Of Mice And Men Candy Analysis

Candy is used to convey many of the novel’s key themes and messages about America during the Great Depression through both his character’s personality and also the events that happen to him/around him throughout the book.
Through Candy, Steinbeck shows the judgemental nature of American society in the 1930s and the prejudice that was ingrained into the way people lived. In Candy’s first scene, the reader is immediately shown how racism was prevalent through the quote ‘ya see the stable buck’s a nigger’. Candy freely uses racial slurs instead of Crooks’ name which implies how little respect he gives the man due to his belief that racial differences makes him subordinate. In the same scene Candy gives his opinion of the boss as a ‘pretty nice fella’ eventhough he is well aware of how he treats Crooks on a regular basis- ‘give the stable buck hell’. He then goes on to reminiscise about a memory of the ranch workers fighting Crooks which is described as him ‘pausing in relish of the memory’ which clearly tells the reader that he enjoys remembering Crooks’ suffering. This acceptance of the Boss’ cruel acts, the justifying of it due to his race and the total lack

of empathy all show Candy’s racism and judgement based on prejudices instead of actual interactions as he later admits to have never entered Crooks’ room before that scene despite his numerous years on the ranch.
Also during his gossip, Candy is cruel about Curley’s wife. He makes various comments including ‘tart’ and ‘she got the eye’ even though she has only been on the ranch for two weeks so far. His judgement is purely based on her appearance as shown through the quote ‘look her over’.
His actions give the impression that he is shallow but they could also be the result of his lack of status on ranch. By spreading negative rumours about others, he can make himself feel more important. His actions fit the social context of the book as racism and sexism were rife in this time. The suspicion surrounding Curley’s wife and the resulting harsh judgement is synomonous with both the real life treatment of women and the lack of trust towards any other person that made living on the ranches so harsh and unforgiving.
Another aspect is how he is used to highlight the harshness of life that people during the 1930s suffered and how the weak were exploited within this. Candy has a physical weakness – his missing right hand- as well as a figurative weakness of no status or importance on the ranch. The author uses the terms to describe him ‘old Candy’ and ‘old swamper’ to put an emphasis on his age and resulting weakness. He is shown multiple times to have no voice or influence over the others which makes him even weaker. He is powerless to stop the death of his dog once an authority figure, in this case Slim, takes the side against him. This scene is important to his character and the display of how harsh life is as he is given little empathy throughout. The dog is an allegory for him and his future – growing too old to be useful and then easily replaced.
Curley’s wife exploits his weakness to make herself feel stronger in the scene in Crooks’ shack when she tells him ‘nobody’s listen to you’.

George also uses Candy for his own gain as he lets him join in on the dream ranch due to his money but abandons him when he can no longer do it with Lennie despite the fact that he and Candy could still afford the ranch. This lack of compassion for others shown by Carlson towards Candy in the killing of his dog parallels how in American society there was little sympathy for others. The theme of survival of the fittest that was the base of ranch life is shown through the shooting of Candy’s old dog to be replaced by Slim’s new puppies. It is also shown through how the weak characters take advantage of eachother to gain superiority over one another instead of working

together.
Another reason why Candy is important to the story is because he is used to show us how people in America were easily seduced by the American Dream but also how it eventually failed. Candy is desperate to escape the ranch following the realisation that he doesn’t have much time left in the aftermath of the death of his dog. The prospect proposed my Lennie and George of a better life is tempting which makes his makes rash decisions with little forethought. It starts fairly simple with ‘s’pose I went with you guys’ but quickly becomes an obsession ‘he just sets there in the bunkhouse… figuring’ which shows the reader how important the American dream was to people and how it became their sole focus. It helps him escape his miserable reality which gives him extra confidence as shown through his interactions with Curley and his wife: ‘you ain’t wanted here’ and ‘you goddamn tramp’. However the frailty and inevitable destruction of the dream is demonstrated when Lennie kills Curley’s wife and George gives up. Steinbeck uses Candy’s character to show how American society in the Great Depression revolved around the American Dream and that hope for a better future but also shows his views that it is false hope when Candy is left alone on the ranch with nothing ahead of him except more years of suffering on the ranch.
Overall, I believe that Candy is very important to the novel as he was essential in the build- up of the dream in the main plot whilst telling the author’s messages through his actions. Although he isn’t shown to be a very nice person to many of the characters, the reader feels pity for him as his life seems to have been harsh and by the end there is little hope for him which parallels how the reader would feel for the people of 1930s America.