The Lost Weekend Drugs and Alcohol Quotes

How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Lost Weekend.

Quote #7

HELEN: What guy? Who are you talking about?

DON: The other Don Birnam. There are two of us, you know—Don the Drunk and Don the Writer.

During the flashback in which Helen discovers Don's alcoholism, we see Don make a distinction between his drunk self and his true, writer self. That's an interesting idea. What's more, it shows us that Don sees his alcoholism as something that is separate from himself in many ways.

Quote #8

NAT: That's all.

DON: Come on, Nat. I'll let you have my typewriter.

Here, Don is getting perilously close to rock bottom. His willingness to sell his typewriter—the symbol of his dream to become a writer—reveals that Don the Drunk now reigns victorious.

Quote #9

BIM: You're an alkie, you'll come back. They all do.

Although Bim's dedicated his life to helping alcoholics, he's not a very sympathetic guy. It's odd. Most notably, he mocks Don for having the gall to think that he could ever be cured.