They didn't mind so much when I was a dumb logger and got into a hassle; that's excusable, they say, that's a hard-workin' feller blowing off steam, they say. But if you're a gambler, if they know you to get up a back-room game now and then, all you have to do is spit slantwise and you're a goddamned criminal.
The quote from Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" reflects societal perceptions of different types of male behavior, particularly within the working class. The speaker suggests that physical labor and occasional outbursts of frustration may be tolerated, as they are seen as the actions of a hardworking individual. This leniency is afforded to those who fit into a certain mold of masculinity associated with labor.
However, the narrative shifts...