" /> Of Mice and Men Quotes by John Steinbeck - with Analysis - Page 5 of 5

Of Mice and Men Quotes

“I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this. I coulda made somethin’ of myself.” She said darkly, “Maybe I will yet.” And then her words tumbled out in a passion of communication, as though she hurried before her listener could be taken away. “I lived right in Salinas,” she said. “Come there when I was a kid. Well, a show come through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol’ lady wouldn’ let me. She says because I was on’y fifteen. But the guy says I coulda. If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 5. Curley’s wife is focused on how different her life could have been if she had been an actress. Like George and Lennie, she too has dreams, though they are somewhat grander. And like for them, her dream is a form of escape for her from the difficulties of her life.

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, Chapter 5. This descriptive passes comes at the point in the novella when Curley’s wife’s body is discovered. The described “moment” – of time seeming to stop – is not only about Curley losing his wife, but also Lennie and George losing their dream. For it is the end of their lives as they know them.

“Then – it’s all off?” Candy asked sulkily. George didn’t answer his question. George said, “I’ll work my month an’ I’ll take my fifty bucks an’ I’ll stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or I’ll set in some poolroom til ever’body goes home. An’ then I’ll come back an’ work another month an’ I’ll have fifty bucks more.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 5. Candy’s greatest fear – that the dream of owning land with companions is over. For George the slice of the American Dream is definitely gone, as he looks forward to a life of cat houses and pool rooms.

“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.

The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan Mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun. But by the pool among the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen.

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 6 opening words. Here Steinbeck describes a tranquil scene. But while the river seems calm, on closer examination there is an underpinning of violence as a heron kills and devours a small snake. This is symbolic of the atmosphere at the ranch, idyllic on the surface but there is also the aggressive and violent nature of Curley, his wife’s discontent, and alienation and racism.

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 shallows. 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, Chapter 6. With the use of powerful imagery and symbolism, Steinbeck paints a picture of the predatory nature of life and foreshadows Lennie’s imminent death.

She stood in front of Lennie and put her hands on her hips, and she frowned disapprovingly at him.
And when she spoke, it was in Lennie’s voice. “I tol’ you an tol’ you,” she said. “I tol’ you, ‘Min’ George because he’s such a nice fella an’ good to you.’ But you don’t never take no care. You do bad things.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 6. Lennie’s mental state has grown worse, having killed Curley’s wife. He hallucinates and sees his dead Aunt Clara and a giant rabbit.

Lennie begged, “Le’s do it now. Le’s get that place now.”
“Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta.”
And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering.

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 6. George shoots his best friend Lennie in the back of the head, to save him from prison or a worse fate at the hands of Curley.

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.”

– John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, Chapter 6. Slim on George’s killing of Lennie. Here Slim takes on the role of priest, comforting George after he just killed Lennie, suggesting it was the right thing to do in the circumstances. George kills Lennie to spare him jail or a painful death at the hands of the mob, after Lennie kills Curley’s wife by shaking her so hard her neck breaks.
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