Jamie's Self Image

In Act Four, we get an interesting impression of Jamie's inconsistent view of himself. In his telling the story of his evening, Jamie paints himself as someone who helps other people more than he does himself but simultaneously as someone who knows he hurts others

Jamie's self-image as a self-sacrificing helper is implied when he describes his evening in the brothel and how he chose to visit an unpopular prostitute who wouldn't have had customers without him.

However, when Jamie confesses that he's purposefully tried to make Edmund fail, he demonstrates a fatalistic view of his faults. Although he can admit that he resents and wants to hurt his brother, he doesn't try to change. Like Pop-Eye, "I yam what I yam. "This is still better than the rest of the family, who seem blind or in denial of their faults. Mary never speaks of her addiction. Tyrone doesn't admit that he's stingy for most of the play.