"Now don’t get sore. I just like to notice things. Makes the time pass."
"I’ll tell you anything. Name’s Joad, Tom Joad. Old man is ol’ Tom Joad." His eyes rested broodingly on the driver.
"Don’t get sore. I didn’t mean nothin’."
"I don’t mean nothin’ neither," said Joad. "I’m just tryin’ to get along without shovin’ nobody around."
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 2. Tom Joad, who is just released from prison, is irritated at the truck driver’s constant questions about him. Tom being an honest person discloses who he is and who is father is and says that he is just trying to get along without getting into trouble. The driver explains that he means no harm, but merely wants to chat to make the time pass. This chapter shows how lonely and isolated both characters feel. Tom is a private person and reacts defensively to the driver’s interrogation.