How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Eisman wasn't just a little cynical. He held a picture of the financial world in his head that was radically different from [...] the financial world's self-portrait. (1.35)
Although Eisman has always viewed the financial world with a mixture of distrust and disdain, the things he learns over the course of The Big Short shock him. If anything, the dude's problem was not being cynical enough. That's a crazy thought, especially after you get to know Eisman.
Quote #2
Steve Eisman was odd in his conviction that the leveraging of middle-class America was a corrupt and corrupting event. (5.4)
Of all of the people who bet against the subprime market, Eisman is the most driven by personal political beliefs. He has an almost socialistic disdain for the way that the upper classes exploit the lower classes, and nowhere does he see this happening more than in the subprime market.
Quote #3
[Eisman] saw himself as a crusader, a champion of the underdog, and enemy of sinister authority. He saw himself, roughly speaking, as Spider-Man. (6.35)
Eisman's obsession with comic books—and specifically Spider-Man—reveals a whole new aspect of his personality. It's almost adorable. What's more, it ties in nicely with his obsession with fighting injustice, placing him in a long line of rich dudes who play superhero, from Bruce Wayne to Tony Stark.