Communication 
2 Comments Analysis of Candy and his role in of mice and men
1) The character I will be analysing in the novel is Candy. Candy is an elderly man which has obviously worked on the ranch for many years. He is very misunderstood by the other characters and interpreted in the wrong way. In the novel the only two characters who appreciate and understand Candy is George and Lennie. I would now like to explain why this is and also suggest why Steinbeck included him in the story.
2) Quote 1- ‘the boss was expectin you last night’
I personally interpreted this as a kind, caring gesture made by Candy. He was trying to make George and Lennie aware that they could be in trouble and have to deal with a problem. I think candy tries to look after the majority of the people on the ranch. This was the first thing Candy said to George and Lennie showing he cares when he don’t even know them as people or their backgrounds, he didn’t prejudge them like a lot of people would do in that time period (the depression). Candy also spoke to them as soon as they entered the ranch because he was lonely being as none of the other people didn’t want to know him. I think Candy also being the first person to speak to George and Lennie is an idea we have to keep in mind as readers being as they had planned a future all together after they have worked for a few months which we was made aware as the book progressed.
3) Quote 2-‘A tall, stoop-shouldered old man came in. He was dressed in blue jeans and he carried a big push-broom in his left hand’
When Steinbeck introduces new characters into the story he really describes them with an incredible amount of detail. I think this is because he wants you to really be able to visualise the characters being as the characters are really significant to the understanding of the story and time period. The fact that Steinbeck includes that Candy is holding a broom also suggests Candy is doing a hard, low paid job on the ranch. This also shows the lack of care for Candy health being as he is an elderly man.
4) Quote 3-‘That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got an’ a cripple’
When Carlson said this he wasn’t actually talking about Candy he was talking about his dog. We can tell he is referring to candy though. This supports the idea that the members of the ranch don’t care about him and basically states there is no point in him being alive. They use the dog to express their feelings towards Candy.
5) Candy has a Major role within the story and has been put there for a very good reason. Candy relationship with his dog is also very important being as it is very similar to George’s and Lennie’s. The foreshadowing of what happens to the dog makes it very easy for us as readers to predict the ending of the book which Steinbeck has done very creatively. The other reason for having candy in the story is that the Steinbeck wanted to show how elderly people wasn’t treated nicely and thought of as worthless being as they couldn’t work a lot because if their health. Candy is also a character which displays his feeling of loneliness. These thoughts the characters had towards Candy are not considered in this day and age but was thought of in 1930s during the depression in the US.