Examples Of Candy's Dilemma In Of Mice And Men

Candy’s dilemma
The book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck takes place during the great depression on a ranch in California. Where Carlson and Candy work. During this time period many men traveled alone. However, Candy had his dog as a loyal companion for many years after losing his arm in an accident when he felt like an outsider. His coworker , Carlson, doesn't like the dog. This is where the dilemma begins. Candy should euthanize the dog because of the dog's poor quality of life and he is replaceable.

The most important reason to put the dog down is the poor quality of his life. For example, Carlson says “Got no teeth, [darn] near blind, can’t eat.”(36) This shows from an outsider view that he can see the dog is in a painful state. However, from someone with a close relationship it can be hard to recognize that someone you care about is in a bad state. Another example, Carlson explains “ He’s all stiff with rheumatism.”(44) In this we further prove he’s in pain , that in his disease it makes his quality of life worse. This also proves it's not just perspective that shows his ability to walk

For instance , Carlson explains “Look, Slim’s [dog] got a litter right now. I bet Slim would give you one of them pups to raise up, wouldn’t you, Slim? ...You can have a pup if you want to.”(45) This shows he can easily replace the dog with a new dog. As well as , he can have a puppy and raise it meaning Candy would well spend the rest of his life with it , in turn he would never be lonely. In addition, Carlson says “Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up?”(36) This indicates, with his new dog that basically being a replacement , he could feel very fast the love and care aspect of being a pet owner. Furthermore, the dog would even replace the feeling he had for his previous dog. In a sense the dog would not just replace him physically but mentally and