Chapter 38 "Kid Sister" Summary

When Yossarian refuses to fly any more missions, Colonel Korn sends him to Rome to rest for a few days. In Rome, Yossarian visits Nately's whore to break the news of her lover's untimely death. In her raging grief, she and her younger sister literally try to kill the messenger. Though Yossarian escapes with his life, he has several more violent encounters with the woman, as she continually appears in the most unlikely places. Back at camp, Yossarian is secretly approached by a succession of men who wouldn't normally have cause to speak to him, each one asking about Yossarian's refusal to fly and wishing him luck. Publicly, most of the camp ignores Yossarian, as he compulsively walks around backward, gun in hand. Captain Black, however, tells Yossarian that the brothel in Rome has been closed, the...