Of Mice And Men- Candy

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Candy seems harmless--but can be mean...

  • He's patient with George when he's in a foul mood--he reassures him that his bed is free of lice
  • He befriends Lennie and George, and then Crooks (but only for a brief moment)--their dreams of a farm of their own binds them together. He feels sorry for Lennie, even though he's just killed Curley's wife--he says he's a "poor b*****d"
  • Candy's not always nice to people. He blames Curley's wife for her own death, shouting at her body and calling her a "God damn tramp".
  • He's a gossip too--he calls Curley "scrappy" and Curley's wife a "tart".
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He's frail and powerless- like his dog

  • Candy is old, weak and disabled--he lost his right hand in a machine on the farm. He gets "gut ache", and he's always scratching himself. He's a physical wreck.
  • He has the least respected job of all of the characters--the "swamper", (cleaner)
  • He's not respected by the others. No one tries to save his dog from execution
  • He's always getting left behind--he doesn't go with the men when they go into town on Saturday nights, and he doesn't jon in when they go off to lynch Lennie either
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He's always trying to kid himself...

  • Candy is very, very quick to be seduced by George and Lennie's dream--he offers them all of his money when he's only known them for one day
  • One reason why Candy offers to help pay for the ranch is that he wants to own something concrete--a share of his own land. This is his version of the American Dream. This also explains why he doesn't want one of Slim's spare puppies--he wants his own dog
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