How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)
Quote #1
"You’re a pretty bright boy, aren’t you?" (35)
Al and Max antagonize George with this taunt, a dig at his masculinity (because they call him a ‘boy’ and not a ‘man’).
Quote #2
"What are you looking at?" Max looked at George.
"Nothing."
"The hell you were. You were looking at me." (47-9)
In portraying stereotypical criminals, Max and Al end up embodying a number of "tough guy" clichés, as we see here.
Quote #3
"You talk too damn much," Al said. "The n***** and my bright boy are amused by themselves. I got them tied up like a couple of girl friends in the convent." (108)
Al infers inferiority on the part of Sam and George by insulting their masculinity.
Quote #4
"That was nice, bright boy," Max said. "You’re a regular little gentleman."
"He knew I’d blow his head off," Al said from the kitchen.
"No," said Max. "It ain’t that. Bright boy is nice. He’s a nice boy. I like him." (120-2)
Al seems more intent on expressing his masculinity in traditional ‘tough guy’ ways than Max.
Quote #5
"Bright boy can do everything," Max said. "He can cook and everything. You’d make some girl a nice wife, bright boy." (125)
Again, basically every insult in this story has to do with a lack of traditional masculinity.
Quote #6
"I’ll go see him," Nick said to George. "Where does he live?"
The cook turned away.
"Little boys always know what they want to do," he said. (159-61)
Sam raises an interesting issue: how do notions of masculinity change with age? This is a particularly important question with regards to Nick who, as a young man, is coming into adulthood during the course of "The Killers."
Quote #7
Nick opened the door and went into the room. Ole Andreson was lying on the bed with all his clothes on. He had been a heavyweight prizefighter and he was too long for the bed. He lay with his head on two pillows. He did not look at Nick. (173)
As a former heavyweight prizefighter, Ole should be the epitome of masculinity. Since Ole is passive and defeated, this is another case of things not being what seem.