Candy Of Mice And Men Character Analysis & Examples

John Ernst Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962. His novel 'Of Mice and Men' was published in 1937, and won a lot of accolades from readers across the globe.

The novel revolves around the bond between two migrant workers, George and Lennie, who were let off a bus miles away from California, where they were supposed to start their work. The story is based on friendship, loneliness and the American dream.

Out of all the characters in the novel, the character of Candy in ‘Of Mice and Men’ leaves a lasting impression on readers.

All about Candy from Of Mice and Men

The author describes Candy as “A tall, stoop-shouldered old man….. He was dressed in blue jeans and carried a big push-broom in his left hand." The old man lost his right hand in a ranch accident. Candy is shown as someone who is always worried about his boss firing him because of his incapability. However, some of the major themes and dominant symbols of the book are centered on Candy. So, without further ado, let's dive deep into the world of Candy and analyze his character from various aspects:

Physical description

Candy is an old man who works at the ranch. He has a stooped posture and is slow due to his age, and the fact that he has lost his right hand restricts him from getting things done faster. The author portrays how the character is old and weak but still has the ability to work on the ranch and clean the bunkhouse.

Personality

Candy is shown as a friendly person who loves to talk. As the story continues, he is shown talking with his fellow workers, George and Lennie, the main characters of the story. However, he is not accepted by other workers due to his age and disability. He is often shown as someone who is lonely, with his dog as his only companion.

His relationship with his dog

One of the most crucial aspects of this character is his relationship with his dog. The author shows how Candy is connected with his dog and how the two have grown old together. The dog symbolizes Candy's impending death. Considering the dog's health and how it has lost its usefulness, Carlson, a ranch worker, suggests that Candy kill the dog. Despite initial resistance, Candy gives up and asks Carlson to do the needful.

Relationship with George and Lennie

George and Lennie are the two main characters of the novel, and their relationship with Candy forms the base of the entire story. George and Lennie are shown to be different from the other ranch workers, and that is a major reason Candy is drawn towards them. Candy feels George and Lennie's dream of owning a farm can be a way out for him. He goes on to offer money to help them fulfil their dream and shares anecdotes about the farm he used to work on. If you dig deep, you will understand how this is also a reflection of isolation and loneliness faced by many people in society.

Candy’s dream

The American dream is all about achieving success with hard work and determination, and Candy personifies the same in the novel. The old man had a dream of owning his farm and wanted to do anything to make it a reality. He offered money to George and Lennie, who were planning to own a farm and live his dream with their help.

Symbolism

Candy's character sheds light on a lot of things. One of the important aspects his character symbolizes is loneliness and isolation. The character's age and his disability make him a misfit in society, and no one is interested in interacting with him. He is left alone with his dog.

The character reflects the fate of everyone who gets old and has disabilities in American society. The author uses Candy’s character as the opportunity to discuss social discrimination due to old age and disabilities. Candy was always afraid of being thrown out of the ranch as he was not young, and with one hand gone, it was impossible to keep up with ranch work.

Candy's dog is equally old, has also lost the ability to be a sheep herder, and shares the same fears. His dog symbolizes the fate of someone who has lost their usefulness and is afraid of being disposed of. Eventually, the dog was killed as he was of no use. Candy’s relationship with his dog is similar to that of George and Lennie. In the story, Lennie depends on George like Candy's dog depends on Candy.

Candy has also been a symbol of the American dream in the story. Despite his age and disabilities, he did not give up his dream of buying a farm. He supported George and Lennie in their idea of buying a farm and offered them money to move forward, thus trying to fulfil his dream. The money helped them move forward with the process, and their dream was almost real until there was a sudden turn of events, and George had to kill Lennie out of mercy. The American dream is about not giving up and achieving success with hard work and determination, and Candy leaves no stone unturned in trying to fulfil his dream. The money he offered George and Lennie was his life's savings. The three men even had a pact of helping each other out and keeping the plan to themselves only.

The book considers all the aspects of society, and the character Candy symbolizes society and their attitude towards old men. ‘Of Mice and Men' is a good way of exploring various aspects of society and shows a massive contrast in the mindsets of people. Candy is a minor character in the novel but has a huge impact on the entire story. One of the major things the character teaches is the ‘never give up’ attitude. He pursues his dream and looks for ways to fulfil them despite his disabilities and age.

Foil character

In literature, a foil character is someone who is different from other characters and is used to shed light on contrasting features. In 'Of Mice and Men,' Candy can be called a foil character as he helps readers understand how George and Lennie are different and highlight the strength of the youth in terms of manual labour. Also, the fact that he wants to own a farm is in complete contrast with George and Lennie's dream and sounds more realistic.

Candy established the characters George and Lennie and also helped in the build-up of the story.

Significance of the character

As mentioned earlier, Candy symbolizes a lot of things and acts as a spokesperson for people who feel lonely and isolated or have lost their usefulness. These are the ones who are ignored and often left out. The novel sheds light on things that are often overlooked by all and sundry. You must understand how Candy plays a major role in reflecting these aspects and how he acts as a motivation for all who have given up on their dreams. Adding on, coming to terms with his dog getting killed reflects the difficult choices one has to make in life. Candy plays a crucial role in the entire novel and reflects a lot of things that are left unseen and unheard in society. View Examples

Ø Few instances reflecting Candy’s significance in modern society

Many people cannot cope with loneliness and isolation, and Candy shows exactly what a man with these problems has to go through every day. The character shows the need to identify the problems and accept people who are old and suffer from some disabilities. Acceptance will make them feel included, thus overcoming problems with loneliness and isolation. Also, the need to have programs offering vocational training to people with dreams can be helpful in the long run. Candy had to wait till the end of the day to take a step towards fulfilling his dream.

Final thoughts,

'Of Mice and Men' leaves a lasting impression on the mind of readers. The story is not only about old age, disabilities and other such problems. There's a lot more to it. However, Candy's character has a significant contribution and helps us understand that part of the society that is ignorant and does not pay heed to the feelings of an old man with disabilities. John Steinbeck wrote all the aspects of the story beautifully and used the character of Candy properly to convey a strong message.