How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from On the Waterfront.
Quote #1
TERRY: He wasn't a bad kid that Joey.
CHARLEY: A canary.
TRUCK: Maybe he could sing, but he couldn't fly.
Terry reacts to Joey's death like a normal person—by feeling bad. By contrast, Charley and Truck are totally cold. He was a snitch. As far as they're concerned, you don't need to think anymore about it than that.
Quote #2
BIG MAC: We got a banana boat at forty-six tomorrow. If we pull a walkout it might be a few bucks from the shippers. Them bananas go bad in a hurry.
Big Mac's comment shows that the waterfront union is a huge scam, designed to line the pockets of Johnny Friendly and his cronies. They're not staging the walk-out to benefit the longshoreman, but to extort money from the shippers.
Quote #3
JOHNNY: We ain't robbin' pennies from beggars. We cuttin' ourselves in for five-six million a year just on our half a dozen piers — a drop in the bucket compared to the traffic in the harbor. But a mighty sweet little drop, eh, Charley?
Johnny justifies his actions by minimizing them, acting like its not having a huge impact. But, uh, dude, you just murdered someone…