rry faces day after day in his apartment building, Jerry puts Peter to the test. He tests Peter to see if he has learned anything from their conversation. He provokes Peter to defend himself: to defend his integrity, to defend his self-worth, to defend his bench, and to defend his life. Jerry forces Peter to take action. He forces him to be different from all the people from the boarding house. Peter can no longer hide from his problems. He can no longer escape his life by taking refuge in Central Park on Sunday afternoons. Never again can he sit idly by while his integrity is being compromised. Jerry has changed Peter. He has changed him for the better.Albee says in his preface that "the high points of a person's life can be appreciated so often only in retrospect" (Albee, 8). Jerry has recounted some of the most meaningful tidbits of his existence during this conversation to Peter. He let out many of his old memories and his views of society and the people in it. It appears that he finally appreciates his life. Jerry is glad that he is different from everyone else. He is glad that he does not bring attention to himself due to his appearance only. He is content that he does not escape reality by constantly having fun and avoiding pain, and he is happy that he does not wallow in his self-pity. By the finish of the play, it becomes apparent that Jerry is fulfilled enough with his existence, and can die a happy human being. He provokes Peter to the point where he will defend himself for control of the bench. Jerry succeeds in getting Peter to help him kill himself. Jerry impales himself on the knife from Peter's outstretched arm. Jerry kills himself because he is finally content with his existence. He realizes that he has the ability to cause changes in the lives of others, and he realizes that he has a perception of the world around him more acute than most people do. He realizes that by telling Peter about the sad, ...
