Teddy Love Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Section.Paragraph)

Quote #4

"You're the stupidest person I ever met," Booper said to him. "You're the stupidest person in this ocean. Did you know that?"

"He is not," Teddy said. "You are not, Myron." He addressed his sister: "Give me your attention a second. Where's the camera? I have to have it immediately. Where is it?" (3.20-21)

Notice that Teddy stops to correct his sister, but he doesn't chastise her or reprimand her obviously cruel behavior. Instead, he's focused on the task at hand, which he wants to get done as quickly as possible so he can go write in his diary. Teddy really does maintain a cool detachment from events in the world around him.

Quote #5

The McArdles' four deck chairs, cushioned and ready for occupancy, were situated in the middle of the second row from the front. Teddy sat down in one of them so that – whether or not it was his intention – no one was sitting directly on either side of him. (4.2)

The narrator almost shares Teddy's sense of detachment. Notice that he describes Teddy's decision to sit with the phrase, "whether or not it was his intention." In other words, the narrator doesn't go inside Teddy's head to find out just what he did intend. This is another trademark Salinger move – the narrator dodges omniscience by limiting himself to external observation.

Quote #6

"Poets are always taking the weather so personally. They're always sticking their emotions in things that have no emotions." (4.46)

Now we understand why Teddy dislikes the poetry that Professor Mandell sent him earlier.