Of Mice and Men
The most quotable lines from Of Mice and Men, organized by chapter.
When he had finished combing his hair he moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders.
Chapter 2 · Narrator
“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.”
Chapter 2 · Slim
"I ain't got no people," George said. "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."
Chapter 3 · George Milton
“I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.”
Chapter 3 · Candy
Hardly none of the guys ever travel together. I hardly never seen two guys travel together. You know how the hands are, they just come in and get their bunk and work a month, and then they quit and go out alone. Never seem to give a damn about nobody.
Chapter 3 · Slim
Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier. 'What the hell you laughin' at?'
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. Hunderds 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 God damn one of ’em ever gets it.
Chapter 4 · Crooks
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 gets no land. It’s just in their head.
Chapter 4 · Crooks
"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," he cried, "I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick."
Chapter 4 · Crooks
And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.
Chapter 5 · Narrator
—I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.
Chapter 5 · George Milton
And she continued to struggle, and her eyes were wild with terror. He shook her then, and he was angry with her. "Don’t you go yellin’," he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.
Chapter 5 · Narrator
He reached in his side pocket and brought out Carlson’s Luger; he snapped off the safety, and the hand and gun lay on the ground behind Lennie’s back.
Chapter 6 · Narrator
Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?
Chapter 6 · Carlson
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.
Chapter 6 · Narrator
"Because I got you an’—" "An’ I got you. We got each other, that’s what, that gives a hoot in hell about us," Lennie cried in triumph.
Chapter 3 · Narrator
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.
Chapter 4 · Crooks
Chapter 6 · George Milton, Lennie Small