Candy Flashcards
“they’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk house they’ll put me on the county”
- candy knows he’s useless and can’t do as a good job as other workers because he only has one hand
- as soon as he can’t do his minor job they’ll send him on his way
“‘why’n’t you shoot him, Candy?’.
The old man squirmed uncomfortably.”
- his dog is his company and equivalent of a friend
- no one else understands the idea a of their friendship and simply want the dog shot because it’s no longer useful (nuisance in the bunkhouse)
“you seen what they done to me dog tonight? They says he wasn’t good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here i wisht somebody’d shoot me”
- knows that by shooting the dog it was for the best, so he wishes that when he has no place where he belongs he could just be shot and put out of his misery
- comparison to dog; dog’s fate reflects his own
“i ought to of shot that dog myself”
- regretful: he feels that it should’ve been his responsibility
- he knew it was best for him and he should’ve taken it upon himself
- feels like a coward (last regret)
- has no one now since he lost his only companion
- foreshadows the end when George shoots Lennie so nobody else can
“i had ‘im too long”
“i had him from a pup”
- Candy has a certain affection for his dog
- he knew deep down that it was the best thing but he dreaded losing his long time companion
“maybe tomorra. Le’s wait til tomorra”
tries to delay the shooting of his dog as he pleads with them to let the subject drop
“stoop shouldered old man”
- not young or healthy
- appearance
- contrasts with the younger workers
- very old
“old Candy lay down in the hay and covered his eyes with his arm”
- no one to care for him
- old and frail
- given up on the dream
Steinbeck uses Candy to discuss social discrimination based on age and handicaps
- he represents what happens to everyone who gets old in American society: canned, let go, thrown out and used up
- greatest fear is that once he can no longer help out he’ll be “disposed of” like his dog (lived before usefulness)
“his eyes blinded with tears”
candy is extremely upset because he understands that when Curley’s Wife dies the dream does too
“You stick with us so we don’t think you had nothin’ to do with this”
pleads George to no avail to have their farm despite Lennies imminent death
“gradually his sorrow and anger grew into words”
- angry because her death shattered his dream
- true emotions were shown after his dream was broken
“i ain’t got no relatives nor nothing”
lonely and has no one to care for him
“out of the sleeve came a round stick-like wrist with no hand”
unable to work properly
–> reason for his segrgration
Candy and his Dog=George and Lennie
- parallels their relationship
- George and Lennie depends on George for everything. Candy is like George as they both have someone loyal and devoted as a constant conpanion
