The significance and role of minor characters in ‘Of Mice and Men’ ‘Of Mice and Men’ is a short novel written by John Steinbeck. It is published in 1937, when the American society was still recovering from the Great Depression and the American Dream had been broken. The American Dream is all about the hope of a better life through hard work with few barriers. Through the minor characters, Steinbeck foreshadows the unevitable tragic ending of the book, and depicts the fall of the American Dream, with widespread discrimination, a lack of hope and low social mobility in the post-depression American society. First, the minor characters are used to foreshadow the events of the story. Candy’s dog is old, stinks and is “all stiff with rheumatism”; basically he is portrayed as a weak, powerless character. When Carlson offers to shoot the dog, he says “this ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time...you ain’t bein kind to him keepin’ him alive.” He perceives himself as killing the dog to end its suffering. Candy’s dog’s death makes the readers anticipate for future mercy killings of disempowered characters, which is Lennie’s death in this case. The deliberate use of foreshadowing can be further proved by the striking similarities between the two deaths. When talking about shooting the dog, Carlson says “he wouldn’t feel nothing...right back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver.” This resembles the way Lennie is shot, with George telling him about the dream, consoling him and
I want him to suffer.” If the dog had not been killed by Carlson, then the dog would have suffered and if George had not killed Lennie, Lennie would have suffered too. When the defence questioned George behind his reasoning for killing George he claimed it was because he knew if Lennie got away he could hurt someone else. He also said, “I killed him because I knew Curley wanted to torture him I did not want him to hurt anyone else.” Carlson shot Candy’s dog so he would not have to suffer, and George shot Lennie because he did not want him to suffer any longer.
Lennie’s death was quick and painless, with a gunshot to the back of his head. Lennie is euthanized just like Candy’s old dog. Candy’s dog was suffering and old, it had no quality of life. Another key point is that Lennie and George’s dream never would have come true, but George euthanized Lennie and as he died, he went to their farm, his own personal heaven. When Lennie reached that farm his dream came true and he was free from the life that he was stuck in.
Much like Candy’s dog, Lennie was killed to “end his suffering”. Although this is not directly stated, George and most other characters in the story knew that he would only continue to be tormented for his mental disability. If he were left alive, he would only find trouble for the same reason. One quote that demonstrates his dog’s apparent “misery” is spoken by Carlson: "Whyn't you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up? I can smell that dog a mile away.
Lennie’s actions on the people at the ranch were at first confused of why George was with him and Slim even states people feel alone with someone with them. For example when Candy’s dog was shot. “Candy if you want me to I put that dog out of it’s misery right now, won't hurt him at all,” says Carlson. “Let’s wait till tomorrow,” says Candy. “We can’t sleep with that stinken dog in here,” yells Carlson.
The definition of a sympathetic character is one whom the writer expects the reader to identify with and care about, though not necessarily admire. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife, a main character in the book is blatantly portrayed as an unsympathetic character. This is because they only see her through the men's eyes, who only see her as a tiresome object, owned by her husband. Steinbeck’s portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair and misogynistic because he only displays her as unintelligent and promiscuous, never has a character have a turning point where they realize she’s more than an object, and he never reveals her true name. The first reason that Steinbeck's portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair is that he never gives Curley any redeeming personality traits, he only depicts her as unintelligent and promiscuous.
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. ””(44). As seen in this quote Carlson says that Candy should just shoot his dog to end his suffering. In the end, Carlson is the one to shoot Candy's dog and bury him. This is definitely an act of euthanasia.
Candy’s regret for not shooting his own dog, for letting someone else kill it, mirrors how George shoots Lennie, instead of letting Curley's kill his best friend, George does it himself.. When George shots Lennie he does it the way Carlson did to Candy’s dog, right in the back of the head, where the spine meets the
Candy´s dog is killed , simply for the fact that he is aging , and ¨ smells bad¨ . Due to his old age , he is rendered useless. Candy insinuates that the same will happen to him when he becomes incompetent of fulfilling his duties . The quote ¨ I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn´t ought to have let no stranger shoot my dog.¨ ( 89 ) symbolizes the companionship you also find in george and lennie.
In the novella, Of Mice and Men, the author John Steinbeck illustrates a ranch in the 1930’s during the great depression where those who fit into mainstream society run the show, and those deemed “outcasts” are rendered useless. Steinbeck depicts characters with setbacks that diminish their value in the eyes of society, and contrasts them to characters that have no difficulties conforming to the norm. Crooks, being a black man isolated by his race, and Candy, a elderly man limited by his age and missing limb are examples of Steinbeck characters that experience hardships because of the differences. The poor treatment of Crooks and Candy by the other characters, and their chronic unhappiness in a place that doesn’t value them, comments on how
When Carlson kills Candy’s dog is a reason. ”Right in the back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver.” He tells George where to shoot something and make it painless. Next, Candy says he should’ve shot his dog.
Steinbeck states in the novel, “You seen what they done to my dog tonight?”(60). An example of Candy telling George and Lennie his problems. Candy still feels upset over his dog death by Carlson. But by using that excuse he got George to agree with him, to let him live in the ranch once they earn enough money. With Candy’s help with George and Lennie’s dream, it is easier and now faster for the three of them to get their ranch.
Within the 1937 Depression-Era novel, Of Mice and Men, scribed by John Steinbeck, he implements complex, multi-dimensional characters in which they mutually possess an American Dream, yet they are distinctive in their most aesthetic, indigenous form. Characters including Curley’s Wife, Crooks, and George Milton have always theorized their life in Utopian lifestyles, in the setting of America, but is oppressed by external and internal means that is explored throughout the literature. Notably, George, the co-protagonist, has such ambition to live in a domesticated household in contradiction to the vagrancy he experience, while carrying the weight of having a fraternal-paternal relationship with Lennie, a man approximately his age with an evident disability. His
When world renowned author, John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men, America went into an uproar, because he created a detailed and realistic account of the time period as he tells the tale of the main characters, George and Lennie. Readers are forced to contemplate their own past experiences and how those have affected the way they perceive their fantasies. He depicts the grit, dedication, and harshness of the reality it takes to reach our dreams. In his novel Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses symbolism, parallelism, and pathos to portray the American Dream through the lives and deaths of the characters. John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men portrays the American Dream through symbolic characters.
Lonely Characters in Of Mice And Men Imagine a world where people didn’t really care what one said to another, and neither cared enough to ask each other questions. A place where everyone existed in silence, but were together at the same time. As portrayed in the novel, Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, in which Steinbeck’s idea of loneliness is isolation in silences. The author teaches the reader that friendship is mostly about conversation, and magnifies the effects of isolation through the eyes of Crooks, Curley’s wife and Candy.
George prohibits Lennie from petting mice, making Lennie sad. While Lennie killing mice is a bad thing, Carlson killing Candy’s dog is actually isn’t. Carlson shoots Candy’s beloved dog to stop it from enduring any more suffering. Carlson recognizes the love that Candy feels for his dog, and lets Candy know that the way he would shoot him: “‘...He wouldn’t feel nothing...