The Adventures of Augie March Identity Quotes

Here and elsewhere, the question of whether someone is a real criminal is posed as a question of identity. And a person's identity is visible in the eyes, apparently.

Both Einhorn's brother and his wife—not to mention Augie—identify him as a genius in a class above the rest. Why does Augie identify Einhorn with superiority? He's not exactly king of the world. He's hardly a tycoon or business magnate. Einhorn is moderately successful, but not a lord of capitalism.

Einhorn won't allow his paralysis to define him, at least not directly. For him, his paralysis is more of a setting than a characteristic—it's what inspires him to rise above.