How we cite our quotes: (line number)
Quote #1
No, sir. What you'll probably get is cancer of the mouth, and then you'll have to wear one of those things Freud wore after they took one whole side of his jaw away. (17)
Jerry has hardly met Peter and he's already talking about Peter getting cancer of the mouth and having his jaw rot away. Charming. This is only a successful opening conversational gambit in Theater of the Absurd. A Shakespeare character would just say, "Forsooth! I'm peacing out, homie."
Quote #2
But good old Mom and good old Pop are dead…you know?...I'm broken up about it, too…I mean really. BUT. That particular vaudeville act is playing the cloud circuit now, so I don't see how I can look at them, all neat and framed. (116)
Jerry refers jovially and callously to his parents death. Maybe he's actually pained deep down, so he's using humor to downplay the grief. Or he could just be a jerk.
Quote #3
First, I'll kill the dog with kindness, and if that doesn't work…I'll just kill him. (157)
Shmoop does not approve of plots to kill dogs, even if said dogs are unpleasant and try to eat your legs. Again, Jerry treats death like a joke. Perhaps death is a cosmic joke; perhaps life is one absurd round of absurdity after another, and we are but pawns (or prawns?) of blind and capricious fate. Shmoop doesn't care. Plotting to poison dogs is still wrong.