Books and Reading Symbol Analysis

As the play begins, Peter is sitting on a bench and “reading a book.” At first, Peter’s interest in books seems to be mostly an indicator of his class and profession, and Jerry even mocks him for having unoriginal taste. However, as Jerry begins to describe some of the more unsavory characters he regularly encounters in his life, Peter’s reading begins to symbolize his cluelessness about the real world. In one crucial line, Peter muses that it is hard to believe that “people like [Jerry’s landlady] really are,” because he believes they are “for reading about.” Peter, it seems, is so sheltered from the messier aspects of life that he has convinced himself that such things exist only in fiction.

It is also particularly interesting that Peter works as a textbook publisher, because textbooks exist to turn complicated ideas into things that are simple and easy-to-learn (for example, a biology textbook might group animals by the region they come from, the food they eat, or their key behaviors). Several times throughout the play, Peter tries to simplify Jerry’s life, making it more palatable. One instance of this is when Peter assumes that Jerry lives in New York City’s Greenwich Village, because he views Jerry as odd and Peter believes the Village is where odd people live; another example comes after Jerry has explained his complicated sexual history, and Peter immediately responds, “well, it seems perfectly simple to me.” Each time, Peter tries to view Jerry less as an individual, filled with quirks and contradictions, and more as a type or category.