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Peter takes his book and dashes off before passers-by notice that Jerry is dying. He even thanks Peter, using his last energy to wipe Peter’s fingerprints off the knife handle so that Peter will not be accused of his murder. Suddenly, Jerry charges Peter and impales himself on the knife.Īlthough he is initially hysterical, Jerry soon calms down and accepts his death. As a gesture of peace, Jerry gives the knife to Peter, who holds the knife out to protect himself. Jerry pulls a knife and insists the men fight for it. Although Peter initially realizes that Jerry’s behavior is absurd, he gradually becomes more possessive of the bench. He then tries to force Peter to move from the bench, and punches him when he refuses. Peter tries to excuse himself, but Jerry tickles him to keep him from leaving. Jerry explains that he tries to befriend animals as a gateway to befriending other people. Peter finds this story extremely disturbing, and wonders why Jerry told it to him. Although this sickened the dog, it eventually recovered and began to simply leave him alone. 40 of all African elephants in the U.S zoos are obese 55 of zoo animals are put on anti-depressants Some zoos refuse to move animals who need to be in a different environment Many zoos claim they are conserving animals, but often arent doing so 45 of the animals are killed. After repeated and repudiated attempts at friendship, Jerry decided to murder the dog by feeding it a poisoned hamburger patty. When she got a dog, Jerry tried to befriend it, but the dog responded only by attacking him. Jerry promises to tell Peter about his trip to the zoo, but is sidetracked into telling Peter about his landlady, a drunken woman who constantly propositions him. His parents died when he was young, and his only significant romantic relationship was a short liaison he had with another boy when he was a teenager. When Peter asks him about the picture frames, Jerry explains that he is completely alone in life. He describes his unsavory neighbors and the junk that comprises his possessions – including two empty picture frames. and typed drafts of TRs short story, Zoo Island, in Spanish only.
When Peter finally begins to return Jerry’s questions, Jerry tells him about his miserable apartment in a flophouse on the Upper West Side. The Toms Rivera archive contains more than 85,000 items in 198 document boxes.
Jerry continues to ask Peter questions about his life, his job, and his interests. Jerry’s forward personality quickly begins to annoy Peter – he points out that Peter will likely get cancer from smoking, and implies that Peter is emasculated because he has cats instead of dogs. Despite Peter’s apparent reluctance to chat, Jerry strikes up a conversation. Jerry, a sloppily dressed transient in his late thirties, approaches and announces that he is coming from the Central Park Zoo. One Sunday afternoon, Peter, an upper-middle-class family man and publishing executive in his mid-forties, is reading a book on a bench. The entire play is set on a park bench in Central Park.