Of mice and men

Jcat1999

I'm reallyyy stuck on this question, can anyone help please?

"How do the other characters treat Candy in the novel and what does this show you about the society in which he lives?"

Reply 1

NidaJaffri

Think he basically provides you a symbolism of the broken American dream. Also, how the society is broken and not dealt in a meritocratic way since Curley is so useless but born into wealth. You can further see his broken hand as a visual metaphor for what he was to the society; just labour. Without his hand he's worth nothing.

You can get really contextual about it and say if you look at other cultures, for example, immense amounts of respect is placed on the old however in America it is not. Maybe Steinbeck was trying to focus his efforts on stressing what capitalism does to the society. Despite Candy's experience he is useless cause he can't do labour.

Reply 2

NidaJaffri

Ah! During GCSEs I was so into this assignment. Perhaps you can comment on the foreshadowing on Candy killing his dog and how George has to kill Lennie. Do you see how Lennie is portrayed as an animal anyways? He's without a brain

Reply 3

hotliketea

Original post by Jcat1999

I'm reallyyy stuck on this question, can anyone help please?

"How do the other characters treat Candy in the novel and what does this show you about the society in which he lives?"

candy is exactly like his dog - decrepit and he knows it. you could take him as a direct personification of the american dream - entertained and kept on even when crippled by it because what else could they do but beat ceaselelly on, backs against the past , or you can see him as another victim of the american dream

shmoop is very good for this - http://www.shmoop.com/of-mice-and-men/candy.html

as is cliffsnotes - http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/of-mice-and-men/character-analysis/candy

he's not treated very nicely , which shows that the people have no respect for their elders , and he's only kept on because the family owe him for his hand , it's pitiful really

the society is consumerist and immoral , yet although he is a victim he takes the first opportunity to lord power over lennie

idk really it's all just sad and nothing goes right and everyone stamps over the smaller man looking for their american dream , or everyone uses everyone else