Of Mice and Men Quotes
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Source: Of Mice and Men
Author: John Steinbeck
"If I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an' work, an' no trouble."
"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. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want. Why, I could stay in a cathouse all night. I could eat any place I want, hotel or any place, and order any damn thing I could think of. An' I could do all that every damn month. Get a gallon of whisky, or set in a pool room and play cards or shoot pool." Lennie knelt and looked over the fire at the angry George. And Lennie's face was drawn in with terror. "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."
Context
Oof.
We're one chapter into Of Mice and Men, and it's already clear that George has to sacrifice quite a bit for his less-than-sharp friend, Lennie. These moments in the book are hard to stomach, but we know that George is a good guy. He's got it tough, and once in a while, he just lashes out.
Where you've heard it
One member of an odd couple lashing out at the other? That's nothing new. You'll see this kind of dynamic in any buddy cop comedy, Judd Apatow movie, or depressing story about two men trying to live the American dream.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Actions speak louder than words, so we can forgive George's words this time. If you ever speak like this to someone, though, you best be treating them really well the rest of the time.