Why does Jerry take such pains to tell Peter about his life in The Zoo Story?

It should be obvious from the beginning of the play that
Jerry has a difficult time establishing any kind of relationship.  From the beginning,
he is aggressive.  His whole purpose is to get someone, in this case, Peter, to kill
him.

Perhaps the idea of committing suicide would be an
admission of failure in Jerry's mind, therefore, he must find somebody to do it for
him.  Jerry needs Peter.  He needs Peter to understand why he must kill
him.

Jerry's story about his relationship with the dog
illustrates the idea that he is incapable of establishing  an relationship with another
human being.  With the dog, Jerry is in control.

Jerry is a
man who feels he has no control over his life therefore he feels that the only control
he has is his death which he manipulates.