How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Afterwards, avoiding the zoo (Holly said she couldn't bear to see anything in a cage), we giggled, ran, sang along the paths toward the old wooden boathouse, now gone (7.2).
Holly's resistance to being confined extends beyond people to include animals as well. While some may see the zoo as a place to learn and interact, Holly sees it as a prison.
Quote #2
It was near the antique shop with the palace of a bird cage in its window, so I took her there to see it, and she enjoyed the point, its fantasy: "But still, it's a cage" (7.4).
Although this passage is similar to the one about the zoo, we think the birdcage is such a significant symbol that it's worth mentioning. Holly can appreciate the beauty of the cage, but she can't get in line with what it stands for.
Quote #3
"Bless you, Buster. And bless you for being such a bad jockey. If I hadn't had to play Calamity Jane I'd still be looking forward to the grub in an unwed mama's home" (17.14).
Holly loses her baby after rescuing the narrator from his out-of-control horse, and she pretends to be happy that she'll be free from motherhood. But we know this is just an act. She seems genuinely happy when she's pregnant, suggesting that being a mother doesn't signify confinement to her.
Quote #4
Holly stepped out of the car; she took the cat with her. Cradling him, she scratched his head and asked, "What do you think? This ought to be the right kind of place for a tough guy like you. […] So scram," she said, dropping him (18.12).
Holly's poor cat. She knows she loves him and we know she loves him, but he represents being tied down to something, and Holly just isn't prepared to do this yet. This innocent cat signifies confinement to skittish Holly.
Quote #5
Brazil was beastly but Buenos Aires the best. Not Tiffany's, but almost (19.1).
Holly's postcard tells us that she has secured her literal freedom in that she has escaped the authorities and is living her life in South America. But she still hasn't found her Tiffany's quite yet.
Quote #6
"Look. Don't despise me, darling." She put her hand over mine and pressed it with sudden immense sincerity. "I haven't much choice […]" (17.24).
After spending her life cultivating freedom and resisting confinement, Holly finds herself left with little actual freedom when it comes to her future. She doesn't have many options after being arrested so, in the end, she's pretty confined by the decisions she's made.
Quote #7
"And if you lived off my particular talents, Cookie, you'd understand the kind of bankruptcy I'm describing" (17.24).
Holly has painted herself into a corner, so to speak. She can't stay in New York because she has no way to make any money after she gets arrested. The places she used to visit and the people she used to depend on just won't welcome her anymore, so her future has been decided for her. She has no real freedom when it comes down to it.
Quote #8
"Can't you see that Rusty feels safer in diapers than he would in a skirt? Which is really the choice, only he's awfully touchy about it. He tried to stab me with a butter knife because I told him to grow up and face the issue, settle down and play house with a nice fatherly truck driver" (4.72).
Holly believes in everyone's absolute freedom to live their lives in ways that make them happy, and this includes the freedom to be honest about one's sexual preference. But Rusty clearly doesn't feel free enough to admit that he's gay.
Quote #9
"She believes all this crap she believes. You can't talk her out of it" (4.16).
Holly feels absolutely secure in the freedom to believe in whatever she wants. She simply won't be confined by other people's expectations of what's right or normal or good.
Quote #10
Holly suggested she run out to Woolworth's and steal some balloons; she did: and they turned the tree into a fairly good show (8.4).
We're not condoning stealing here, but in some ways the act of stealing represents freedom for Holly. She doesn't have to steal, but she still does because she can. She's just exercising her right to do what she wants, legal or not.