Motherless Brooklyn

by

Jonathan Lethem

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Motherless Brooklyn makes teaching easy.

Gilbert Coney Character Analysis

Gilbert Coney is one of the four Minna Men who work for Frank Minna as unlicensed, inexperienced “detectives” while running the L&L car service in Brooklyn as a front. Of all the Minna Men, Lionel is closest with Gilbert—he and Gilbert had several formative shared experiences as young men at the St. Vincent’s orphanage, including a sneaky detour into an off-limits exhibit on a trip to the Museum of Natural History and instances of sexual experimentation during their early teenage years. Gilbert is Lionel’s partner in the stakeout at the Yorkville Zendo which opens the novel—but when Gilbert is fingered for the murder of a Fujisaki bookkeeper named Ullman, he winds up in lockup, unable to help investigate Minna’s murder any further. Lionel and Gilbert’s affinity for each other is palpable—even though Gilbert, like Frank and the other Minna Men, often treats Lionel like a freak in order to elevate his own confidence and position within L&L. Gilbert is ultimately freed when no evidence exists to connect him to Ullman’s murder. Along with Danny, Loomis, and Lionel, he helps turn L&L into a legitimate detective agency following the conclusion of Lionel’s search for Frank’s murderer.

Gilbert Coney Quotes in Motherless Brooklyn

The Motherless Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Gilbert Coney or refer to Gilbert Coney. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Mystery and the Futility of Answers Theme Icon
).
Walks Into Quotes

Food really mellows me out.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Gilbert Coney
Related Symbols: Food
Page Number: 2
Explanation and Analysis:

I gritted my teeth while my brain went Guy walks into the ambulance ramp stabs you in the goddamn emergency gut says I need an immediate stab in the garbage in the goddamn walk-in ambulance says just a minute looks in the back says I think I’ve got a stab in the goddamn walk-in immediate ambuloaf ambulamp octoloaf oafulope.

Oafyoulope!” I screamed, tears in my eyes.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, The Giant
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
Motherless Brooklyn Quotes

Minna was barely a man then himself, of course, though he seemed one to us.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 40
Explanation and Analysis:

'You probably ought to know, Lionel's a freak," said Tony, his voice vibrant with self-regard.

"Yeah, well, you're all freaks, if you don't mind me pointing it out,” said Minna "No parents—or am I mixed up?"

Silence.

"Finish your beer," said Minna tossing his can past us, into the back of the van.

And that was the end of our first job for Frank Minna.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna (speaker), Tony Vermonte (speaker), Gilbert Coney, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:

"This is exciting for you, Ma? I got all of motherless Brooklyn up here for you. Merry Christmas."

Related Characters: Frank Minna (speaker), Lionel Essrog, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, Alphonso Matricardi and Leonardo Rockaforte/The Clients, Carlotta Minna
Page Number: 71
Explanation and Analysis:
Interrogation Eyes Quotes

Minna Men wear suits. Minna Men drive cars. Minna Men listen to tapped lines. Minna Men stand behind Minna hands in their pockets, looking menacing. Minna Men carry money. Minna Men collect money. Minna Men don't ask questions. Minna Men answer phones. Minna Men pick up packages. Minna Men are clean-shaven. Minna Men follow instructions. Minna Men try to be like Minna but Minna is dead.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Auto Body Quotes

It all happened at once. There were six of them, a vision to break your heart. I was almost glad Minna was gone so he'd never have to face it, how perfectly the six middle-aged Japanese men of Fujisaki filled the image the Minna Men had always strained toward but had never reached and never would reach… […] They were all we could never be no matter how Minna pushed us: absolutely a team, a unit, their presence collective like a floating island of charisma and force.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, The Fujisaki Corporation
Page Number: 274
Explanation and Analysis:
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Motherless Brooklyn PDF

Gilbert Coney Quotes in Motherless Brooklyn

The Motherless Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Gilbert Coney or refer to Gilbert Coney. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Mystery and the Futility of Answers Theme Icon
).
Walks Into Quotes

Food really mellows me out.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Gilbert Coney
Related Symbols: Food
Page Number: 2
Explanation and Analysis:

I gritted my teeth while my brain went Guy walks into the ambulance ramp stabs you in the goddamn emergency gut says I need an immediate stab in the garbage in the goddamn walk-in ambulance says just a minute looks in the back says I think I’ve got a stab in the goddamn walk-in immediate ambuloaf ambulamp octoloaf oafulope.

Oafyoulope!” I screamed, tears in my eyes.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, The Giant
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
Motherless Brooklyn Quotes

Minna was barely a man then himself, of course, though he seemed one to us.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 40
Explanation and Analysis:

'You probably ought to know, Lionel's a freak," said Tony, his voice vibrant with self-regard.

"Yeah, well, you're all freaks, if you don't mind me pointing it out,” said Minna "No parents—or am I mixed up?"

Silence.

"Finish your beer," said Minna tossing his can past us, into the back of the van.

And that was the end of our first job for Frank Minna.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna (speaker), Tony Vermonte (speaker), Gilbert Coney, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:

"This is exciting for you, Ma? I got all of motherless Brooklyn up here for you. Merry Christmas."

Related Characters: Frank Minna (speaker), Lionel Essrog, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, Alphonso Matricardi and Leonardo Rockaforte/The Clients, Carlotta Minna
Page Number: 71
Explanation and Analysis:
Interrogation Eyes Quotes

Minna Men wear suits. Minna Men drive cars. Minna Men listen to tapped lines. Minna Men stand behind Minna hands in their pockets, looking menacing. Minna Men carry money. Minna Men collect money. Minna Men don't ask questions. Minna Men answer phones. Minna Men pick up packages. Minna Men are clean-shaven. Minna Men follow instructions. Minna Men try to be like Minna but Minna is dead.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Auto Body Quotes

It all happened at once. There were six of them, a vision to break your heart. I was almost glad Minna was gone so he'd never have to face it, how perfectly the six middle-aged Japanese men of Fujisaki filled the image the Minna Men had always strained toward but had never reached and never would reach… […] They were all we could never be no matter how Minna pushed us: absolutely a team, a unit, their presence collective like a floating island of charisma and force.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, The Fujisaki Corporation
Page Number: 274
Explanation and Analysis: