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Of Mice and Men Chapter 4 Quotes Page 1
Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph) Though Steinbeck did not originally include chapter numbers with the text, most editions are broken into six sections, based on day and time of day: Thursday evening = Chapter 1; Friday day = Chapter 2; Friday evening = Chapter 3; Saturday night = Chapter 4; Sunday afternoon = Chapter 5; Sunday evening = Chapter 6.
- Candy
- >
Candy's face had grown redder and redder, but before she was done speaking, he had control of himself. He was the master of the situation. "I might of knew," he said gently. "Maybe you just better go along an' roll your hoop. We ain't got nothing to say to you at all. We know what we got, and we don't care whether you know it or not." (4.105)
Okay, we kind of feel like cheering here. Candy might not have been strong enough to shoot his dog, but he's definitely strong enough to deal with Curley's wife. In the end, she's just a woman—and he's a man. (On second thought, maybe hold the cheers.)
- Crooks
- >
"This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?" (4.39)
The weak do have one privilege: no one pays attention to what they say. It's not much, but you have to take what you can get.
"They left all the weak ones here," she said finally. (4.92)
Pot, meet kettle: Curley's wife is calling Crooks, Lennie, and Candy weak because they didn't go off to the whorehouse with the rest of the men… but here she is, too. She's weak just by default—and all the ostrich-feather heels and pretty dresses she can wear doesn't make her powerful.
