How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
There was a moment when I could have fallen for either one of them, and then everything bent to one side, toward the slender, slighter, younger one. (8.58)
What is it about Esther that elicits Augie's love? Why does he bend towards her rather than her sister? Augie's romantic attractions follow the pattern of his basic life interests. He's all over the place and never at one place for long.
Quote #2
Also, she has no notion how much in love I was, down to the poetic threat of death. (8.67)
Do you agree with Augie that he's really in love with Esther? Once she rejects him, she ceases to be much in his thoughts, at least as reported to us. She came out the blue and went right back into it.
Quote #3
"You couldn't love Esther if you knew her. You're like me. That's why you fell in love. She couldn't. Augie! Why don't you change to me?" (8.115)
Thea's feelings for Augie seem to be more long lasting than his feelings for Esther. Does that tell us anything? Does she love him more than he loves her?
Quote #4
So for the same desires to meet was a freak occurrence. And to feel them so specific, settled on one person, maybe was an unallowable presumption, too pure, too special, and a misunderstanding of the real condition of things. (8.122)
Augie is basically saying that it's quite incredible that two people fall in love with each other. It's real, but unreal. It happens all the time, and yet you'd think it be the kind of occurrence that happens rarely, like getting struck by lightning.
Quote #5
"I wouldn't marry a man who doesn't know what love is. You don't want a wife, you want a looking glass." (11.27)
Burn! Like Anne Coulter or Nancy Grace, you can always count on Mimi Villars to speak her mind. Augie learns a lot about her listening to her arguments on the phone with Frazer. He's her boyfriend for a time, but he's not around when Mimi needs help most.
Quote #6
The issue most alive was whether he would have married her without money. It was much too troubling not to be spoken of, so it was spoken of in a kind of fun and terrible persiflage. (11.53)
How did you react to Simon's reason for marrying Charlotte? Do you think he loves her? He's not very nice to her, and he later has an affair, in his mind leaving her to act however she desires.
Quote #7
The great astonishment of this state was that the unity of humanity should maybe be not one but two. Not even the eagle falconry distressed me as much as that what happened to her had to happen to me too, necessarily. This was scary. (14.65)
Augie is a sucker for love, but he's scared of what love entails—shared joys and sufferings. It's swell, at least, that he knows that love involves more than just momentarily feelings. He knows enough to be scared of love.
Quote #8
"Is love supposed to ruin you? It seems to me you shouldn't destroy yourself out of life for purposes of love—or what good is it?"
"That's right, but I didn't love her as I ought to have. You see, I missed out." (21.94-5)
Augie followed Thea to Mexico. In one sense, he was head over heels in love, but in another sense, he didn't love her. He never made her heart his own. He didn't sacrifice unless he saw a return for him, and those lizard-hunting eagles were not looking too promising.