The Great Santini Chapter Summary & Analysis | Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Summary

In the Cordova Hotel, in Barcelona, Spain, a squadron of fighter pilots is throwing a going-away party for their fearless leader, Lieutenant Colonel Bull Meecham. What began as a respectful gathering of officers and men is on the verge of disintegrating into a drunken, disgraceful spectacle. One officer has already passed out on the table, his prone body decorated by a bouquet of lilies someone has thoughtfully placed in the zipper of his pants. The noise and obscenities leak into the main dining room of the respectable hotel, and the guests begin to complain. When the frightened maitre d' finally summons the courage to confront the drunken barbarians, Bull tells him to beat it. "'When I want a tortilla I'll give you a call.'" (pg. 2) The maitre d' protests that his other guests, including Naval officers and their wives, are disturbed by the noise. Bull sends him away and...
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