The Effects of Foreshadowing in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

He becomes friends with George and Lennie, but when his dog gets shot he looks to George and Lennie to somewhat replace the friendship he had with his dog. He shows this when he offers George and Lennie three hundred and fifty dollars if he could live on the farm with George and Lennie when they get it. Even though it was only a dream to George and Lennie, Candy was hoping to share the same dream as them because he felt more appreciated if he did. Candy says, “S’pose I went with you guys, tha’s three hundred and fifty bucks I’d put in”. This quote shows Candy’s desperation for friends after his dog was shot.

The dog, being described as “ancient”, “stinky”, and “half-blind”, had been in Candy’s life and his companion for a very long time and Candy had grown attached to it. He said he, "had him since he was a pup" and he used to "herd sheep with him." Once the other farmhands had finally gotten fed up with it and stated that the dog needed to be put out of its misery Candy was extremely reluctant to turn it over and let him go. After hearing the shot ring outside, all Candy could do was turn his face towards a wall and not look around. Certainly Candy found this dog to be a loyal companion of his and he had developed a strong relationship with it over the years, which helped him cope with his loneliness on the ranch.

Harold Bloom writes, “Candy sees a value in his dog that Carlson (and those like him) do not.” Although the dog was old and burdensome, Candy saw value in companionship and having another living being by his side. Moreover, Candy is afraid of becoming worthless like his dog. His loneliness stems from fear of becoming u... ... middle of paper ... ...fe’s gender and marital status tie her down, dehumanize, and objectify her. Crooks’ skin color and crippled back separate him from the others and deprive him of companionship he craves. The disabled characters illustrate the bleak and fruitless lifestyle on a Depression-era ranch where nobody, from the ranch boss’ privileged son, to the poorest stable hand, is truly happy.

Curley is saying how he doesn’t trust her, but his father is defending her, saying Curley should ‘Let her alone for a minute’ and she over-hears them. In this scene the picture is framed so we watch her listening to the others, and the camera angle stays the same throughout the scene. The scene also doesn’t use sound effects, although the puppy is used as a prop to show that she has affection to give. In the 1992 film, the extra scene is with Curley’s wife and George in the barn. George is tending to a mule with a hurt foot, and Curley’s wife comes in because she says she’s lonely and wants someone to talk to.

Some wonder whether George cares for Lennie and a person, or maybe Geo... ... middle of paper ... ...e alone, despite their hardships, despite their connections. In order to establish these ideas Steinbeck develops his characters, the relationships they share, and their interactions. Of Mice and Men is considered a classic novel for a reason. Steinbeck does an excellent job of establishing powerful themes while using unparalleled writing techniques. Steinbeck was able to take his upbringing as the common man and turn it into inspiration for novels.

Lennie killed Curley's wife acc... ... middle of paper ... ...after he's gone." Candy didn't shoot his own dog as Carlson shot it "Tell you what. I'll shoot him for you" but George did kill Lennie "And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head…He pulled the trigger." Candy regretted not killing his dog himself "I ought to of shot that dog myself, George." George knew he had to protect Lennie from A death brought about by someone else "I'll kill the big son of a bitch myself" said Curley.

During this scene, you get to really see how their friendship, the bravery and courage of George and the shear companionship that they had drove George to do what he did. If George did not do, what he did then Curley would have shot him like how Carlson killed Candy's dog. If George let Curley kill Lennie, he would have the same regret as Candy had for not shooting his dog himself. When Lennie killed Curley's wife, he had not only wrecked his life but the person he cared most for, George. Not to forget Curley's wife and Candy.

Of course, George and Candy ignore her, but Lennie thinks otherwise. As George warns Lennie to stay away from her, Lennie shows that he wants to leave because he says it’s mean there. George says that they will leave as soon as they have enough money to get their farm. Soon, we get introduced to Slim, who announces that his dog just had puppies. He talks with Carlson about killing Candy’s old and frail dog and replacing it with one of the newborn puppies.

To cite another instance, when Candy was talking to George and Lennie about their dream farm, Candy says, “‘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, an' I can't get no more jobs,’” (p.60) This proves that Candy’s dog is another symbol and he symbolizes Candy himself because this is basically Candy realizing that he's weak and not really important to anyone on the farm; he has no more power than his dog, who was shot.

As Lennie escaped from committing murder, George rightfully took advantage to end the problem before it had gotten any worse. The problem of course being his lifelong friend Lennie. As already seen in the novel, Lennie was a disturbance to George's idea of success and a burden to his work life. He got the men in trouble and George was very much justified in putting an end to it. Although Lennie's aunt wanted George to watch over Lennie, George peacefully ended his partner's life before the group of men were “gon’ta wanta get ‘im lynched” (Steinbeck 94) After Lennie was shot by George, the other men agreed George's choice was the right one.