How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from An American in Paris.
Quote #7
HENRI: What are you working on?
ADAM: Same old concert.
HENRI: When are you going to give it?
ADAM: When I can't figure out any more reasons not to.
Adam's got that whole self-awareness thing down, doesn't he? Here, he acknowledges that one of the biggest obstacles to making his dream a reality is himself. Whether it's a lack of confidence, a lack of motivation, or just the fear of failure, Adam gets that he's part of the problem.
Quote #8
MILO: [about Jerry's paintings] How much are they?
JERRY: Gee, I don't know.
MILO: You don't know?
JERRY: I never thought I'd come to the point where that would be an issue.
This exchange shows that Jerry views his dream of success as an artist in the abstract. We don't mean "abstract" like a canvas full of shapes and squiggly lines. We mean that he hasn't thought about his career very concretely, as evidenced by the fact that he's never even considered how much to actually charge for his paintings. If Jerry wants to turn his dream into a reality, he needs to get his head in the game.
Quote #9
JERRY: More than anything in the world, I want to have an exhibition, but it's got to be when I'm ready, when my stuff is good enough to show to the public and the critics. You can't set a production date for a thing like that. Don't you understand? I'm not manufacturing paper cups.
Jerry's got a point here, but he's also letting his fear show. It sounds like he's making excuses, doesn't it? Faced with an awesome opportunity, Jerry falls back into what he knows: playing the tortured, righteous artist.