Ralph Packer shocked at the expectation that he has to pay Trumper for work
Ralph believes that he had been providing Trumper with a very exciting opportunity to work with him, and even though Trumper wasn’t interested or even remotely related to film-making business, he should have been just happy to be working, since he would be gaining an experience. He is surprised that he would have to pay Trumper for his services.
It's a queer thing that when you're given a little, you only want a lot.
Trumper says that he doesn’t want pity from Lydia Kindle and goes to great lengths to prevent her from knowing that he worked two jobs to sustain his family. But, when Lydia shows him sympathy, he is happy to start a relationship with her even though he went out of his way to prevent it.
Watch me! I’m normal!
Trumper wonders after he finds a gay man in the bathroom beaten by ‘normal’ people. He wonders if the people who hit the gay man from Benny’s would leave him considering him normal if he would propose to rape a girl. Basically, a decent gay man is to be beaten, but a man who can rape a girl is supposed to be fine.
Trumper leaving Tulpen for her 'affair'
Trumper leaves Tulpen after he ‘discovers’ that the Ralph and Tulpen had been having an affair while he was at the hospital. Ironically, he was the one left his previous marriage when he was caught red-handed cheating on Biggie.
Witless behaviour can be a very calculated thing
Trumper avoids confrontation of any kind, and is very senseless when it comes to doing things like working out his living or completing his thesis, but when he is being witless on purpose, he puts a great thought in to it. So, when he leaves Biggie, he does by avoiding her using a very elaborate hoax with Ralph, pays all his cheques excluding the one for his student loan as he believed he was running without completing his education. He leaves a very expensive toy with real duck feathers as a symbol of his hardship with the duck, leaves the remainder of money his dad sent him with Biggie along with an expensive bra, and sends the decaying duck to his father before leaving for Vienna to meet Overturf.
