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John Steinbeck Quotes about Fighting

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If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.

Military, Fighting, Finding Yourself

This I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.

Freedom, Fighting, Government

John Steinbeck (2012). “The Portable Steinbeck”, p.827, Penguin

Well, I remember this girl. I am not whole without her. I am not alive without her. When she was with me I was more alive than I have ever been, and not only when she was pleasant either. Even when we were fighting I was whole.

Girl, Fighting, Alive

John Steinbeck (2007). “Travels with Charley and Later Novels, 1947-1962”

Ah, the prayers of the millions, how they must fight and destroy each other on their way to the throne of God.

Prayer, Fighting, Thrones

John Steinbeck (1997). “Tortilla Flat”, p.32, Penguin

This I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.

Freedom, Fighting, Eden

John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.116, Penguin

Men don't get knocked out, or I mean they can fight back against big things. What kills them is erosion; they get nudged into failure. They get slowly scared.[...]It's slow. It rots out your guts.

Mean, Fighting, Men

John Steinbeck (2008). “The Winter of Our Discontent”, p.40, Penguin

Free men cannot start a war, but once it is started, they can fight on in defeat. Herd men, followers of a leader, cannot do that, and so it is always the herd men who win battles and the free men who win wars.

War, Fighting, Winning

John Steinbeck (2009). “The Short Novels of John Steinbeck: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)”, p.344, Penguin

I can understand why a system built on a pattern must try to destroy the free mind, for that is one thing which can by inspection destroy such a system. Surely I can understand this, and I hate it and I will fight against it to preserve the one thing that separates us from the uncreative beasts. If the glory can be killed, we are lost.

Hate, Fighting, Mind

John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.116, Penguin

Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there. Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there. If Casy knowed, why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad an’—I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry n’ they know supper’s ready. An’ when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build—why, I’ll be there.

Kids, Fighting, Wrath

The Grapes of Wrath ch. 28 (1939)

...men in fear and hunger destroy their stomachs in the fight to secure certain food, where men hungering for love destroy everything lovable about them.

Fighting, Men, Bulls

"The Short Novels of John Steinbeck".

Wherever you can look - wherever there's a fight, so hungry people can eat, I'll be there.

Fighting, People, Looks

"Fictional character: Tom Joad". "The Grapes of Wrath", www.imdb.com. 1940.

But 'Thou mayest!'! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win

Brother, Fighting, Winning

John Steinbeck (2002). “East of Eden”, p.265, Penguin

I have no choice of living or dying, you see, sir--but I do have a choice of how I do it. If I tell them not to fight, they will be sorry, but they will fight. If I tell them to fight, they will be glad, and I who am not a very brave man will have made them a little braver.

Sorry, Fighting, Men

John Steinbeck (2001). “Novels, 1942-1952”

It occurs to me that just as the Carthaginians hired mercenaries to do their fighting for them, we Americans being in mercenaries to do our hard and humble work. I hope we may not be overwhelmed one day by peoples not too proud or too lazy or too soft to bend to the earth and pick up the things we eat.

Humble, Fighting, Lazy

John Steinbeck (2007). “Travels with Charley and Later Novels, 1947-1962”

I guess this is why I hate governments, all governments. It is always the rule, the fine print, carried out by fine-print men. There's nothing to fight, no wall to hammer with frustrated fists.

Wall, Hate, Fighting

John Steinbeck (1980). “Travels with Charley in Search of America”, p.51, Penguin

The Hebrew word, the word timshel - 'Thou mayest' - that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open...Why, that makes a man great...He can choose his course and fight it through and win...I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed - because 'Thou mayest'. ch 24

Fighting, Winning, Unique

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