Green Eggs and Ham Friendship Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Line)

Quote #1

I do not like
that Sam-I-am! (6, 7)

Sam and the big guy don't start off as friends. At this point in the story, Sam is just a nuisance who keeps the big guy from reading his papers. We all know the type—Dennis the Menace, anyone?

Quote #2

You may like them.
You will see.
You may like them
in a tree! (57-60)

Sam is pretty insistent. Is it possible that he's using the green eggs and ham to make friends with the big guy? After all, even kids know that when we break bread with someone, it can create a kind of bond. In nursery school—and at Shmoop—we call this snack time.

Quote #3

Not on a train! Not in a tree!
Not in a car! Sam! Let me be! (75-76)

Sam's persistence is often celebrated. We want our kids to try and try again, right? But wait a minute. If we substitute drugs or alcohol or reckless driving or watching old reruns of Singled Out for green eggs and ham, we'd have a very different story on our hands. This raises a pretty serious Seussian question: is it okay to pressure our friends into doing something they don't want to, even if we know that they'll like it once they try it?