| “I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” | Crooks to Lennie. When Lennie wanders into Crooks’ room because he saw the light. Shows how the other workers don’t accept Crooks because of his race. Theme of Isolation |
| “I seen the guys that go around on ranches alone. That ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean.” | George to Lennie When they are in the bunkhouse, after Curley comes in. Shows the bond between Lennie and George, how they are there for each other, their relationship. Theme of Companionship |
| “if I was alone I could live so easy.” | George to Lennie. When Lennie is frustrating George at the beginning of the novel. Shows how Lennie burdens George, although George really loves Lennie, how he is always responsible for Lennie’s actions. Theme of Responsibility |
| “S’pose George don’t come back no more.” | Crooks to Lennie. When Lennie is in Crooks’ barn and talking about George. Shows Crooks’ need and want for someone to understand his loneliness. Theme of Loneliness |
| “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.” | George to Lennie. When they sit by the lake in the first scene. Shows the special bond between Lennie and George, as opposed to the loneliness of the migrant worker. Theme of Companionship, maybe Plight of the Migrant Worker |
| “Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black”(68). | Crooks to Lennie. When Lennie and Crooks talk in his barn Shows how the others on the ranch isolate Crooks because of how he looks, prejudice. Theme of Isolation |
| “I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” | Crooks to Lennie. Lennie and Crooks in bunkhouse. Crooks talking about the isolation that is handed to him by the others on the ranch and how he feels about them. Theme of isolation |
| “Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is.” | The other itinerant workers on the ranch notice George and Lennie’s friendship. Slim knows that Lennie and George have a special bond, not many other workers have a companion like they do. Theme of Companionship and Plight of the Migrant Worker |
| “It’s a lot nicer to go around with a guy you know” | This shows the importance and rare friendship that George and Lennie share. |
| “I want you to stay with me, Lennie. Jesus Christ, somebody’d shoot you for a coyote if you was by yourself.” | Shows that Lennie depends heavily on his friendship with George. This quote also shows that even though Lennie is heavily dependent on Geore, their friendship is somewhat balanced because without Lennie George would become very lonely like the other ranch workers. |
| “She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger.” | George warns Lennie that Curleys wife could get them into trouble. It could turn out like it did in Weed. This quote also foreshadows the events that take place at the end of the novel. |
| “Hardly none of the guys ever travel together. I hardly never seen two guys travel together.” | Shows how George and Lennies friendship is very rare in the world of the itinerant workers. Further highlights the theme of friendship in the novel. |
| “the beak swallowed the little snake while its tale waved frantically.” | The scene of tranquility, peace and serenity when the water snake and the heron are living peacefully in the beginning of the novel turns sour at the end of the story when the heron ends up eating the snake. |
| “I shouldn’t oughtta let no stranger shoot my dog” | Candy has lost his best companion and is now lonely as his dog was his only friend he explains how he had the dog since he was a pup. This further highlights the significance of George and Lennies friendship. |
| “Hide in the brush until I come for you.” | George tells Lennie that if something goes wrong to hide in the brush and wait for him. This shows how George is like a fatherly figure towards Lennie and how Lennie is very dependent on George. It also highlights the theme of friendship in the novel. |
| “It ain’t no lie. We’re gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’.” | George retells the story of how they will live off the fat of the land. Lennie reminds George about his dream to look after rabbits. Motif of the safe place for George and Lennie, their own American Dream. |
| “he’s jes’ like a kid. There ain’t no more harmin him than a kid neither, execpt he’s so strong.” | The other men on the ranch know about Lennie’s mental disability and how it is contrasted with his great physical ability. |
| “An’ you ain’t gonna do no bad things like you done in Weed, neither” | George warns Lennie not to do anything to ruin their dream like what happened in the past. It foreshadows that although George is desperately telling Lennie to not do anything bad the later occurrences are inevitable because Lennie mental disability gets the better of him. |
| “every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ’em ever gets it.” | Crooks to Lennie. When Lennie walks in to Crooks’ barn and is talking to him. Shows how George and Lennie have the American Dream that many workers have, but never achieve. Theme of American Dream/Plight of the Migrant Worker |
| “You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley.” | Curleys wife is another lonely and isolated character on the ranch because she is the only woman the ranch. The social hierachys that existed during this period meant that she was classed lower than the men on the ranch. So she did not get much respect and was quite powerless. |
Of Mice and Men QUOTES
April 27, 2020