How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
I used our stateroom mirror to note my uncanny physical resemblance to El Greco. (4)
As we discuss in "Character Clues" Jean's appearance is rather a mess. Take a look at artist El Greco's self portrait. Jean is using actual art to present a increasingly awkward and ridiculous picture of himself, all in the name of humor .
Quote #2
I had been painting, I said, since early childhood, but that, following the advice of Pablo Picasso, who was one of the oldest and dearest friends of my parents, I had never exhibited. (7)
Salinger plays with the idea that there is a fine line, and sometimes no line at all, between art and lies. Jean doesn't see much difference in making up identity and painting a picture. Do you think this changes by the end of the story? Is this presented as a negative or positive aspect of being an artist?
Quote #3
During the next four days, using all my spare time, plus some time that didn't quite belong to me, I drew a dozen or more samples of what I thought were typical examples of American commercial art. (10)
Somehow, we always believe Jean when he tells us about his artistic accomplishment. This sentence also interests us because it discusses the commercial aspect of art. The correspondence art school and Bobby's work as an art buyer, seller, and appraiser also address the business aspect of art.
Quote #4
The walls of the "instructors' room" were hung with many framed pictures--all water colors--done by M. Yoshoto. (22)
We think it's important to notice just how much Jean respects M. Yoshoto as an artist, though definitely not as a teacher. This is hilarious when we think of just how bad an art teacher Jean really is.
Quote #5
The tallest boy, in the foreground of the picture, appeared to have rickets in one leg and elephantiasis in the other--an effect […] that Miss Kramer had deliberately used to show that the boy was standing with his feet slightly apart. (31)
Jean can sure be mean, and it gives us an icky feeling inside. As a teacher, Jean has a responsibility to try to help Bambi fulfill her artistic goals, even if they might differ hugely from his. Jean becomes a parody of teachers who prefer belittling their students to teaching them.
Quote #6
I told them, individually, that they had absolutely no talent worth developing and that they were simply wasting their own valuable time as well as the school's. (61)
Again, it's terribly funny when we read it, but imagine being on the other end of those letters. We get the feeling that if Jean was treated similarly he would probably crumble, no matter how confident he is in his skills. Part of this is because he is grieving he fails to consider that others might be grieving too.
Quote #7
I had never in my life been drunk (for fear that excessive drinking would shake the hand that painted the pictures that copped the three first prizes, etc. (77)
Jean is pretty conservative in his living, though, like here, he thinks about doing wild things like getting drunk. This is part of what he means when he compares himself to an "evil-minded monk" (68).