How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)
Quote #4
I prayed for the city to be cleared of people, for the gift of being alone--a-l-o-n-e: which is the one New York prayer that rarely gets lost or delayed in channels, and in no time at all everything I touched turned to solid loneliness. (4)
Jean is all about creating his own reality. He feels lonely and adjusts the world around him to fit his feelings. Most people do that to some degree or other.
Quote #5
[…] we gradually discovered that we were both in love with the same deceased woman […] (5)
These two men are both experiencing a rapid change in identity. Growth and change is often an uncomfortable, and embarrassing process. It's natural that they would have difficulty going through it together.
Quote #6
"Non, non, madame--merci!" I said I never ate eggs. (26)
This extreme eager-to-please side of Jean seems to manifest itself only with the Yoshotos. It presents a contrast to the rudeness he exhibits to other people in the story. At the same time, he's not being himself with them, and therefore missing the possible opportunity to connect with them.