Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it narrates the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States. Profoundly inspirational Of Mice and Men quotes will get you through anything when the going gets tough and help you succeed in every aspect of life.
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Famous Of Mice and Men Quotes
There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke, His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. — Of Mice and Men
His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. — Of Mice and Men
Aint many guys travel around together, he mused. I dont know why. Maybe everbody in the whole damn world is scared of each other. — Of Mice and Men
Curleys like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. Hes alla time picking scraps with big guys. Kind of like hes mad at em because he aint a big guy. — Of Mice and Men
A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin books or thinkin or stuff like that. — Of Mice and Men
Never you mind, said Slim. A guy got to sometimes. — Of Mice and Men
He dont give nobody else a chance to win — Of Mice and Men
Tonight Im gonna lay right here and look up. I like it. — Of Mice and Men
Well have a cow, said George. An well have maybe a pig an chickens…an down the flat well have a…little piece alfalfa — Of Mice and Men
George patted a wrinkle out of his bed, and sat down[The boss gave] the stable buck hell? he asked. Sure. Ya see the stable bucks a n*gger. Nigg*r, huh? Yeah. Nice fella too. Got a crooked back where a horse kicked him. The boss gives him hell when hes mad. But the stable buck dont give a damn about that. He reads a lot. Got books in his room. — Of Mice and Men
Thenits all off? Candy asked sulkily. George didnt answer his question. George said, Ill work my month an Ill take my fifty bucks an Ill stay all night in some lousy cat house. Or Ill set in some poolroom til everbody goes home. An then Ill come back an work another month an Ill have fifty bucks more. — Of Mice and Men
An live on the fatta the lan. — Of Mice and Men
Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They dont belong no place….With us it aint like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. . — Of Mice and Men
He moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsman. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders. He was capable of killing a fly on the wheelers butt with a bull whip without touching the mule. — Of Mice and Men
The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. — Of Mice and Men
Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is. — Of Mice and Men
Carls right, Candy. That dog aint no good to himself. I wisht somebodyd shoot me if I got old an a cripple. — Of Mice and Men
They fell into a silence. They looked at one another, amazed. This thing they had never really believed in was coming true. — Of Mice and Men
O.K. Someday were gonna get the jack together and were gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an a cow and some pigs. — Of Mice and Men
George said wonderingly, Spose they was a carnival or a circus come to town, or a ball game, . . . Wed just go to her . . . We wouldnt ask nobody if we could. Jus say, Well go to her, an we would. Jus milk the cow and sling some grain to the chickens an go to her. — Of Mice and Men
…If I was bright, if I was even a little bit smart, Id have my own little place, an Id be bringin in my own crops, stead of doin all the work and not getting what comes up outa the ground. — Of Mice and Men
Try to understand each other! — Of Mice and Men
I was born right here in Southern California. My old man had a chicken ranch, bout ten acres. The white kids come to play at our place, an sometimes I went to play with them, and some of them was pretty nice. My ol man didnt like that. I never knew till long later why he didnt like that. But I know now. He hesitated, and when he spoke again his voice was softerThere wasnt another colored family for miles around. And now there aint a colored man on this ranch an theres jus one family in Soledad. — Of Mice and Men
An wed keep a few pigeons to go flyin around the winmill like they done when I was a kid. — Of Mice and Men
Sure, right now. I gotta. We gotta. — Of Mice and Men
A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan Mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees willows fresh and green with every spring, carrying in their lower leaf junctures the debris of the winters flooding; and sycamores with mottled, white, recumbent limbs and branches that arch over the pool. — Of Mice and Men
In every bit of honest writing in the world, there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. — Of Mice and Men
George can tell you screwy things, and it dont matter. Its just the talking. . . . Thats all. — Of Mice and Men
I could build a smoke house like the one granpa had… — Of Mice and Men
Come on in and set a while, Crooks said. Long as you wont get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down. — Of Mice and Men
There is a path through the willows and among the sycamores, a path beaten hard by boys coming down from the ranches to swim in the deep pool, and beaten hard by tramps who come wearily down from the highway in the evening to jungleup near water. In front of the low horizontal limb of a giant sycamore, there is an ash pile made by many fires; the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it. — Of Mice and Men
I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed wed never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would. — Of Mice and Men
Youd drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty. — Of Mice and Men
I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldnt ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog. — Of Mice and Men
Well, said George, well have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, well just say the hell with goin to work, and well build up a fire in the stove and set around it an listen to the rain comin down on the roof… . — Of Mice and Men
He pawed up the hay until it partly covered her. — Of Mice and Men
I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That aint no good. They dont have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin to fight all the time. — Of Mice and Men
Well, you keep your place then, Nigg*r. I could get you strung upon a tree so easy it aint even funny. — Of Mice and Men
Why cant I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely. — Of Mice and Men
At about ten oclock in the morning the sun threw a bright dustladen bar through one of the side windows, and in and out of the beam flies shot like rushing stars. . — Of Mice and Men
Already the sun had left the valley to go climbing up the slopes of the Gabilan mountains, and the hilltops were rosy in the sun. — Of Mice and Men
George said softly, I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed wed never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would. — Of Mice and Men
Although there was evening brightness showing through the windows of the bunk house, inside it was dusk. — Of Mice and Men
Want me to tell ya whatll happen? Theyll take ya to the booby hatch. Theyll tie ya up with a collar, like a dog. — Of Mice and Men
For two bits Id shove out of here. If we can get jus a few dollars in the poke well shove off and go up the American River and pan gold. We can make maybe a couple of dollars a day there, and we might hit a pocket. — Of Mice and Men
It aint so funny, him an me goin aroun together, George said at lastHim and me was both born in Auburn. I knowed his Aunt Clara. She took him when he was a baby and raised him up. When his Aunt Clara died, Lennie just come along with me out workin. Got kinda used to each other after a little while. — Of Mice and Men
Sure, said GeorgeAll kins a vegetables in the garden, and if we want a little whisky we can sell a few eggs or something, or some milk. Wed jus live there. Wed belong there. There wouldnt be no more runnin round the country and gettin fed by a Jap cook. No, sir, wed have our own place where we belonged and not sleep in no bunk house. — Of Mice and Men
We know what we got, and we dont care whether you know it or not. — Of Mice and Men
Guys like us got nothing to look ahead to. — Of Mice and Men
You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasnt no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebodyd shoot me. But they wont do nothing like that. I wont have no place to go, an I cant get no more jobs. — Of Mice and Men
Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no egonothing to arouse either like or dislike. He said, Yes, maam, and his voice was toneless. — Of Mice and Men
And itd be our own, an nobody could can us. . . . An if a fren come along, why wed have an extra bunk, an wed say, Why dont you spen the night?′ An . . . he would. — Of Mice and Men
If I catch any one man, and hes alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an you wont talk. Jus nothing but mad. Youre all scared of each other, thats what. Ever one of yous scared the rest is goin to get something on you. — Of Mice and Men
That mouse aint fresh, Lennie; and besides, youve broke it pettin it. You get another mouse thats fresh and Ill let you keep it a little while. — Of Mice and Men
Maybe everbody in the whole damn world is scared of each other. — Of Mice and Men
Crooks avoided the whole subject nowMaybe you guys better go, he saidI aint sure I want you in here no more. A colored man got to have some rights even if he dont like em. — Of Mice and Men
Well, we aint got any, George exploded. Whatever we aint got, thats what you want. God amighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an work, an no trouble….An whatta I got, George went on furiously. I got you! You cant keep a job and you lose me ever job I get. Jus keep me shovin all over the country all the time. An that aint the worst. You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out. — Of Mice and Men
Georges voice became deeper. He repeated his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before. Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They dont belong no place. They come to a ranch an work up a stake, and the first thing you know theyre poundin their tail on some other ranch. They aint got nothing to look ahead to. — Of Mice and Men
We could live offa the fatta the lan. — Of Mice and Men
And I get to tend the rabbits. — Of Mice and Men
There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. — Of Mice and Men
Well, you aint bein kind to him keepin him alive. — Of Mice and Men
I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and thats why. — Of Mice and Men
Lennie if you jus happen to get in trouble like you always done before, I want you to come right here an hide in the brush… Hide in the brush till I come for you. — Of Mice and Men
As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment. — Of Mice and Men
Evening of a hot day started the little wind to moving among the leaves. The shade climbed up the hills toward the top. On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones. — Of Mice and Men
Just like heaven. Everbody wants a little piece of lan. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. Its just in their head. Theyre all the time talkin about it, but its jus in their head. — Of Mice and Men
Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land. — Of Mice and Men
I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an that same damn thing in their heads. Hunderds of them. They come, an they quit an go on; an every damn one of ems got a little piece of land in his head. An never a God damn one of em ever gets it. Just like Heaven. Everbody wants a little piece of lan. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to Heaven, and nobody gets no land. Its just in their head. Theyre all the time talkin about it, but its just in their head. — Of Mice and Men
We got a future. — Of Mice and Men
…and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. — Of Mice and Men
Whatever we aint got, thats what you want. God amighty, 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. — Of Mice and Men
For the rabbits. — Of Mice and Men
A guy needs somebody―to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Dont make no difference who the guy is, longs hes with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick. — Of Mice and Men
Slowly, like a terrier who doesnt want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. — Of Mice and Men
Guy dont need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he aint hardly ever a nice fella. — Of Mice and Men
An you get to tend the rabbits. — Of Mice and Men
In town in a whorehouse. Thats where your moneys goin. Jesus, I seen it happen too many times. I seen too many guys with land in their head. They never get none under their hand. — Of Mice and Men
But you get used to goin around with a guy an you cant get rid of him. — Of Mice and Men
I seen it over an overa guy talkin to another guy and it dont make no difference if he dont hear or understand. The thing is, theyre talkin, or theyre settin still not talkin. It dont make no difference, no difference….Its just the talking. — Of Mice and Men
No, Lennie. I aint mad. I never been mad, an I aint now. Thats a thing I want ya to know. — Of Mice and Men
Well have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit hutch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter, well just say the hell with goin to work, and well build up a fire in the stove and set around it an listen to the rain comin down on the roof – nuts! — Of Mice and Men
Made me seem God damn smart alongside of him. — Of Mice and Men
An why? Because…because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and thats why. — Of Mice and Men
Georgewhy aint we goin on to the ranch and get some supper? They got supper at the ranch. George rolled on his sideNo reason at all for you. I like it here. Tomorra were gonna go to work. I seen thrashin machines on the way down. That means well be bucking grain bags, bustin a gut. — Of Mice and Men
It aint no lie. Were gonna do it. Gonna get a little place an live on the fatta the lan. — Of Mice and Men
I was only foolin, George. I dont want no ketchup. I wouldnt eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me. If it was here, you could have some. But I wouldnt eat none, George. Id leave it all for you. You could cover your beans with it and I wouldnt touch none of it. — Of Mice and Men
