How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Paragraph)
Quote #4
"That was nice, bright boy," Max said. "You’re a regular little gentleman."
"He knew I’d blow his head off," Al said from the kitchen.
"No," said Max. "It ain’t that. Bright boy is nice. He’s a nice boy. I like him." (120-2)
Al seems more intent on expressing his masculinity in traditional ‘tough guy’ ways than Max.
Quote #5
"Bright boy can do everything," Max said. "He can cook and everything. You’d make some girl a nice wife, bright boy." (125)
Again, basically every insult in this story has to do with a lack of traditional masculinity.
Quote #6
"I’ll go see him," Nick said to George. "Where does he live?"
The cook turned away.
"Little boys always know what they want to do," he said. (159-61)
Sam raises an interesting issue: how do notions of masculinity change with age? This is a particularly important question with regards to Nick who, as a young man, is coming into adulthood during the course of "The Killers."