Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) Character Analysis in The Hot Zone

The chief of the disease-assessment unit at USAMRIID, C. J. Peters (like Gene Johnson) has traveled far and wide studying rare infections diseases. Although a military man, Peters favors Hawaiian shirts and sandals, displaying an untraditional and quirky attitude. A worldly man with exotic tastes in food (termites, for instance), Peters also sometimes makes enemies (such as CDC scientist Dr. Joseph McCormick) and has a difficult relationship with Gene Johnson as well.

Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) Quotes in The Hot Zone

The The Hot Zone quotes below are all either spoken by Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) or refer to Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

C. J. Peters observed the comings and goings at the gas station. It gave him a sense of life and time passing, and he enjoyed the pleasant normality of the scene…What would these people think if they knew what had invaded their town? He had begun to think that the Army might have to act decisively to put out this fire. He had been in Bolivia when a hot agent called Machupo had broken out, and he had seen a young woman die, covered with blood. North America had not yet seen an emergence of an agent that turned into bleeders. North America was not ready for that, not yet. But the possibilities for a huge break of Ebola around Washington were impressive when you thought about it.

Related Characters: Richard Preston (speaker), Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.)

Page Number and Citation: 185

Explanation and Analysis:

As the government, led by USAMRIID and the CDC, begins to comprehend what might be lurking in the Reston Monkey House, Army scientist C. J. Peters begins to imagine the worst case scenario: a massive Ebola outbreak in a major American city. He watches ordinary people going about their day, completely unaware that nearby is a lethal virus that could easily end life as they know it.This passage brings up some of The Hot Zone'smost important themes: first of all, there is the fact that the United States has not had to deal with an epidemic in many decades (since Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque om

Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) Character Timeline in The Hot Zone

The timeline below shows where the character Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) appears in The Hot Zone. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon

The next person they notify is Colonel Clarence James Peters, MD (C.J.), chief of disease assessment at USAMRIID. He too spent extensive time in Central... (full context)

Jahrling finds Peters in a meeting, but upon seeing the pictures, the colonel instantly leaves the room. In... (full context)

After speaking to C. J. Peters, Peter Jahrling and Tom Geisbert discuss the fact that they both may have inhaled Marburg... (full context)

...rather than from outside contamination. He takes his photographs to Peter Jahrling and C. J. Peters, and the three men now must wait for Jahrling to complete his tests to see... (full context)

...mutation. Deciding that he doesn’t have time for a decontamination shower, he calls C. J. Peters using a phone inside his lab. At first Peters is unable to believe that the... (full context)

Peter Jahrling and C. J. Peters visit the office of Colonel David Huxsoll, the commander of USAMRIID, and an expert on... (full context)

...money to fund the operation, that the Army should run it, and that C. J. Peters should be in charge. (full context)

...is kept in the loop. The group disperses to make phone calls, and C. J. Peters at last reaches Dalgard, who at first reacts with confusion to the news. He is... (full context)

...Early in the morning of Wednesday, November 29th, his phone rings. It is C. J. Peters, requesting to send people over to look at monkey tissue specimens. Dalgard agrees to turn... (full context)

Later in the morning, C. J. Peters, Nancy Jaax, and Gene Johnson head out to Virginia, where they meet Dan Dalgard at... (full context)

Nancy Jaax, Gene Johnson, and C. J. Peters drive to the gas station and wait. As they do so, Peters watches the goings... (full context)

Sitting next to C. J. Peters, Gene Johnson thinks about Kitum Cave. He is terrified that someone is going to die... (full context)

Preston explains the complicated and difficult relationship between C. J. Peters and Gene Johnson, who went on an unsuccessful expedition together in central Africa looking for... (full context)

...Bill Volt driving. He shows the Army team seven double bags filled with monkey corpses. Peters, Nancy, and Gene are horrified by the possibility of contamination, and Nancy refuses to put... (full context)

As Nancy dissects the monkeys, C. J. Peters runs a huge meeting in the conference room of Fort Detrick. General Russell sits in... (full context)

...will be able to confirm whether the monkeys are sick from the virus. C. J. Peters says it may take a week. McCormick, however, argues that he can perform a quick... (full context)

As soon as the meeting breaks up, C. J. Peters begins planning. First, he needs an officer who can lead a team into the monkey... (full context)

...Army in to sterilize Room H, the center of the outbreak. He calls C. J. Peters, and the news immediately spreads through the Institute. Jerry Jaax calls a meeting for all... (full context)

Later that morning, Nancy Jaax and C. J. Peters head to the corporate offices of Hazleton, Washington to speak to Dan Dalgard, along with... (full context)

Dan Dalgard invites Peters and Nancy to come with him to the monkey house to look at the animals.... (full context)

...Reston monkey house, stating that Ebola has been found in Virginia, and quoting C. J. Peters, who asserts that there’s no reason for panic. The article does not state that a... (full context)

C.J. Peters privately acknowledges that he doesn’t know whether or not the operation is safe. He... (full context)

After arriving at the Institute at 5 AM, C. J. gives the order to move out at 6:30 AM. A line of unmarked cars is... (full context)

Next Dan Dalgard calls C. J. Peters and informs him that Milton Frantig is ill. He tells Peters that the facility and... (full context)

...adding that the Army must take “legal responsibility for the building.” Dalgard calls C. J. Peters to relay this proposal, which Peters rejects. Dalgard and Peters work together to develop a... (full context)

Outside the building, C. J. Peters has come by to observe—he is out of uniform. Suddenly he sees a stranger near... (full context)

...the children on the bus, and then heads off to work. Once there, Nancy tells Peters about her family situation, and he tells her to go home—but she refuses. (full context)

C. J. Peters eventually becomes chief of the Special Pathogens Branch of the C.D.C. He too believes that... (full context)

Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) Character Analysis

Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) Quotes in The Hot Zone

Part 2, Chapter 9 Quotes

Colonel Clarence James Peters (C. J.) Character Timeline in The Hot Zone