Essay Questions

Why is Jimmy empathetic with prostitutes?

Jimmy is depicted as an individual who is traumatized by the loss of Gloria. The only thing that Jimmy thinks of is Gloria, and he sees her in the women he interacts with. For instance, Jimmy sees Gloria in every prostitute that he sees in town. Therefore, Jimmy sleeps with all prostitutes in town, and he listens to their stories because he thinks that Gloria is speaking. Unlike other men who judge prostitutes harshly and categorize them as whores, Jimmy sees them as virtuous women who deserve attention. After all, these prostitutes are willing to listen and talk to him about their lives.

Who is Gloria, and what is her figurative meaning?

Gloria is an inventive character in the mind of Jimmy because she does not exist in reality. Gloria is a figurative fragment that represents Jimmy's state of mind. Jimmy is a disturbed man because he cannot do anything without thinking of Gloria. Whatever Gloria did to Jimmy that makes him crave for her at all times is undisclosed by the author. After the Vietnam war, Jimmy is traumatized by the absence of Gloria in his wife. Therefore, when Jimmy sees any woman, he thinks that she is Gloria and instantly gets intimate.

Is it satirical that Jimmy spends most of his time in bars sleeping with prostitutes looking for Gloria?

Jimmy's decision to have sex with every prostitute in bars as a way of searching for Gloria is ironic. The reader concludes that Jimmy's priorities are upside and down because there is no way one can find his lost love through prostitutes. Jimmy is pushed to do whatever he does by trauma and emotional instability.