Of Mice and Men Freedom Quotes

“George – why ain’t we goin’ on to the ranch and get some supper? They got supper at the ranch.”
George rolled on his side. “No reason at all for you. I like it here. Tomorra we’re gonna go to work. I seen thrashin’ machines on the way down. That means we’ll be bucking grain bags, bustin’ a gut. Tonight I’m gonna lay right here and look up. I like it.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 1. The two friends are lying in a field by the river looking up at the stars. In this serene setting they enjoy freedom and peace, in stark contrast to the brutality of life on the ranch. But this beautiful place is also full of foreshadowing, as the river is where the story will end with the peace being shattered by a gunshot.

“Well, we ain’t got any,” George exploded. “Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want. God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble…An’ whatta I got,” George went on furiously. “I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get. Jus’ keep me shovin’ all over the country all the time. An’ that ain’t the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 1. George to Lennie. George is furious with Lennie for asking for ketchup. He says he could have an easier life if his friend weren’t around. George often gets annoyed at Lennie, as he has to always look after him and doesn’t really get any time on his own.

“I wisht I could put you in a cage with about a million mice an’ let you have fun.” His anger left him suddenly. He looked across the fire at Lennie’s anguished face, and then he looked ashamedly at the flames.

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 1. George threatens to lock Lennie up inside a cage. George often gets angry with Lennie because the physically very strong Lennie cannot control himself. But his anger always fades when he realizes Lennie is handicapped and his compassion for Lennie overtakes him.

“For two bits I’d shove out of here. If we can get jus’ a few dollars in the poke we’ll shove off and go up the American River and pan gold. We can make maybe a couple of dollars a day there, and we might hit a pocket.”
Lennie leaned eagerly toward him. “Le’s go, George. Le’s get outta here. It’s mean here.”
“We gotta stay,” George said shortly. “Shut up now. The guys’ll be comin’ in.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 2. George to Lennie. During this time in America people were panning gold, and doing anything for just a little bit of cash.

George said wonderingly, “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 the idea. “We’d just go to her,” George said. “We wouldn’t ask nobody if we could. Jus’ say, ‘We’ll go to her,’ an’ we would. Jus’ milk the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an’ go to her.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 3. A perfect example of the American dream. George is telling Lennie and Candy how, if they had their own piece of land, they could do whatever they wanted to do. Go to the ball game, the circus and wherever they pleased.

“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. I never had none. I planted crops for damn near ever’body in this state, but they wasn’t my crops, and when I harvested ’em, it wasn’t none of my harvest.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 4. Candy to Crooks about the farm worker’s dream of having his own place. But wealthy farms exploit poor itinerant farm workers, pay them low wages so they never have enough to buy their own farm.

“Awright,” she said contemptuously. “Awright, cover ‘im up if ya wanta. Whatta I care? You bindle bums think you’re so damn good. Whatta ya think I am, a kid? I tell ya I could of went with shows. Not jus’ one, neither. An’ a guy tol’ me he could put me in pitchers…” She was breathless with indignation. ” – Sat’iday night. Ever’body out doin’ som’pin’. Ever’body! An’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs – a n***** an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep – an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 4. Like most of the ranch hands Curley’s wife has dreams. She dreamed of being in showbusiness and movies. But being little more than Curley’s property, she could not pursue her ambitions and instead lives a life of loneliness and no freedom. The names she calls Crook, Candy, and Lennie represent her prejudice towards blacks, the elderly, and people with disabilities

“Couldn’ we maybe bring him in an’ they’ll lock him up? He’s nuts, Slim. He never done this to be mean.”
Slim nodded. “We might,” he said. “If we could keep Curley in, we might, But Curley’s gonna want to shoot ‘im. Curley’s still mad about his hand. An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no good, George.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 5. George is wondering what he should do about Lennie after Curley’s wife’s body is discovered. But Slim understands Lennie’s fate and that there will be no trial or mercy or for Lennie. The kind of mental problems Lennie had were not understood at that time. Slim appears to be encouraging George to carry out a mercy killing of Lennie.
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