Of Mice and Men
by John Steinbeck
Table of Contents
Candy
Candy
Candy is an aging handyman that lost a hand in a farm accident. He is concerned about his usefulness around the ranch and is worried that the boss will let him go because he cannot work in the same capacity as the other ranch hands. Candy’s aging dog is a parallel to him, and serves as a reminder to Candy of his increasing uselessness. Once a very effective sheepdog, Candy’s dog is now old, smelly, and frail. Candy still appreciates the companionship his dog provides, but the other ranch hands—especially Carlson—do not share his sentiments. Carlson adamantly convinces Candy to put the old dog out of his misery because he is perceived as good for nothing. Candy has a deep fear that he himself will soon be deemed useless by the other workers on the ranch. However, some light is cast on his dim existence when he joins in on the dream of owning land with George and Lennie. Candy offers to provide his life’s savings in order to purchase land, indicating his desperation to escape his current reality into a kinder, gentler existence filled with peace. He insists to George even after Lennie kills Curley’s wife that the two of them should take off from the ranch to pursue their dream life.
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