How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
"Hey, it's a dog! I thought you had a n***** in there." And he laughed delightedly. It was the first of many repetitions. At least twenty times I heard it—"Thought you had a n***** in there." It was an unusual joke—always fresh—and never Negro or even Nigra, always N***** or rather Niggah. That word seemed terribly important, a kind of safety word to cling to lest some structure collapse. (4.3.5)
As with the Cheerleaders, Steinbeck is less than impressed by the many jokes people make about how easy it is to confuse Charley with an African American. Also, he notes the fact that these people tended to cling to the N-word like it was a safety blanket, which speaks to the nasty power that world wielded (and still does).