How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Uncle Big attended the door as people stopped by to pay their respects. Gram and I could hear his booming voice again and again, "Oh a ham, how thoughtful, thank you, come in." As the days went on Big's reaction to the hams got more dramatic for our benefit. Each time he exclaimed "A ham!" Gram and I found each other's eyes and had to suppress a rush of inappropriate giggles. (3.45)
Losing a loved one isn't funny, but some of the rituals of mourning definitely are. We love Uncle Big for trying to make Lennie and Gram laugh and have a momentary break from all the tragedy.
Quote #2
He looks from Toby to me. "No way out of this but through… for any of us." He says it like Moses, so we both nod as if we've been bestowed with a great wisdom. (3.49)
Lennie doesn't know this, but Uncle Big didn't make up this particular piece of wisdom. The line "The best way out is always through" comes from the Robert Frost poem "A Servant to Servants," but has been quoted independently so often that it stands on its own. It's a comforting line, in a way, because it implies that you can come out the other side of a bad situation.
Quote #3
"…A sorrowing heart poisons recipes."
This has proven to be true, but for Gram. Everything she cooks now tastes like ashes. (3.49-50)
Okay, so Gram's food might not literally taste like ashes, but it's a handy metaphor for food that's lost its magic. A good indicator of how Gram is feeling in a particular scene is whether the word "ash" is used in the description of her food.