Loneliness and Companionship

And at his heels there walked a dragfooted sheep dog, gray of muzzle, and with pale, blind old eyes.

Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is.

I used to have a hell of a lot of fun with 'im. Used to play jokes on 'im 'cause he was too dumb to take care of 'imself. But he was too dumb even to know he had a joke played on him.

“Jus’ tell Lennie what to do an’ he’ll do it if it don’t take no figuring. He can’t think of nothing to do himself, but he sure can take orders.”

One day a bunch of guys was standin' around up on the Sacramento River. I was feelin' pretty smart. I turns to Lennie and says, 'Jump in.' An' he jumps. Couldn't swim a stroke. He damn near drowned before we could get him.

A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ books or thinkin’ or stuff like that. Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so.

"Funny thing," she said. "If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ nothing but mad."

Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego—nothing to arouse either like or dislike.

This room was swept and fairly neat, for Crooks was a proud, aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs.

I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.