They’re all the time talkin’ about it, but it’s jus’ in their head (81).Īnalysis: Crooks comments on Lennie and George’s dream and foresees their eventual disappointment. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. An’ never a damn one of ’em ever gets it. They come, an’ they quit an’ go on an’ every damn one of ’em’s got a little piece of land in his head. Quote: 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. He understand his bleak future, which is why he jumps at the chance to help George and Lennie get their farm and work on it and why he’s so disappointed when the dream dies. I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs (60). When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. Quote: You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. It also emphasizes the limited vision of the workers–instead of banding together to fight a common enemy, they turn on each other when times get tough. Despite the so-called camaraderie that exists on the ranch, everybody’s looking for dirt on someone else. Ever’ one of you’s scared the rest is goin’ to get something on you (85).Īnalysis: Curley’s wife’s declaration regarding the men on the ranch highlight the survival of the fittest theme in the novel. You’re all scared of each other, that’s what. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Quote: If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. Although true, these things that George extols as the good life are not as valuable as his friendship with Lennie otherwise, he would have left him long ago. He talks about all the things he could have if Lennie weren’t around. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want (11-12).Īnalysis: George chastises Lennie for asking for ketchup. I could go get a job an’ work, an no trouble. Quote: Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want… if I was alone I could live so easy. George chooses to kill Lennie at the novel’s end, realizing that Lennie could not stand the loneliness of being locked up in a prison or an asylum. Lennie, because of the color of his skin and his friendship with George, cannot possibly understand Crooks’ plight. Although most of the men have no true friends, they at least get to play cards and associate with others. This passage highlights the need for companionship and the oppressive nature of Crooks’ society. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick (80).Īnalysis: Crooks explains to Lennie the effects of loneliness. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. Sure you could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then you got to read books. How’d you like that? S’pose you had to sit out here an’ read books. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you was black. This passage highlights the bond between George and Lennie in addition to the rarity of such a bond, so rare that it causes the boss to suspect wrong-doing on George’s part. I just like to know what your interest is (25).Īnalysis: The boss observes George’s care of Lennie and suspects George of chicanery. Quote: Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. It is also apparent that anyone attempting to harm George would receive injury at the hands of Lennie, exemplified by the conversation between Lennie and Crooks in chapter 4. George holds true to his description of friendship, despite the occasional outburst, by continually getting Lennie out of trouble. But not us (15).Īnalysis: George explains to Lennie why their life is so good in comparison to others and proclaims the virtue of friendship. If them other guys gets in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.
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