Why risk everything for a friend who demands constant vigilance, or grasp too tightly at fragile dreams until they shatter?
John Steinbeck’s stark novella, Of Mice and Men, plunges into the lives of migrant workers clinging to hope amidst the crushing loneliness of the Great Depression. Explore the desperate ache for belonging and the fierce, fragile bonds forged in hardship through these 53 defining quotes.
This collection captures the soul of George and Lennie’s doomed dream. Organized by chapter and enriched with thematic insights and analysis snippets, these quotes guide you straight to the heart of the novella’s enduring power and bleak beauty.
Walk alongside Candy, Crooks, Slim, and Curley’s wife as their words reveal the crushing weight of isolation, the seductive danger of hope, and the harsh realities of a world that offers little mercy.
Chapter 1: Dreams Take Root by the Salinas River
Beneath the sycamores by the Salinas River, Steinbeck introduces the central duo, George Milton and Lennie Small, and establishes the powerful, shared dream that fuels their journey south and binds them together against the world’s indifference.
“A stilted heron labored up into the air and pounded down the river.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator, Theme: Setting, Nature, Foreshadowing, Chapter 1, Page 2)
Steinbeck opens with an image of natural beauty tinged with effort, perhaps mirroring the arduous journey ahead for George and Lennie.
“Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator, Theme: Setting, Nature, Foreshadowing, Stillness, Chapter 1, Page 2)
The tranquility of the natural world, particularly the stillness of the rabbits (a key element of Lennie’s dream), contrasts sharply with the men’s arrival and foreshadows future disruption.
“You never oughta drink water when it ain’t runnin’.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Practicality, Wisdom, Caretaking, Chapter 1, Page 3)
This early advice establishes George’s role as the practical caretaker, possessing world-wisdom Lennie lacks. Understand George’s pragmatic worldview through these 25 defining quotes from George Milton.
“You never had none, you crazy bastard. I got both of ’em here. Think I’d let you carry your own work card?”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Responsibility, Foreshadowing, Lennie’s Incapacity, Chapter 1, Page 5)
George’s exasperated affection highlights Lennie’s dependency and foreshadows George’s ultimate, protective responsibility.
“God, you’re a lot of trouble,” said George. “I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy and maybe have a girl.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Burden, Dreams, Conflict, Resentment, Chapter 1, Page 7)
This outburst reveals the constant tension within George: the weight of his responsibility for Lennie versus his own suppressed dreams of a simpler, unburdened life.
“Trouble with mice is you always kill ’em.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Foreshadowing, Lennie’s Nature, Unintentional Harm, Chapter 1, Page 13)
“George’s voice became deeper. He repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before. ‘Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch. They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Loneliness, Migrant Life, Rootlessness, Chapter 1, Pages 13-14)
George articulates the bleak reality of the itinerant worker’s existence, emphasizing the profound isolation that defines their lives and setting the stage for the importance of their bond.
“With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Friendship, Dreams, Hope, Exceptionalism, Chapter 1, Page 14)
This is the core of their shared belief: their companionship elevates them beyond the lonely fate of other ranch hands, offering them purpose and a future.
“I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Lennie Small, Theme: Friendship, Dependence, Reciprocity, Chapter 1, Page 14)
Lennie simplifies their unique bond to its essential truth: mutual care and responsibility in a world where such connection is rare.
“we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: The Dream, Hope, Simplicity, Independence, Chapter 1, Page 14)
The pair arrives at the ranch, stepping into a microcosm of the harsh world, encountering new faces and the potential dangers that threaten their fragile dream.
Chapter 2: Welcome to the Ranch – New Faces, Old Fears
George and Lennie navigate the bunkhouse hierarchy, meeting Candy and his ancient dog, the authoritative Boss, the pugnacious Curley, his isolated wife, and the respected, insightful Slim. Initial tensions and foreshadowing emerge.
“At about ten o’clock in the morning the sun threw a bright dust-laden bar through one of the side windows and in and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator, Theme: Setting, Atmosphere, Fleeting Beauty, Chapter 2, Page 18)
“A little stocky man stood in the open doorway. He wore blue jean trousers, a flannel shirt, a black, unbuttoned vest and a black coat. His thumbs were stuck in his belt, on each side of a square steel buckle. On his head was a soiled brown Stetson hat, and he wore high-heeled boots and spurs to prove he was not a laboring man.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator about The Boss, Theme: Character Introduction, Status, Authority, Chapter 2, Page 20)
“Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The Boss, Theme: Suspicion, Loneliness, Rarity of Friendship, Chapter 2, Page 22)
The Boss’s immediate suspicion underscores the rarity and perceived strangeness of George and Lennie’s close bond within the cynical ranch environment.
“Curley’s like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He’s alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like he’s mad at ’em because he ain’t a big guy.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Candy, Theme: Insecurity, Aggression, Prejudice, ‘Napoleonic Complex’, Chapter 2, Page 26)
Gain insight into the aging swamper’s observations through these poignant quotes from Candy.
“Never did seem right to me. S’pose Curley jumps a big guy an’ licks him. Ever’body says what a game guy Curley is. And s’pose he does the same thing and gets licked. Then ever’body says the big guy oughtta pick somebody his own size, and maybe they gang up on the big guy. Seems like Curley ain’t givin’ nobody a chance.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Candy, Theme: Injustice, Bullying, Power Dynamics, Hypocrisy, Chapter 2, Pages 26-27)
Candy keenly observes the unfair power dynamics surrounding Curley’s aggression, highlighting the precarious position of men like Lennie. Understand Curley’s volatile nature through quotes revealing Curley’s character.
“This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. His hatchet face was ageless. He might have been thirty-five or fifty. His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator about Slim, Theme: Character Introduction, Wisdom, Respect, Natural Authority, Grace, Chapter 2, Pages 33-34)
Slim is introduced as a figure of innate authority and deep understanding, contrasting sharply with the other ranch hands through his quiet dignity and perceptive nature.
“Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused. “I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Slim, Theme: Loneliness, Fear, Observation, Social Commentary, Chapter 2, Page 35)
“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Slim, Theme: Loneliness, Fear, Human Condition, Chapter 2, Page 35)
Slim’s profound observation suggests that the loneliness pervading the ranch is merely a symptom of a larger, universal fear preventing human connection.
“Lennie rolled off the bunk and stood up, and the two of them started for the door. Just as they reached it, Curley bounced in. “You seen a girl around here?” he demanded angrily. George said coldly, “‘Bout half an hour ago maybe.” “Well, what the hell was she doin’?” George stood still, watching the angry little man. He said insultingly, “She said–she was lookin’ for you.” Curley seemed really to see George for the first time. His eyes flashed over George, took in his height, measured his reach, looked at his trim middle. “Well, which way’d she go?” he demanded at last. “I dunno,” said George. “I didn’t watch her go.” Curley scowled at him, and turning, hurried out the door. George said, “Ya know, Lennie, I’m scared I’m gonna tangle with that bastard myself. I hate his guts. […] Come on. There won’t be a damn thing left to eat.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Characters: Curley and George, Theme: Conflict, Tension, Foreshadowing, Masculinity, Jealousy, Chapter 2, Pages 36-37)
As life settles into the bunkhouse routine, deeper truths about companionship, loss, and the tantalizing dream begin to surface, culminating in violence.
Chapter 3: Fragile Hopes and Harsh Realities
George confides in Slim, revealing the past incident in Weed. The fate of Candy’s old dog foreshadows future events, while Candy’s offer to join the dream makes it seem suddenly, tangibly possible, only for Curley’s aggression to shatter the moment.
“He ain’t no cuckoo,” said George. “He’s dumb as hell, but he ain’t crazy. An’ I ain’t so bright neither, or I wouldn’t be buckin’ barley for my fifty and found. If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, I’d have my own little place, an’ I’d be bringin’ in my own crops, ’stead of doin’ all the work and not getting what comes up outta the ground.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Intelligence vs. Wisdom, The Dream, Dissatisfaction, Self-Awareness, Chapter 3, Page 39)
“Guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus’ works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain’t hardly ever a nice fella.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Slim, Theme: Kindness, Intelligence, Judgment, Human Nature, Chapter 3, Page 40)
Slim offers a counter-cultural observation, suggesting intelligence doesn’t equate to goodness, often the opposite, further highlighting the unusual decency in George and Lennie’s bond.
“I ain’t got no people. I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain’t no good. They don’t have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin’ to fight all the time. […] ‘Course Lennie’s a… nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Loneliness, Friendship, Burden, Companionship, Effects of Isolation, Chapter 3, Page 41)
“I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got old an’ a cripple.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Slim reflecting on Candy’s dog, Theme: Mercy, Age, Usefulness, Fear, Pragmatism, Chapter 3, Page 45)
“George sighed. “You give me a good whore house every time,” he said. “A guy can go in an’ get drunk and get ever’thing outta his system all at once, an’ no messes. And he knows how much it’s gonna set him back. These here jail baits is just set on the trigger of the hoosegow.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton about women like Curley’s wife, Theme: Misogyny, Danger, Objectification, Fear of Complication, Chapter 3, Page 56)
“We could live offa the fatta the lan’.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Lennie Small, Theme: The Dream, Hope, Repetition, Simplicity, Chapter 3, Page 57)
This recurring phrase embodies the simple, powerful core of their dream – self-sufficiency and belonging. Hear the innocent hope that defines Lennie through these essential quotes capturing Lennie’s character.
“You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Candy, Theme: Age, Fear, Uselessness, Parallelism, Vulnerability, Chapter 3, Page 60)
Candy explicitly links his own fear of being discarded when old and useless to the fate of his dog, making the dream a desperate bid for security.
“I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Candy, Theme: Regret, Responsibility, Powerlessness, Loss, Chapter 3, Page 61)
Candy’s profound regret stems not just from the loss but from abdicating his final responsibility to his companion, a decision that deeply affects George later.
“I can still tend the rabbits, George? I didn’t mean no harm, George.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Lennie Small after crushing Curley’s hand, Theme: Innocence, Fear, The Dream, Consequences, Lack of Understanding, Chapter 3, Page 65)
On a Saturday night, the ‘weak ones’ – Lennie, Candy, and Crooks – are left behind, their enforced isolation leading to a rare, charged convergence in Crooks’ room, briefly interrupted by Curley’s wife.
Chapter 4: Crooks’ Room – Where Loneliness Speaks Truth
The stable buck’s room becomes a temporary nexus where the crushing weight of isolation, the sting of prejudice, the seductive power of the dream, and the threat of powerlessness are laid bare.
“Lennie said quietly, “It ain’t no lie. We’re gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Lennie Small to Crooks, Theme: The Dream, Belief, Innocence, Conviction, Chapter 4, Page 69)
“I seen it over an’ over—a guy talkin’ to another guy and it don’t make no difference if he don’t hear or understand. The thing is, they’re talkin’, or they’re settin’ still not talkin’. It don’t make no difference, no difference. […] George can tell you screwy things, and it don’t matter. It’s just the talking. It’s just bein’ with another guy. That’s all.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks, Theme: Companionship, Loneliness, Communication, Need for Connection, Chapter 4, Page 71)
Crooks articulates the fundamental human need for companionship, even if perfect understanding isn’t achieved. Gain deeper insight into the stable buck’s isolated world through these key quotes revealing Crooks’ perspective.
“Nobody can’t tell what a guy’ll do…”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks, Theme: Unpredictability, Human Nature, Fear, Chapter 4, Page 71)
“A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks, Theme: Loneliness, Need for Connection, Mental Health, Desperation, Chapter 4, Pages 72-73)
Crooks delivers one of the novella’s most powerful statements on the devastating psychological toll of profound isolation.
“A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and ast him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks, Theme: Isolation, Perception, Reality, Lack of Validation, Subjectivity, Chapter 4, Page 73)
“I seen hunderds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads. Hundreds of them. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ‘em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a […] one of ‘em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land. It’s just in their head.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks, Theme: Broken Dreams, Cynicism, Realism, Futility, Shared Illusion, Chapter 4, Page 74)
Hardened by experience and observation, Crooks dismisses the shared dream as a common, unattainable fantasy among rootless men, comparing it to the impossibility of reaching heaven.
“They come, an’ they quit an’ go on; an’ every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a…one of ’em ever gets it.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks, Theme: Broken Dreams, Futility, Cycle of Migrant Life, Chapter 4, Page 74)
“In town in a whorehouse. That’s where your money’s goin’…. I seen it happen too many times. I seen too many guys with land in their head. They never get none under their hand.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks, Theme: Cynicism, Broken Dreams, Temptation, Realism, Chapter 4, Page 76)
“Everybody wants a little bit of land, not much. Jus’ som’thin’ that was his. Som’thin’ he could live on and there couldn’t nobody throw him off of it.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks echoing Candy, Theme: The Dream, Security, Belonging, Universality of Desire, Chapter 4, Page 76)
“I seen too many you guys. If you had two bits in the worl’, why you’d be in gettin’ two shots of corn with it and suckin’ the bottom of the glass.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Curley’s wife, Theme: Cynicism, Class, Judgment, Dismissal of Dreams, Chapter 4, Page 79)
Curley’s wife expresses her own cynicism, born from different but equally isolating experiences. Understand her tragic position through these quotes revealing her loneliness and frustration.
“We know what we got, and we don’t care whether you know it or not.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Candy defending the dream, Theme: Hope, Defiance, Shared Dream, Belief, Chapter 4, Page 79)
“Crooks stood up from his bunk and faced her. “I had enough,” he said coldly. “You got no rights comin’ in a colored man’s room. You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you jus’ get out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more.” She turned on him in scorn. “Listen, n****,” she said. “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?” Crooks stared helplessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself. She closed on him. “You know what I could do?” Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall. “Yes, ma’am.” “Well, you keep your place then…. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego–nothing to arouse either like or dislike. He said, “Yes, ma’am,” and his voice was toneless. For a moment she stood over him as though waiting for him to move so that she could whip at him again; but Crooks sat perfectly still, his eyes averted, everything that might be hurt drawn in. She turned at last to the other two.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Characters: Crooks and Curley’s wife, Theme: Racism, Power Dynamics, Cruelty, Fear, Dehumanization, Threat, Chapter 4, Pages 80-81)
This brutal exchange exposes the vicious hierarchy of powerlessness on the ranch, where Curley’s wife wields her marginal power over Crooks through racial threat, silencing him completely.
“If you ain’t sure, you better take the safe way.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks advising Candy, Theme: Caution, Fear, Survival, Learned Helplessness, Chapter 4, Page 81)
“Crooks avoided the whole subject now. “Maybe you guys better go,” he said. “I ain’t sure I want you in here no more. A colored man got to have some rights even if he don’t like ’em.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Crooks retreating, Theme: Defeat, Isolation, Rights, Resignation, Impact of Threat, Chapter 4, Page 82)
Alone in the barn on a quiet Sunday afternoon, Lennie’s inability to control his strength and his obsession with soft things lead to the novella’s devastating climax.
Chapter 5: Tragedy in the Barn – The Dream Unravels
Lennie’s innocent interaction with his puppy turns fatal, mirroring past mistakes. Curley’s wife finds him alone, leading to a conversation about loneliness and dreams that culminates in accidental, irreversible violence, shattering the future George, Lennie, and Candy envisioned.
“Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Lennie Small to his dead puppy, Theme: Lack of Understanding, Foreshadowing, Violence, Scale, Pattern, Chapter 5, Page 85)
Lennie fails to comprehend his own strength or the finality of death, seeing the puppy’s death only as another “bad thing” that will displease George.
“Curley’s wife lay with a half-covering of yellow hay. And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. Now her rouged cheeks and reddened lips made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly. The curls, tiny little sausages, were spread on the hay behind her head and her lips were parted”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator describing Curley’s wife in death, Theme: Death, Lost Potential, Appearance vs. Reality, Peace, Tragedy, Chapter 5, Pages 92-93)
In death, Curley’s wife is stripped of the persona forced upon her by loneliness and societal expectations, revealing the lost innocence and potential beneath.
“As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator after Candy finds the body, Theme: Climax, Stillness, Significance, Turning Point, Realization, Chapter 5, Page 93)
“Yeah,” said George. “I’ll come. But listen, Curley. The poor bastard’s nuts. Don’t shoot ‘im. He di’n’t know what he was doin’.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Protection, Defense, Understanding, Desperation, Inevitability, Chapter 5, Page 98)
The final act plays out back where it all began, by the tranquil yet predatory Salinas River.
Chapter 6: By the River Again – A Final, Bitter Mercy
Lennie waits in the designated safe place, tormented by visions born of guilt. George finds him, retelling the dream of their future one last time as an act of profound, if devastating, friendship and mercy before the pursuing mob arrives.
“A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shadows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: The narrator, Theme: Nature’s Indifference, Predation, Foreshadowing, Cycle of Life/Death, Brutality, Chapter 6, Page 99)
The peaceful setting is immediately undercut by this image of sudden, natural violence, mirroring the impending human tragedy and foreshadowing Lennie’s fate.
“I tried and tried. I couldn’ help it.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Lennie Small, Theme: Remorse, Lack of Control, Childlikeness, Fate, Chapter 6, Page 102)
“Guys like us got nothing to look ahead to.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton echoing Chapter 1, Theme: Lost Hope, Loneliness, Resignation, Death of the Dream, Chapter 6, Page 104)
George’s repetition of this earlier sentiment, contrasted with his hopeful tone when describing the dream, signifies the dream’s utter destruction.
“No,” said George. “No, Lennie. I ain’t mad. I never been mad, an’ I ain’t now. That’s a thing I want ya to know.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: George Milton, Theme: Compassion, Mercy, Friendship, Forgiveness, Final Comfort, Chapter 6, Page 104)
“Lennie begged, “Le’s do it now. Le’s get that place now.” “Sure right now. I gotta. We gotta.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Characters: Lennie Small and George Milton, Theme: The Dream, Final Moments, Mercy, Inevitability, Tragedy, Chapter 6, Page 105)
In this heart-wrenching exchange, the dream provides a final comfort for Lennie, while George steels himself for the necessary, terrible act born of love and despair.
“But George sat stiffly on the bank and looked at his right hand that had thrown the gun away. The group burst into the clearing, and Curley was ahead. He saw Lennie lying on the sand. “Got him, by God.” He went over and looked down at Lennie, and then he looked back at George. “Right in the back of the head,” he said softly. Slim came directly to George and sat down beside him, sat very close to him. “Never you mind,” said Slim. “A guy got to sometimes.” But Carlson was standing over George. “How’d you do it?” he asked. “I just done it,” George said tiredly.”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Characters: Slim, Carlson, and George, Theme: Aftermath, Grief, Understanding vs. Indifference, Trauma, Isolation, Chapter 6, Page 107)
“Curley and Carlson looked after them. And Carlson said, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?”
~ John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (Character: Carlson, final line, Theme: Lack of Empathy, Indifference, Misunderstanding, Isolation, Chapter 6, Page 107)
The novella ends on a chilling note of incomprehension, highlighting the profound gap between those capable of empathy (George and Slim) and those who remain oblivious to deeper human connections and sorrow. Reflect on the pragmatic, unemotional viewpoint represented by Carlson through these quotes illustrating Carlson’s perspective.
Conclusion: The Enduring Echo of a Broken Dream
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men remains a stark and profoundly moving elegy for the marginalized and misunderstood. These 53 quotes, drawn directly from the heart of the narrative, offer a crucial window into its enduring power. They showcase Steinbeck’s masterful ear for dialogue and his unflinching portrayal of the American Dream deferred, the desperate human need for connection in an indifferent world, and the devastating consequences of prejudice, loneliness, and violence.
From the fragile hope nurtured by the Salinas River to the final, tragic act of mercy, these words capture the essence of George and Lennie’s bond and the harsh realities that ultimately consume their dream, leaving an indelible mark on the landscape of American literature.
A Note on Page Numbers & Edition (Handle With Care!):
We hauled these quotes from the Penguin Books Mass Market Paperback edition (September 1, 1993), ISBN-13: 978-0140177398. Please be aware that page numbers, like those dream rabbits Lennie wants to tend, can sometimes hop around in different book printings! Always double-check against your own copy for essays or citations – you want your points clear, not lost somewhere down the rabbit hole.
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.