Of Mice and Men - Candy Analysis
By Section 3 of the novella, we find that Candy – a worker slaving away the hours on the ranch, having lost his own hand, now looses his ancient dog. Candy is seen by the men in the ranch vulnerable and lonely, he represents the older generation workers and so is worth some amount of respect from them. However because of his disability and his old age, he lacks importance - the men on the ranch may feel sympathy for Candy as they do for the dog. “Ain’t nothing left for him”. Candy is fearful that the men are not only referring to the dogs state, but also his, he feels that if he gives up on his dog, he is also giving up on himself.
Q2. Candy is feeling abandoned because he is slowly aging into his grave, working on a ranch he knows he only has a brief time left on and left companionless when his dog is shot by Carlson in an act of kindness. “Awright—take ‘im.” When Candy finally agrees to the proposal it is due to the pressure of the other men on the ranch, he is so distraught by these events as his dog resembles Candy himself: useless, ancient and on his last legs.
Q3. Nobody on the ranch saves Candy’s dog from execution, not only because of the stench that lingers in the ranch, but to put him out of his misery and suffering that Candy denies. “I had ‘im too long.” Candy is reminiscing on how long he had spent with this dog and realizes that he is aging also. With the dog so close to death, killing him would be like killing himself as he would be left alone with little time left. He does not want to die this way – unhappy and alone.
Q4.
Now that he has lost his dog and has no other relatives, Candy is stuck working on a ranch that holds bad memories. When George and Lennie introduce their ideas of a dream life, he takes an interest as Candy is also looking for a better future. He uses the fact that he has the money to make it possible for them to buy the ranch, to persuade the pair. This reveals Candy’s loneliness and that just when Candy thinks
Q2. Candy is feeling abandoned because he is slowly aging into his grave, working on a ranch he knows he only has a brief time left on and left companionless when his dog is shot by Carlson in an act of kindness. “Awright—take ‘im.” When Candy finally agrees to the proposal it is due to the pressure of the other men on the ranch, he is so distraught by these events as his dog resembles Candy himself: useless, ancient and on his last legs.
Q3. Nobody on the ranch saves Candy’s dog from execution, not only because of the stench that lingers in the ranch, but to put him out of his misery and suffering that Candy denies. “I had ‘im too long.” Candy is reminiscing on how long he had spent with this dog and realizes that he is aging also. With the dog so close to death, killing him would be like killing himself as he would be left alone with little time left. He does not want to die this way – unhappy and alone.
Q4.
Now that he has lost his dog and has no other relatives, Candy is stuck working on a ranch that holds bad memories. When George and Lennie introduce their ideas of a dream life, he takes an interest as Candy is also looking for a better future. He uses the fact that he has the money to make it possible for them to buy the ranch, to persuade the pair. This reveals Candy’s loneliness and that just when Candy thinks