Of Mice and Men Quotes to Remember

Quotes that will hopefully be useful for the exam

"You'd drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty." - George

Desperation: 'gutter'

"I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land." - Crooks

Loneliness: 'books'

"I remember the rabbits, George." - Lennie

Childishness: 'rabbits'

"Think I'd let you carry your own work card?" - George

Power: 'work card'

"I'd lay out in the sun and nobody'd hurt me" - Lennie

Loneliness/Power difference: 'lay out'

"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place." - George

Loneliness: 'guys'

"But not us! An' why? Because . . . because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that's why." - Lennie

Friendship: 'but'

"An' live off the fatta the lan'." - Lennie

Independence: 'live'

"No . . . you tell it. It ain't the same if I tell it." - Lennie

Dependence: 'tell it'

"A guy on a ranch don't never listen nor he don't ast no questions." - Candy

Loyalty/Acceptance: 'a guy'

"After a long time they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time." - George about solitary ranch men to Slim

Loneliness: 'mean'

"I been around him so much I never notice how he stinks." - Candy page 45

Connection: 'stink'

"She's a jail bait all set on the trigger." - George to Whit

Foreshadowing: 'trigger'

"If I say something, why it's just a (******) sayin' it." - Crooks to Lennie

Discrimination: 'just a'

"No... Nobody'd listen to us." - Candy

Hopelessness: 'nobody'd'

"I should of knew... I guess maybe way back in my head I did." - George

Distraction: 'head'

"...he ain't never raised his han' to me with a stick. He's nice to me." - Lennie

Innocence: 'stick'

"You can't remember nothing that happens, but you remember ever' word I say." - George page 102

Dependence: 'can't'

"They ain't got nobody in the worl' that gives a hoot in hell about 'em" - George to Lennie about solitary ranch men

Loneliness: 'hoot'

"I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog." - Candy

Friendship: 'shot'

"He kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs." - Steinbeck about Crooks

Loneliness: 'distance'

"Lennie's disarming smile defeated him." - Steinbeck about Crooks

Companionship: 'defeat'

"Lennie's a nice fella." - Crooks

Companionship: 'fella'

"I seen your light. I thought I could come in an' set."

Companionship/hope: 'light'

"If you don't want me I can go off in the hills an' find a cave. I can go away any time." - Lennie

Motif/Dehumanisation: 'cave'

“I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.” - the boss

Using someone/suspicion: ‘trouble’

“Won’t ever get canned ‘cause his old man’s the boss.” - Candy

Power: ‘canned’

“Ever’body says what a game guy Curley is” and “oughtta pick somebody his own size.” - Candy

Power/dominance: ‘game’ and ‘size’

“big paws”, “live in a cave”, “Slowly, like a terrier”, “snorting into the water”

Descriptions of Lennie like an animal

“reduced himself to nothing… no personality, no ego” - Steinbeck about Crooks

Power/weakness: ‘ego’

“How’d you like not to talk to anybody?” - Curley’s wife

Isolation/Connectedness: ‘talk’

“he’s a pretty nice fella. Gets pretty mad sometimes, but he’s pretty nice.” - Candy about the boss

Power/respect: ‘mad’

"his authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love."

Power/respect: ‘politics’

“Ain’t many guys that travel around together… maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”

Companionship: ‘scared’