How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
We might never have known each other so intimately, Boris and I, had it not been for the lice. (1.2)
Well, there may be stranger ways to get in close with someone—actually, we're not so sure. But leave to Henry to look at the bright side of things. What's a little lice among friends? In fact, sharing the dirty with friends is really all Henry wants.
Quote #2
[Boris] eats in the restaurant out of consideration for me. He says it hurts to eat a big meal and have me watch him. (1.14)
Is Henry taking advantage of his friends? Or is this a true friendship that deserves this kind of one-sided generosity now and again?
Quote #3
[…] it really pains Boris to see me sitting there in the studio with an empty belly. Why he doesn't invite me to lunch with him I don't know (3.1).
Why is Henry so suspicious of everyone's motives? Heck, Boris is putting him, feeding him, and pretty much keeping him alive. Can he really have true friends if he's so cynical?
Quote #4
I try to quiet myself. After all, this is a home I've found, and there's a meal waiting for me every day. And Serge is a brick, there's no doubt about that. (6.9)
Serge is one of the decent guys Henry knows, but he just can't deal with the consequences of the friendship.
Quote #5
In America I had a number of Hindu friends, some good, some bad, some indifferent. Circumstances had placed me in a position where fortunately I could be of aid to them; I secured jobs for them, I harbored them, and I fed them when necessary. They were very grateful, I must say, so much so, in fact, that they made my life miserable with their attentions. (7.1)
Gasp! Henry is helping people! But then, of course, he feels like he is being punished by their gratitude.
Quote #6
[Collins] picked me up as if I were a doll and laid me out on the seat of the cab—gently too, which I appreciated (11.4)
Here's a tender moment. Some critics even say the attraction is homoerotic. Thoughts?
Quote #7
If it hadn't been for Fillmore, I don't know where I would be today—dead, most likely. (12.1)
Aha, so Miller is totally aware how much he relies on his friends. But don't worry—the feeling is mutual. Miller always reciprocates by getting "homeless bitches" off of Fillmore's back.
Quote #8
But as for a heart-to-heart talk, as for walking to the corner and having a drink together, nothing doing. It was simply unimaginable. (14.34)
For all the smack he talks about his friends in Paris, Henry realizes that his fellow teachers in Dijon are just not his people. They are all caught in the rut and the grim fog of the city.