The Zoo Story Society and Class Quotes

A "permanent transient" could be a homeless person, though in this case it seems to more generally mean that Jerry is poor and doesn't have a good house of his own. The reference to New York as the greatest city in the world is ironic; Jerry's poverty and cruddy boardinghouse suggests that New York has some problems.

Peter is nervous about calling attention to Jerry's poverty early in the play. But when his bench is menaced, he uses the poverty to insult Jerry, calling him a "bum." Peter also threatens to call the police, because he knows that the police are there to protect him from people like Jerry.

Jerry suggests its silly to fight over the bench when Peter has everything else. But folks don't want to lose anything even if they have quite enough. People really will fight for their benches.