Candy is the loneliest person because he loses his only friend which was his dog.” Look , Candy. This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time. If you was to take him out and shoot him right in the back of the head-” he leaned over and pointed, “- right there, why he’d never know what hit him”. Candy’s dog was the only thing he had left to keep him occupied he had no other friends or family. Candy is so attached to his dog that when people said that he stinks Candy doesn't notice. “ Get him outta here, Candy! I don’t know nothing that stinks as bad as an old dog. You gotta get him out.” “ I been around him so much I never notice he stinks.” When I go to other people house they have a certain smell to it and all though I notice it they might not because that's their house and they be there so much that they might not even recognize the smell.
Candy is an old man who is confined by his age and cannot do any real work. He cannot leave the farm because he does not have enough money to survive on his own. Steinbeck described Candy by writing, “Old Candy, the swamper, came in and went to his bunk, and behind him struggled his old dog,” (Page 43). The only thing that kept Candy company was his dog. His dog was too old to be any use, just like Candy himself, so he was shot by Carlson. This broke Candy’s heart, along with any of his spirit he had left. Candy was the only old person on the farm, besides his dog. Now that is dog was gone, Candy was totally isolated. Nonetheless, Candy was given some hope by George and Lennie, who told Candy he could be part of their farm. Candy was interacting and getting along with these two men, and had a flame reignited in his life and willpower. When Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, Candy instantly knew there would be no farm. Candy lost all will to live after this moment because he had nothing, and no one, to go
In today’s time period, Candy would be re-tired and drawing a deserved Workers’ Compensation check, but in the 1930’s this was not the case. Richard Moore writes, “Candy is an old man, reduced to cleaning the bunkhouse after los-ing his hand in an accident at work” (3). The ranch life is not meant for the elderly, especially the disabled elderly, but due to lack of social security at the time, Candy has no hope of seeing his retirement any time soon. Authors Umadevi and Saranya give prominence to the fact that, “Can-dy is a senior citizen with a physical handicap, and even though we get the sense that he has been at the ranch for some time, he has few ties or friends either, and tells Lennie and George later in the story that he has no family, no kids” (53). Steinbeck shows readers how poorly the elderly were treated before Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s social security program more formally known as the “New Deal”. The social security program created in the late 1930’s allows people to be able to retire at a set age or with a disability, whether it is due to old age or disability. Candy stays nervous and desires to make a life outside of the ranch. His beloved hound dog is a parallel to Candy in the fact that both are decrepit and physically useless. Warren French writes that the dog stinks, has no purpose, and is very old; this is a symbol
Loneliness and isolation is an ongoing theme throughout the novel Of Mice and Men, experienced by several characters to different degrees. Some characters are more isolated and lonely than others, yet every character in the story goes through this theme during one point in the story. There are various reasons why each character is lonely or isolated. In general, all the ranch workers feel some sort of loneliness because they move alone from ranch to ranch and do not have real connections with others, Curley’s wife experiences this theme because she is the only woman on the ranch and nobody wants to interact with her because Curley is very protective and hostile of her. Thirdly, Candy struggles through being lonely and isolated after Carlson shot his dog and because Candy does not work with the others since he is a swamper. Lastly Crooks goes through this theme because he has to stay in a room next to the barn and is isolated from the others because he is black. Steinbeck uses different factors to portray the loneliness and isolation within characters such as physical or mental, which then deliver various messages to readers.
In the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck portrays the theme of social injustice throughout the story in the lives of several characters that include Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and the stable buck, Crooks. All of these characters are mistreated in some way, shape or form. The hardships that these characters faced help guide us to see the social injustice that is prevalent in the story.
“We must work together to ensure the equitable distribution of wealth, opportunity, and power in our society”- Nelson Mandela. The book Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck captures the reality of class division as the characters are judged upon their social status which defines who they are as a person. Steinbeck is suggesting that a person’s values are reflected by their race, as they are treated differently based on the color or their skin and a person’s gender as women have stereotypes set for them and are degraded by society.
In Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men the main theme is Loneliness and Isolation. Steinbeck really creates an image in your head of the life of the migrated ranch men. He hides the fact the characters are isolated in the language he uses. The town that the ranch is close to is called “Soledad” which means loneliness in spanish. In latin “Solitaire” (the card game the men play) means alone and isolated. Some of the characters in the book have been described as more isolated and lonely than the other character, with the ones in particular ; Crooks, Candy and Curley’s Wife. Crooks is lonely because he is black and has a crooked back which is physically isolating him, Candy is lonely because he is old and only has one hand, Curley’s Wife is lonely because she is the only woman on the ranch. All the people living on the ranch are lonely to some extent. This is proven when Steinbeck describes the bunkhouse where all the workers sleep. "Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves for personal belongings of the occupant of the bunk." (p38) The way Steinbeck describes the bunkhouse indicates their lonely lives. Also by only having two shelves for their personal belongings shows their lonely insecure lives. Crooks has a better facility than any of the other ranch workers since he has a desk. Crooks does not appreciate this because he is alone and isolated from the rest, like Curley’s wife and in some way Candy.
In modern day society, everyone has companions and life is pretty easy right? Imagine not having work, food, or money. While waiting in despair for a better life, individuals may pass one another daily, but perhaps do not speak to the neighbors surrounding them. Everyone in this time and day is waiting for life to get better, not only are people lonely but also mean in a way. People do not know what others are going through because they simply do not speak to one another. This is common at the time of the Great Depression people did not have companions which therefore made them lonely. Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck presents the importance of friendship through George and Lennie’s unique companionship
In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s is revealed through a simple story of ranch workers who hope to improve their lives. Migrant workers, George and Lennie, have a friendship that is based on trust and protection. The other workers lack the companionship and bond that these two men have. In the novel, the absence and presence of friendship is the motivation for the characters’ actions.
George and Lennie, prominent characters in the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, are migrant workers—men who move from place to place to do seasonal work— who end up in California and are faced with numerous problems. Set in the era of the great depression, the story of Lennie and George, two very different men who have formed a family-like union, takes place on a farm where Lennie struggles to stay out of trouble. Having committed an unintentional, harmful act, Lennie is faces severe consequences; and George must decide to make a necessary decision which changes the mood of the entire novel. By the comparison and contrast of George and Lennie, unique characters who are very different from each other, the reader can better acquaint himself
Loneliness is a key aspect that flows throughout the Of Mice and Men plot line. Every character express some sort of loneliness at one time or another in this story. Some character express the fact that they are currently alone and others express that they have been lonely in their past. Others do not clearly state that they have even thought about loneliness, but they do give subtle hints at to it. The two main characters in this story are George and Lennie, they travel together and yet both express their struggles and fears of being alone.
One’s self has experienced loneliness from choice or forced into isolation. The novel ¨Of Mice and Men¨ written by John Steinbeck, took place during the Great Depression, near Soledad, California. The protagonist, George and the antagonist, Lennie are mid aged, white men who are working on a ranch with other mid aged, white men. Along with ones who aren’t as focused at the time, such as Crooks, the negro or black, Curley’s wife, the woman and, Candy, the old and weak man were treated differently from all the white, strong males in the novel due to the setting the novel. This making distance in relationships in Of Mice and Men, isolating these characters into loneliness. Steinbeck’s characterization and setting expresses his belief that it is both social barriers and personal choice that causes the loneliness and isolation of the characters.
In the book Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, he writes about two men one named Lennie and one named George having a dream, but is ruined through the troubles of Lennie 's doings. This book was written in the 1930’s talking about migrant workers and how they survived through that era. In that era all migrant workers preferably work alone, but with George and Lennie they stick together because Lennie is a more challenged person so he doesn 't know his wrong doings which causes lots of trouble for George. On page 94, one of the most significant passages is written on having a dialogue between George and Candy about how they were unable to get the farm because Lennie had ruined their chances of getting it. Steinbeck creates a motif of loneliness through the different characters he writes about, ties in different strands of the story to make one storyline, and foreshadows events to come.
Examine how far George and Lennie are loyal to each other throughout 'Of mice and men'
Of Mice and Men is a novel known across the globe, its delicate tone and emphasis on humanity and the struggles of the world locks the readers in. What dazzles readers most about this folk classic is how it is expressed in a way that all can understand, but few comprehend the deep and dark turn of events that lie between the lines of the book at first glance. The book isn’t referenced so often for its events in the past, but more for how it is related to the present as well as the future. The main issue discussed in this masterpiece is inequality, this subject applies to not only those of the past, but to everyone in every circumstance across the world today. Although it’s the 21st century, this issue is still present in everyday life. Wealth, race, gender, and mental illness has torn society apart and lead to inequality. These major reasons for inequality has affected everyone in its path leading to major consequences as well as issues and problems. In China, a new found wealth has left the social classes more divided and issues are beginning to rise. Meanwhile in the U.S., wealth is destroying students and unequal views toward specific types of people are weakening the patriotic bond.