Damin

“She struggled violently under his hands. Her feet battered on the hay and she writhed to be free; and from under Lennie’s hand came a muffled screaming. Lennie began to cry with fright. “Oh! Please don’t do none of that,” he begged. “George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits.” He moved his hand a little and her hoarse cry came out. Then Lennie grew angry. “Now don’t,” he said. “I don’t want you to yell. You gonna get me in trouble jus’ like George says you will. Now don’t you do that.” And she continued to struggle, and her eyes were wild with terror. He shook her then, and he was angry with her. “Don’t you go yellin’,” he said, and he shook her; and her body flopped like a fish. And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.”
― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

“But I was not happy in my work. Every day, having to look in some desperate cookie's eyes and tell him 'No mas trabajo aqui. . .' was taking a toll. Especially when they'd ask why. White boys were no problem; I could bang those goof balls out all day. They knew anyway, they'd been expecting it, amazed that they hadn't been canned earlier. But the Mexicans and Ecuadorians and Salvadorians and Latinos, who'd look at me with moist eyes as they realized that there'd be no check next week or the week after—when they asked that terrible question, 'Porque? Why, Chef? No work for me?' as if maybe they'd heard wrong—this was really grinding me down, tearing at what was left of my conscience. Every day, I'd stay in bed later and later, paralyzed with guilt and self-loathing, hoping that if I stayed in bed a little later, showed up a little later, maybe, just maybe, it would be me that got fired this time that I wouldn't have to do this anymore, that this whole terrible business would end.”
― Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

“You never give a thought to George,” she went on in Lennie’s voice. “He been doin’ nice things for you alla time. When he got a piece a pie you always got half or more’n half. An’ if they was any ketchup, why he’d give it all to you.”
― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

“Lennie put his hands over his ears. “He ain’t, I tell ya he ain’t.” And he cried, “Oh! George—George—George!” George came quietly out of the brush and the rabbit scuttled back into Lennie’s brain. George said quietly, “What the hell you yellin’ about?” Lennie got up on his knees. “You ain’t gonna leave me, are ya, George? I know you ain’t.” George came stiffly near and sat down beside him. “No.”
― John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men