IGCSE ENGLISH - Of Mice and Men Quotes

I could live so easy.

George's speech which tells the difference between his and Lennie's friendship to the ranch workers.

Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.

The loneliest people

With us it ain't like that. We got a future.

The difference between George and Lennie and the ranch workers.

We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.

George's and Lennie's friendship

He repeated the words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before

George's speech on the dream

"Sure we will," George said sleepily. "Red and blue and green rabbits, Lennie."

George's dismissal towards the dream

You never oughta drink water when it ain't running, Lennie

George cares about Lennie's health

I wisht I could put you in a cage with about a million mice

George wants to leave Lennie but wants him to be safe.

hide in the brush till I come for you

foreshadowing of Lennie's end

..don't even take a look at that bitch

George warning Lennie that Curley's wife is trouble

Le's do it now. Le's get that place now

George wants Lennie to remember the dream before he dies

An' live off fatta the lan

Lennie dreams on living...

It's a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know

George explaining his friendship with Lennie to Slim

Funny how you an' him string along together.

Slim on George's and Lennie's friendship

A bear drags his paws

Steinbeck's description on Lennie

George gonna give me hell

Lennie fears what George will do

I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you

Lennie describes the difference between them and the ranch workers

Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy.

The Boss on Lennie's and George's relationship

Lennie sat in the barn and looked at the dead puppy

The foreshadowing that is used through the puppy

How I get to tend the rabbits

Lennie wants George to let him have the rabbits

George ain't gonna let me tend no rabbits

Lennie has a childish outlook on the situation of Curley's wife's death.

imitated George exactly

Lennie trusts George and looks up to him

The boss gives him (CROOKS) hell when he's mad.

How the one of the most powerful characters in the book abuses crooks

I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain't wanted in my room.

The hostility of Crooks

He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs.

Crooks' aloofness

Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It's just in their head.

Crooks' perspective on the dream

Crooks had reduced himself to nothing.

Crooks' is helpless

because I'm Black

The acceptance of the abuse that Crooks receives

a guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody

Crooks on loneliness

I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny

Curley's wife reminds Crooks of his position in society

smiled helplessly in an attempt to make friends

Lennie enforces the theme of friendship but also shows how the prejudice has brought them together

Well, jus' forget it

Crooks is reminded that the dream does not exist

Why can't I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody.

Curley's wife on loneliness

He ain't a nice fella

Curley's wife on Curley

tart

George's first impression of Curley's wife

got the eye

Candy's impression of Curley's wife

tramp

How George see Curley's wife

the rectangle of sunshine in the door way is cut off

foreshadows the danger of Curley's wife

speaks 'playfully'

How Curley's wife speaks

has her body thrown forward

Curley's wife only knows how to attract attention by using her sexuality

Coulda been in the movies

Curley's wife's dream

heavily made up

Curley's wife's appearance

little bouquets of red ostrich feathers

Steinbeck chooses this bird to represent Curley's wife because this bird is often alone and cannot fly. The fact that it cannot fly suggests that she is trapped in an unhappy marriage.

She was suddenly apprehensive

Curley's wife is unhappy in the marriage and fears Curley

he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen

Candy's companionship with dog

a dragfooted sheepdog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes

Description of dog

That's a hell of an old dog

How the others view the dog

Stinks like hell, too.

Carlson hates dog

ancient

How the dog is described

He ain't no good to you Candy

Carlson convincing Candy to get rid of dog

Why n't you shoot him Candy?

Carlson trying to persuade Candy to get rid of dog

One lean finger touched her cheek

Slim is the only compassionate person towards Curley's wife's death

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

Candy had a responsibility over his dog like how George had a responsibility over Lennie

let no stranger shoot my dog

Candy wished he shot his dog, foreshadows to the death of Lennie

god-like eyes

How Steinbeck describes Slim's eyes

his hatchet face was ageless

How Steinbeck describes Slim's face. 'Ageless' as if Slim was a God.

moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen

Slim's very powerful presence

prince of the ranch

Slim's authority on the ranch

Slim don't need to wear no high-heeled boots

Slim doesn't need to prove himself

kindly

Slim adverb (k)

gently

Slim adverb (g)

His ear heard more than was said to him... understanding beyond though

Slim has the ability to notice more and have the empathy to relate to others

Ain't many guys travel around together

Slim notices the friendship of George and Lennie

ever'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other

Slim on the Great Depression

Guys don't come into a colored man's room very much. Nobody been here but Slim

Slim's lack of prejudice against blacks

I drowned four of 'em right off. She couldn't feed that many.

Slim's a realist and enforces the survival of the fittest theme.

his word was taken on any subject

Slim is valued in any subject

Slim's opinion was law

Slim's authority

That dog ain't no good to himself. I wisht somebody'd shoot me if I get old an' a cripple.

Slim persuading Candy to shoot his dog.

Me an' you'll go in an' get a drink

Slim tries to cheer up George and is compassionate

You hadda George. I swear you hadda

Slim's empathy to George

A guy got to sometimes

Slim dismisses that George killed Lennie

invited confidence without demanding it

George feels comfortable with Slim as he...

They'll can me purty soon . Jus' as soon as I can't swamp out no bunk houses

Candy on age

Tell ya what Lennie I been figuring out about those rabbits

Candy shares the same dream as Lennie and George

blue jeans and short denim jacket

Slim's clothes are the same as George's and Lennie's which symbolises that despite that Slim deserves more because of his authority he still achieves the same as the other ranch workers. No matter how hard he works, he is fated to live as the same existence as everyone else. It doesn't matter how hard you work or how many advantages you have.

Candy looked for help from face to face.

loneliness of Candy

Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. "You an' me can get that little place, can't we, George?"

The end of Candy's dream

Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?

Carlson doesn't understand and lacks empathy

shoot him right in the back of the head

Carlson shooting Candy's dog

You come for me, an' I'll kick your G** damn head off

Carlson is unafraid of Curley

I'll get my Luger

Carlson is very calm about the shooting of Candy's dog.

A little stocky man

Description of the Boss

he wore high-heeled boots

The boss and Curley needs to prove their authority

he was not a laboring man.

How the boss is different to others

He hates big guys.

Curley has napoleon complex.

come on, ye big bastard

Curley fights bigger men to gain respect

he don't like nobody

Curley's wife on her husband

I'll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I'll shoot 'im in the guts

Curley hates Lennie and uses the opportunity of his wife's death to harm Lennie

They left all the weak ones here

Curley's wife has power of those who are considered lower than her.

How'd you do it?

Carlson asks George this question expecting that George will be proud of the way in which he shot Lennie as characters like Carlson and Curley would have regarded it almost as a trophy.

as silently as a creeping bear

Lennie is afraid of being caught and reveals a childish attempt to hide

snorting into the water like a horse

Lennie cannot control himself an disrupts the peaceful scene

he pawed up the hay until it partly covered her

Lennie is unable to effectively do what he has to do because he does not have the coordination.

a shot sounded in the distance

isolation of death, no one cares about your death -> the weak must did in the survival of the fittest theory, undramatic

a pigeon flew in through the open hay door and flew out again

an encapsulation of an age-old philosophy that life is a brief period of time between the two (life and death) massive infinities. The pigeon (a living creature) enters the barn (life) and then quickly flew out (death).

Ain't nothing left for him. Can't eat, can't see, can't even walk without hurtin'.

Both Lennie and Candy's dog is killed in the same way with the same gun and both result the desolation of their companion. The event tells the reader that all the weak ones must die because there is no use for them in society.

He stooped over and tied it (leather thong) around the old dog's neck.

Foreshadows future events of Candy's dog. This resembles execution through hanging.

As they went through the barn the horses snorted and the halter chains rattled.

animals can sense the danger of humankind