Speak, Memory: Dory (Finding Nemo)

Speak, Memory: Dory (Finding Nemo)

Name meaning: Greek, "Gift."

The comically scatterbrained blue Tang Dory is a quirky, friendly soul who is simply looking for a friend who will stick around. She is fun-loving and eager, always glad to lend a fin. She loses her train of thought constantly, and is always moving on to the next experience—mostly because she’s already forgotten what just happened. Due to her forgetfulness, she can never get around to making a point, which gets annoying. Unlike most fish she can read. Marlin finds her constant chatter irritating, but eventually comes to find it endearing—probably because his own constant worrying, though quieter, isn’t all that different. While not implied, Dory most likely makes widower Marlin a great partner and Nemo a terrific stepmom. Her scatterbrained easygoing-ness compliments Marlin’s neurotic anxiety, and since he’s always around to remember and remind her, she can simply play with Nemo, who shares Dory’s childlike curiosity, wonder, and sense of fun.
Dory Quotes
Dory: What is it with men and asking for directions?

Marlin: Dory, listen to me. We're going to play a game.
Dory: A game?
Marlin: Yeah, a game.
Dory: I love games! Pick me!
Marlin: We're gonna race. First one out of the jellyfish wins.
Dory: Out, got it!
Marlin: Rules, rules! You can't touch the tentacles, only the tops...
Dory: Something about tentacles, got it.
Marlin: No, it's not something about them, it's all about them.
Dory: On your mark, get set, go!
Dory: [in her sleep] Hey, careful with that hammer...

School of Fish: You like impressions?
Dory: Mmm-hmm.
School of Fish: Okay, just like in rehearsal, gentlemen.
[School takes form of swordfish]
School of Fish: So, what are we? Take a guess.
Dory: Oh, oh, I've seen one of those.
School of Fish: I'm a fish with a nose like a *sword*.
Dory: Wait, wait, umm...
Marlin: It's a swordfish!
School of Fish: Hey, clown boy! Let the lady guess.
[Takes form of lobster]
School of Fish: Where's the butter?
Dory: Ooh! It's on the tip of my tongue...
Marlin: [Coughing] Lobster!
School of Fish: Saw that.
Marlin: What?
School of Fish: [Takes form of octopus] Lots of legs, swims in the ocean.
Dory: Clam!
School of Fish: Close enough.
[Takes form of pirate ship]
School of Fish: Oh, it's a whale of a tale, I'll tell you, lad...
Dory: Oh, they're good.

Dory: How about we play a game?
Marlin: All right.
Dory: Okay, I'm thinking of something orange, and it's small...
Marlin: It's me.
Dory: Right!
[Later]
Dory: I'm thinking of something orange and small...
Marlin: Me again.
Dory: All right, Mr. Smartypants...
[Later]
Dory: .. It's orange and small, and has stripes...
Marlin: Me, and the next one - just a guess - me.
Dory: Okay, that's just scary.

Dory: I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy. Come on, Squishy Come on, little Squishy. Ow. Bad Squishy, bad Squishy.

Marlin: Dory! This is not whale. You're speaking like, upset stomach.
Dory: Maybe I should try humpback.
Marlin: No, don't try humpback.
Dory: Woo! Woo!
Marlin: Okay, now you really do sound sick.
Dory: Maybe louder. Rah! Rah!
Marlin: Don't do that!
Dory: Too much orca. Did it sound a little orca-ish to you?

Dory: No. No, you can't...STOP. Please don't go away. Please? No one's ever stuck with me for so long before. And if you leave...if you leave…I just, I remember things better with you. I do, look. P. Sherman, forty-two... forty-two... I remember it, I do. It's there, I know it is, because when I look at you, I can feel it. And-and I look at you, and I...and I'm home. Please... I don't want that to go away. I don't want to forget.

Dory: [dreaming] Uh…the sea monkeys have my money...yes, I'm a natural blue...

Dory: Wow. I wish I could speak whale...

Marlin: Wait a minute! You can read?
Dory: I can read? That's right, I can READ!

Dory: Hi. I'm Dory.
Anchor, Chum, Bruce: Hello, Dory.
Dory: And, uh, well... well, I don't think I've ever eaten a fish.
[the sharks applaud]
Chum: Wow, that's incredible!
Bruce: Good on ya, mate!
Dory: Whew. Glad I got that off my chest.

Dory: DUCK.
Marlin: [looks up] That's not a duck, it's a...PELICAN.

Dory: Okay, he either said, "move to the back of the throat," or he "wants a root beer float".

Dory: [reading a door] Hey, look. "Esc-a-pay". I wonder what that means? That's funny, it's spelled just like the word "escape”.

Dory: [to Bruce] Sorry. Could you come back later? We're trying to escape.

Marlin: I promised I'd never let anything happen to him.
Dory: Hmm. That's a funny thing to promise.
Marlin: What?
Dory: Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him.

Dory: Yes, trust, it's what friends do.

Dory: I suffer from short-term memory loss. It runs in my family...At least I think it does.