Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Table of Contents
Significant Quotation
Quotation One: Guys like us that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place …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 out 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.
In this passage, George is explaining the nature of the friendship to Lennie as the two men settle in for the night at the clearing toward the end of the first section of the book. The special bond the two men share represents an idealized conception of male friendship that forms one of the central themes of the story. Suffering is described by George as resulting from loneliness, which is illustrated through the experiences of many characters in the story. Loneliness is portrayed in the story as both a consequence of and a contributing factor to weakness. According to George, this weakness can be overcome through devoted relationships, like the one experienced between Lennie and himself. George recognizes the rarity of their friendship and understands how lucky the two of them are to have each other, even though the nature of this bond is misunderstood by most of society. After Lennie kills Curley’s wife at the end of the story, disregard for the value or importance of friendship is illustrated through Candy, who shows no concern for George as he faces the inevitable death of his friend. Instead, Candy shows more concern for himself and his own interests, and asks George if the two of them could still buy the farm without Lennie’s involvement. Human life is viewed as disposable by the workers, with the exception of Slim, who understands why George is mourning the loss of his friendship with Lennie.
Quotation Two: “S’pose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, or any damn thing.” Old Candy nodded in appreciation of...
Sign up to continue reading Significant Quotation >