office right then to evaluate the entire episode for him still one more time and assuage his fears. (19.61)
Colonel Cathcart is incapable of making level headed judgments by himself; that unsoundness and indecision is reflected in his administrative decisions.
Quote #14
Colonel Cathcart stopped in his tracks. "What atheists?" he bellowed defensively, his whole manner changing in a flash to one of virtuous and belligerent denial. "There are no atheists in my outfit! Atheism is against the law, isn't it?"
"No, sir."
"It isn't?" The colonel was surprised. "Then it's un-American, isn't it?
"I'm not sure, sir," answered the chaplain.
"Well, I am!" the colonel declared. "I'm not going to disrupt our religious services just to accommodate a bunch of lousy atheists. They're getting no special privileges from me. They can stay right where they are and pray with the rest of us." (19.42-46)
The Colonel shows two faults of his administration – ignorance and prejudice. He is uncertain whether atheism is against the law or even un-American – to the point where he has to ask the chaplain. Then he compounds his mistake by showing a blatant prejudice against atheists, trying to deny their right to free practice by pretending to be fair and equitable in the treatment of all his men.
Quote #15
Yossarian…it was an odious, alien, distasteful name, a name that just did not inspire confidence. It was not at all like such clean, crisp, honest, American names as Cathcart, Peckem and Dreedle. (21.6)
Cathcart reveals his jingoism by distrusting anything that doesn't immediately seem American.