Of Mice and Men is a novella written by author John Steinbeck, published in 1937. It tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression in the United States.
The general topic of this story is Friendship. One Reasons that the tragic end of George and Lennie’s friendship has such a deep impact is that one senses what friends have. By the end of the novella, they lose a dream larger than themselves.
Candy and Crooks are characters that help develop the theme of the story. Candy is an old ranch worker (“swamper”) who has lost one of his hands due to a farm accident. He spent the best years of his life working
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on someone else’s ranch, only to lose his hand and have little money. Crooks is so named because of his crooked back that was caused by a kick from a horse. Crooks is the stable hand who takes care of the horse's lives by himself because he is the only black man on the ranch. The character that is most connected to George and Lennie is Candy.
He has become one of the close friends that George and Lennie have. Candy is also part of the dream farm that both, George and Lennie have. Crooks was almost part of the dream but realized that would never work out because of what Curley’s wife said. “Well, you keep your place then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” (5.81) During Chapter 3, George and Lennie talk about the dream farm, because they forget about Candy. Candy offers George to give him $300 dollars if he lets them live with them on the farm. “...S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in...” …show more content…
(3.59) Candy is "a tall, stoop-shouldered old man…. He was dressed in blue jeans and carried a big push-broom in his left hand." (2.18) His right hand is simply a stump because he lost his hand in a ranch accident. Now the owners of the ranch keep him on as long as he can "swamp" out or clean the bunkhouse. Candy gives Steinbeck an opportunity to discuss social discrimination based on age and handicaps. Candy represents what happens to everyone who gets old in American society: They let them go, canned, thrown out or used up. Candy's greatest fear is that once he is no longer able to help with the cleaning he will be "disposed of." Like his old dog, he has lived beyond his usefulness. Candy contributes to Steinbeck's theme because he becomes one of George and Lennie’s friend and part of their dream. Candy doesn’t want to stay on that ranch where he will one day, would not be longer needed and can lose his job. Candy has no family, just no one in general, so George and Lennie become like his family. Just like the friendship between George and Lennie, Candy and his Dog only had each other. When Candy let Carlson shoot his dog, he regretted that because he felt like he should have done it instead of a stranger. The old man [Candy] squirmed uncomfortably. "Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him." He said proudly, "You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheepdog I ever saw." (3.56) This is almost the same thing that George says about Lennie: he's "had him so long," they have learned to love and take care of one another. Carlson's killing of the dog makes it clear that during the Depression only the strong survive. The way in which Carlson kills the dog—with a gunshot to the back of the head—foreshadows Lennie's death and likens Lennie to Candy's dog: they're both powerless, innocent, and doomed. It contributes to Steinbeck’s theme because, everything together foreshadows one thing to another and lets the reader know what characters are connected to each other. In many ways, it helps them understand, what they feel, think and or maybe what the moral of the story is. "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world.
They got no family. They don't belong any place. They come to a ranch an' work up a stake and then they go into town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they're poundin' their tail on some other ranch. They ain't got nothing to look ahead to." (1. 15) George and Lennie’s friendship is mostly similar to Candy and his dog’s friendship. The death of George had such a big impact to the story because George lost not just Lennie, but also the dreams they had together. Candy, Lennie, and George play a big role to the stories meaning because back then, when people use to work in ranches they never traveled with their families, or they didn't have friends or someone to really care about, which made it different when George and Lennie arrive. The events that happen in the story had a meaning to the story as well because they explain the story and the theme that Steinbeck was trying to make. Many people see this different because many people see the topic of racism, friendship, hopes, dreams, euthanizing, or capitalism. The events that had the more impact on me, were when George shoots Lennie and when they killed Candy’s dog. Many people would travel alone and would die alone. They would also be a press by higher powers. Friendship is really important to everyone now in modern society. We can see this through the singer Selena Gomez and actress Francia Raísa. Francia Raisa donated a kidney to
Selena, and are just opening up for the first time about the secret operation they underwent earlier this year and how the procedure dramatically changed the musician’s life. Over the summer, Gomez became gravely ill as a complication of lupus, the autoimmune disease that had attacked her kidneys. “I had arthritis. My kidneys were shutting down. My mentality was just to keep going,” she said in an interview. This is an example that shows, how important friendship is too many people, and can also save lives now. We might fight with our friends but at the end, we are together again. Steinbeck’s theme suggests that friendship is important in some limits. It suggests that it never lasts forever because one day we will all die.
Candy didn't have anything so he wanted grow old on the ranch with George and Lennie (pg59-60) but then Lennie kills Curly's Wife and his dream dies (pg.94). Candy's dreams end in a pessimistic outlook because all he wanted got destroyed leaving him with nothing. Crooks dream was to be respected and not looked at for his color and wanted to live on the ranch with Curly Lennie and George (pg.64). Even though he wanted this he noticed by what Curly's wife said to him that his dream will never be achieved, so he changes his mind (pg.
Steinbeck uses foreshadowing with different components of his novel, one being the characters. When reading about Candy it’s obvious that he has a strong connection with his dog, “I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup.” (44). This connection and bond between Candy and his dog are similar to George and Lennie’s. George looks after Lennie in a similar way that Candy looks after his dog. “No, you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn’t like you running off by yourself, even if she is dead.” (13). People on the ranch look at the dog and are confused as to why Candy still is keeping it, the other workers looked at George and Lennie in the same kind of way since they think traveling together as a pair is odd. The two pairs both have a strong bond and friendship.
As the story continues on and the pair arrive at their job, the character chart begins to branch as we are introduced to Slim, another worker on the farm. After learning of the two’s past together, he openly expresses, “Ain’t many guys travel around together... I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other” (Steinbeck 35). There is a unique value to George and Lennie’s relationship which the world lacks. Rather than combining their might, people would rather watch their own back with one set of eyes than having a second set to keep watch. There is mistrust between people and the idea of backstabbing and swindling is very present due to the economic decline and the loss of wealth for all social classes. Due to Lennie’s mental decline, however and the fact that if it were not for George, Lennie would not be alive, there is a strong bond apparent. To be separated from one another would mean becoming the rest of the world, sad and lonely. Neither of the two would like to bring sorrow to one another or let each other go through
The one-handed, weary, and subservient Candy is a very important character in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, because he represents what happens to everyone who gets old in American society. He also foreshadows the decision of George to kill Lennie himself at the end of the book. Candy also demonstrates how believing in a dream can bring you to your “happy place” and motivate someone through tough times.
Candy dealt with his loneliness by being friendly with George and Lennie and becoming a partner in obtaining the small ranch that was George and Lennie’s dream. Candy kind of an outcast because of his age difference from other ranch hands. “I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some”(Candy 319). Candy attempts to be useful in someone else life. He heard that George and Lennie have this dream to “live off the fat of the land” as soon as they get enough money. Candy wanted to join, he offered as much as he can. He wanted to join the dream but not only did he want to join, he wanted to join the friendship of George and Lennie. “Maybe I can give you guys money”(Candy 325). Candy offered his money that he gets from the government for his disability. An exchange for money Candy gets a friendship out of it. So he is paying George and Lennie to be friends with him really. I think money will never buy a real friendship. Not only was Candy lonely and miserable trying to deal with loneliness, but so was Crooks...
For Candy, he was lonely because he felt like he was the only one of the other ranch workers that is getting more useless everyday and feels uncertain of his future on the ranch. For Crooks, it was being segregated from the rest of the workers that made him lonely. And for Curley’s wife, it was the inability to talk to anyone else other than her husband. For George, the hope of such companionship dies with Lennie, and true to his original estimation, he will go through life alone.
These two drastically different characters rely so much on one another that it becomes difficult to function alone in a “normal” society. Their friendship is pushed to the breaking point when Lennie’s actions lead to the death of a another human. George must then decide what is best for Lennie. He proceeds to take Lennie’s life himself rather than condemn him to an uncertain fate if handed over to the authorities or, worse yet, to Curley (Steinbeck 103-116). This recurring theme of friendship lasts throughout the entirety of the book through George and Lennie’s undeniable bond, how they face society's narrow minded view of their relationship, and through their
George and Lennie are happier because they are close friends. They have goals that they want to reach together. Candy becomes included in those goals, which makes him more hopeful for the future. He asks George, “You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we? (Steinbeck 94) Candy’s hope makes him determined to work harder. Crooks is vey lonely so he does not seem as happy as some of the other men. He had to live alone because of the color of his skin. He also faces a lot of discrimination because he is African American. When Lennie started to talk to Crooks he began to open up a little bit more. Crook become more willing to talk to him and it almost seemed like he brightened up a little bit. Friendships seem to affect the mood of the men and whether or not they are happy.
This is the piece of speech, when Candy is trying to persuade George to let him in on the ranch their going to get. The language Steinbeck uses here, makes Candy seem overly eager to get in with George and Lennie. Mainly because, he’s dog dies so now he doesn’t have anybody, and he feels he might get canned. So as soon as he hears the opportunity to break away from being lonely, he jumps at it. I feel extremely sorry for Candy because he has nobody to turn to. He really does try to find friendship in people, but sometimes tries to hard.
The turning point of the novel, where for an instant George and Lennie’s dream finally seems attainable, is the introduction of the dream to Candy. It is at this moment, where a dream shared between two men, spreads out to three because of the irresistible offer that Candy makes the two travellers: his money. Candy negotiates with George and Lennie where he says “’S’pose I went in with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?’” (Steinbeck 67). Candy believed that the dream of owning land was unattainable to him because of the loss of his hand, however, by backing George’s ambition financially begins to reignite hope in the old man. As Lennie gets increasingly more excited at the prospects of finally being able to tend to the rabbits, he shares his plans with Crooks, a black stable-hand. Crooks after being convinced by both Candy and Lennie at its potentiality, suggests his own assistance to the trio when he states: “…If you…guys would want a hand to work for nothing– just his keep, why I’d come an’ lend a hand. I ain’t so crippled I can’t work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to” (Steinbeck 87). This growing community of workers, combining their personal assets and desires now have
Candy and Lennie become two of the most similar characters in the book. Both of them are treated as if they aren’t as important on the ranch. Because of this, Candy finds comfort in spending time with George and Lennie. Like Lennie, Candy ends up finding friendship and purpose with George. As George and Candy’s characters evolve, so does the idea of symbolism in the
Candy confesses that he is going to get fired soon because he's too old and that the men believe that when you grow old, "You’re no good to himself nor nobody else" (60). Another character that illustrates cruelty is Crooks, an isolated character. Crooks remembers his past, rather than preparing for his future. His longing for freedom and equality is shown when Crooks bitterly tells Lennie, “S'pose you didn't have nobody, a guy needs somebody – to be near him. . .a
...deal with them that together, they could “get a big stake” (63) in order to buy a “little place an’ live on the fatta the lan’” (63). Candy says he would “cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some” (67). However, after Lennie accidently kills Curley’s wife, Candy in “his greatest fear” (107) asks George if they could still “get that little place” (107). But he knew it was no, and right at that moment his American Dream comes to an end. Therefore if Candy would be all by him following his American Dream without depending on George and Lennie, he would have been successful.
He is described as a tall, stoop- shouldered old man. He tends to normally wear blue jeans and carries a broom in his first scene, with his ‘bristly, white whiskers.’ Candy is the person who offers to help out with George and Lennie’s dream. He found likeliness in their dream when, one of the other ranch hands, Carlson, shot CandyÂ’s only companion his ‘bitch’ dog. Furthermore, with Candy’s dog being shot it shows us that he is infact very lonely , hid dog is his company and his equivalent of a friend, ‘I had im since he was a pup.’
The famed nurses study from Harvard found “Not having a close friend is as detrimental to your health as smoking.” Lennie and George’s friendship is necessary to keep the better for each other. Throughout the story, Lennie and George need each other and look out for one another no matter what. Lennie and George’s friendship and journey throughout the story symbolizes the struggles to achieve the American dream. Steinbeck, in the story Of Mice and Men, combines characterization and symbolism to prove friends do whats best for eachother.