We all feel it, we are all alone at some point, striving to be with someone. I believe that John Steinbeck is pointing this out several times in Of Mice And Men, because we are all pretty much the same in our thinking process, Like Curley’s Wife says, ““I get lonely”she said. “You can talk to people, but I can’t talk talk to nobody but Curly””(Steinbeck,87) . We watch so many people come and go and we just want that one person to stay, just like George and Lennie, we want someone to always be there. Some of us get used to something/someone always being by our side we get so used to them, like Candy and his dog, they may be suffering but we want them to always be there. Some of us have grown used to being alone, like Crooks, we’ve always just …show more content…
One part in the book it says “ George said “I want you to stay with me, Lennie”” (Steinbeck,13). George Said he didn’t want Lennie to leave, even though he feels alone with him there. It also says in the book Of Mice And Men, that George played solitare a lot throughout the book. “George cut the cards again and put out his solitary lay, slowly and deliberately” (Steinbeck, 28). I underlined the two words that make the sentence come to life, they also point out how alone he feels. “George sets the tone for these confessions early in the novella when he reminds Lennie that the life of a ranch-hand is among the loneliest of lives”(Sparknotes,2017). This quote again points out george being alone in a crowd of people. Now I’m going to explain how Candy losing his dog was a crucial to the topic of being …show more content…
“Candy’s sentimental attachment to the animal—his plea that Carlson let the dog live for no other reason than that Candy raised it from a puppy—means nothing at all on the ranch”(Sparknotes,2017)He had his dog since he was just a puppy and now that he’s old he doesn’t want to lose him. “The old man 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 to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen””(Steinbeck, 44). Candy lost his only friend and didn’t know the feeling of being alone so he was trying to jump in with George and Lennie, not knowing that they didn’t plan on working on someone else’s ranch very long. Candy had never really been alone, without someone to always be there with him. He had to figure out how to react to being by himself. Whereas Crooks had always been
The character Candy could be considered lonely after the death of his dog. Before that he seems relatively happy and, in fact, is quite gregarious in chapter two when George and Lennie first enter the bunkhouse of the ranch. He goes on about the other characters and describes the Boss, Slim, Crooks, Curley and Curley's wife. He even gossips with George, telling the story about the glove on Curley's left hand which is full of vaseline so he can keep "that hand soft for his wife."It is not until chapter three that Candy's life turns lonely. Carlson, a laborer on the ranch, believes that Candy's dog is too old and decrepit. He suggests that Candy shoot it to put it out of its misery. Candy can't do it and, because Slim gives Carlson the approval, the man takes Candy's dog and kills it.
Candy thought "I am not going to no one for help. This ranchers was thrilled to kill Lennie and now they don't even care about George who was caught in their place."
Candy’s dog is very precious to him, not only because he had been with him ever since he was a pup but also because he could see himself in the dogs place after a very short period of time. He was getting old and would be of no use soon. Just like the dog, everyone would be eager to get rid of him. He had lost his hand at the ranch. He is disabled, both, physically and mentally.
“You seen what they did to my dog tonight? They say he wasn’t good to himself, nor anyone else. When they can me here I wish somebody’d shoot me - Candy”. This quote shows how Candy was so lonely that he would rather want someone to kill himself instead of his dog because without his dog, he is now even more lonely. He is more lonelier than when he was before because before he was just old and he had his dog with him....
In the novel, Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck used George and Lennie's relationship and the theme of hope to point out the loneliness in the novel. The novel starts off and is set in Soledad which means lonely. At the beginning they get a job working on a farm together. Lennie is a little retarded and has great physical strength that isn't too controllable. As they work from ranch to ranch, Lennie relies on George for guidance and help. Rather than wasting their earnings, they try to save it in the hope of buying a place of their own. While working at one ranch they meet a worker named Candy who tries to help them financially. Before their dream can be fulfilled, Lennie kills the wife of the boss's son. As the novel concludes George must kill Lennie for his own benefit. Later Lennie goes into town and abandons his dream by spending his money.
As the novel continues on we are introduced to another pair whose relationship is just as strong as George and Lennie’s, the two being Candy and his old pup. Candy and his pup have been together for years on end and have formed a indescribable love for one another. However, as the years have rolled past, age has caught up with the Candy’s best friend causing many to suggest euthanasia. Regretfully, Candy agreed, afterwards uttering, “I ought to of shot that dog myself George. I shouldn’t ought to let no stranger shoot my dog” (Steinbeck 61) Often with age, humans and animals alike become impaired and quite sentinel. In the case of Candy’s pup, his age had progressed to the point where life was too difficult and pain was more relevant than pleasure. It would only be fair for Candy to place his feet where paws lay and imagine if he could go out peacefully rather than through heavy slow breathing every day. Although Candy recognized this and allowed this procedure to be completed who showed he had the best intentions for his pup, he did not take manors into his own hands. Rather than stand shoot his pup out of love, he remained inside and allowed the dog to be killed without emotion, almost as though there was no meaning. Sadly, the past cannot redo itself so Candy is forever regretful of the loss of his canine friend, yet by
In the movie, this part of the story takes place a couple of days after the dog has been shot. Candy overhears and quickly offers up his money to help with the dream. (DVD) In the book, the event happens on the same night as the shooting of the dog, when the emotions of the characters are still raw and on edge. The other men have left the bunkhouse and George and Lennie begin to talk about their future plans. In the film version, Candy is visible in the background, but in the book he is not mentioned as the other two men talk to each other. The reader, as well as George and Lennie forget Candy is in the room until ask if George knew of a place. The text says that he was excited and eager when he speaks (56). It describes how he sat up on the edge of his bunk. He had just lost his only friend, but now here was an opportunity to not be alone. Here is a chance for him not to be lonely. He is so desperate for that, that he is offering every penny he has in the world plus his future earnings to a couple of strangers. He knows this is his only chance. "You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn 't no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody 'd shoot me. But they won 't do nothing like that. I won 't have no place to go, and I
Steinbeck connects Candy with his dog in order to suggest that humans have created a society where the weak cannot survive. Earlier in the book, Candy describes his dog as the “best damn sheep dog I ever seen” (Steinbeck 44). However, in lines 9 and 10, Candy reiterates that the other workers shot his dog because “he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else.” As soon as the dog outgrows its usefulness by becoming old and blind, the other tenants team up to ensure its death, suggesting how society joins together to dispose of those who are weak. Steinbeck then connects Ca...
Soon after they arrive at the ranch, George and Lennie meet some new and delightful people that they will be living with, until they earn enough money to buy a place of their own. One of the new people that Lennie and George meet was Candy and his old dog. Candy was an old swamper, and was missing one hand, his dog was just like him, very old and in poor shape. The poor old dog was blind, deaf, had no teeth and everyone complained about it smelling horrible, “we can’t sleep with him stinkin’ around in here.'; (Steinbeck:47) All the farm ...
First, Candy is a character that contributes to the overall theme of loneliness. Candy is a crippled old man, whom his only family is his dog. When contemplating whether to shoot the old dog to put it out of its misery, Candy explains, “Maybe tomorra. Le’s wait till tomorra.” (Steinbeck 47). Candy wants to put off shooting his one and only possession because he knows that his dog is a part of him and
Loneliness and Companionship are one of the many themes that are conveyed in the novel Of Mice and Men, By John Steinbeck. Many of the characters admit to suffering from loneliness within the texts. George sets the tone for these confessions early in the novel when he reminds Lennie that the life of living on a ranch is among the loneliest of lives. However Lennie, who is mentally disabled holds the idea that living on a farm very high. "Tending the rabbits" is what Lennie calls it. Often when Lennie is seaking encouragement he askes George to tell him how its going to be. Men like George who migrate from farm to farm rarely have anyone to look to for companionship and protection. George obviously cares a lot for lennie, but is too stubborn to admit to it. The feeling of being shipped from place to place leaves George feeling alone and abandoned.
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.
Candy shows towards his dog by putting him out of misery. At last Candy said softly and hopelessly “Awright-take im”. A parallel scene which escalates this dilemma when Lennie has accidently killed Curley’s wife and George is forced with a decision with letting Lennie face a violent death or a more peaceful one by his own hand. “The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger”. The technique used is foreshadowing as the shooting of Candy’s dog foreshadows a later dilemma that George must face. Irony is also used when George has to kill Lennie as he sacrifices his own needs and is forced wellbeing to protect his friend.
Loneliness is the sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned. John Steinbeck brought up the theme of loneliness in many characters in Of Mice and Men. Crooks, Curley?s wife, and Candy expressed the theme of loneliness in many different forms throughout the story. Early in the novella George said, life working as ranch hands is about the loneliness of living, for these people finding friendship seems to be impossible. Crooks expressed feelings of loneliness throughout Of Mice and Men.
Steinbeck uses Candy’s old, smelly dog to help us understand Candy’s character. Very much like his dog, Candy has nothing to offer anyone but a small amount of comfort. Candy's dog was his only companion, but the dog was not a real companion in the human sense. The dog needed to be cared for and tended, much like George and Lennie’s belief that any comfort it offered was intangible and ultimately misleading. It’s through this use of imagery between Candy and his dog that we better understand the characters.