ipl-logo

Importance Of Relationships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

883 Words4 Pages

It is a wonder what a gift one can offer by simply being by another’s side. There are times, both in joy and suffering, where the treasure of support is deeply longed for or taken for granted. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, some of the characters have the great luxury of having just one person alongside them which carries a sense of comfort unimaginable by others. Candy fears the thought of losing the last being he loves, which stops him from focusing on the present situation putting his dog out of its misery, which is something he cannot do. George, a man whose life is constantly in flux, leans on Slim for support with all the change in his life. Lennie and George, a duo that was inseparable, always looked out for one another, always trying to do what is best for the other. Within all these relationships, Steinbeck illustrates the necessity of having a strong relationship with others but also the immense responsibility that comes along with that relationship. …show more content…

Some animals can sense emotions which is the reason why pets, especially a dog, can be a man’s best friend. Candy, the old swamper, does not have many friends left in his life but he has his dog, who he treats as if it were family. Candy has raised his dog since it was a puppy and has grown attached and loves his dog like no one else. Now as the years have passed, Candy’s dog has many disabilities, just holding on to its life. Carlson soon offered a swift and painless end to his dog’s life, “He wouldn’t feel nothing... He wouldn’t even quiver.” (Steinbeck 45), but Candy is hesitant of the offer but does not have the courage to argue otherwise. Candy soon felt the guilt of leaving his only family left in the hands of a stranger and later regretted his inability to act, “I ought to have shot that dog myself,” (61), not being able to give his dog the love and mercy that it

Show More
Related

Compare And Contrast Cold Blood Book And Movie

809 Words | 4 Pages

In Cold Blood and the novel’s film adaptation of the same title, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, several aspects of the novel are necessarily altered to create a successful motion picture version. If the preference is to view a film a general understanding can be seen but there will be a huge loss of detail when describing the main characters, and various settings thoroughly described in the novel. The four members of the Clutter family show both similar and different traits in the movie and book version of the story. The first of these characters is Mr. Herbert Clutter.

Read More

Examples Of Prejudice In Of Mice And Men

1130 Words | 5 Pages

Further into the novel, Candy confided to George about regretting not taking action when he needed to, "'I ought to of shot that dog myself,' he tells George: 'I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog "(Steinbeck 30). This evidence is important because it shows how mortified Candy was at the scene of the incident. Such events will lead to health disorders such as depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, that were commonly ignored and looked down upon by the public. Secondly, Candy was trying to find ways to delay the shooting, "'You ain’t got no gun.'. ' The hell I ain’t.

Read More

Of Mice And Men Lonliness Quotes

753 Words | 4 Pages

Candy's dog eventually gets shot for no reason, other than the fact that the others do not like him. The dog was hated by the other men living on the farm. The sense of feeling that others do not like you is one of the main contributes to lonliness in the world today. Steinbeck attempts to allow readers to recognize this, and change their actions and words towards others to prevent this lonely state in

Read More

Silence In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

537 Words | 3 Pages

Candy loves his dog so much that it disheartens him to see his dog suffering so much from his old age. Candy begins to realize that his dog will be taken out of his misery if he is killed. Candy cares for his dog so much that he allows Carlson to shoot him for his own good. Candy is also a

Read More

Comparing Death In 'Of Mice And Men And Looking For Alaska'

1600 Words | 7 Pages

Candy from Of Mice and Men faces the feeling of loneliness after his old dog died. Such feeling is seen from the moment Slim first persuaded Candy to shoot the old dog, and he refused to do. Candy squirmed, “Well – hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup” (42).

Read More

Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

251 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck there are several characters such as Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife that reveal just how lonely it is to be on the ranch, secluded from the rest of society. Being physically handicapped and older than the other ranchmen makes it tough for Candy to form a deep meaningful connection with the other ranchmen. Everyone enters and leaves, but the only friend that stuck by Candy’s side is his dog that “[he] had ‘im…since he was a pup”. Following Candy dog’s death, Candy’s heart breaks knowing that his one true friend is out of his life. The ability to endure a great deal of abuse and isolation for a period is Crooks’ specialty.

Read More

Character Analysis Of Candy In Of Mice And Men

986 Words | 4 Pages

Character Analysis Essay Candy, Of Mice and Men Candy is described as a stereotypical old handyman, with only a stump as his right hand due to a machine-related incident at the ranch. Steinbeck preconceived the idea to the readers that Candy has spent the best - and perhaps the most efficient - years of his life working on someone else’s ranch, only to loose his hand and have little money. He also paints a dog as a companion for Candy, who very much like Candy, is old and crippled; but also stinks and is blind. Throughout the story Candy keeps reiterating his greatest fear of ‘getting canned’, made worse by the faith of his dog. A symbol of Candy himself, the dog was once a great sheepherder but as time passes, neither past accomplishments nor current emotional ties matter as the dog has outlived his usefulness and is killed.

Read More

Relationship Between Lennie Small And George Milton

813 Words | 4 Pages

In this work, Steinbeck lets the reader identify and empathize with those who live on society's periphery by depicting their separation from the humanity that surrounds them. Because Lennie is confined throughout the story, readers feel sympathy for him. Despite having George beside him, Lennie lives in his own world owing to his mental

Read More

The Role Of Companionship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice Of Men

427 Words | 2 Pages

Candy possess no sense of self as he lets others walk over him. When others dictated it was time came to put down his dog, Candy was allowed for others to shot his dog. Later he repented his choice saying, “ I ought to of shot that dog myself… I shouldn't ought to of let no strange shot my dog (58).” Candy felt an obligation to protect his dog. He recognizes he should have been the one to put down his dog.

Read More

How Does Steinbeck Present The Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

851 Words | 4 Pages

An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy”(Steinbeck 45). Carlson proceeds to shoot Candy’s dog in the back of the head. Steinbeck uses this harsh dialogue to help the reader understand the conditions of the 1930s and to show that the world operates on the most productive. Those such as Candy, who are old and disabled, cannot work as efficiently.

Read More

Companionship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

837 Words | 4 Pages

In “Of Mice and Men”, Steinbeck explores the value of a man through their social standing, how they treat others and their idea of companionship. Steinbeck presents that in his world, a majority of men value usefulness over friendship and companionship such as the bond between Candy and his dog. Candy’s dog is “ancient” and “can’t eat, can’t see, can’t even walk without hurtin’’. Carlson and the rest of the men in the barn decide it is best to “shoot him right in the back of the head”, while Candy argues he doesn’t want to as “I had him from a pup” and doesn’t want to take his life away. After much convincing, Candy’s dog is shot, to the dismay of Candy who has lost his companion, as he “continued to stare at the ceiling”.

Read More

Euthanasia In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1073 Words | 5 Pages

Candy after having a dispute with Carlson over whether or not to shoot the dog, candy states that, “I oughtta of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn’t oughtta let no stranger shoot my dog” (Steinbeck 61). Although Candy previously disputed over shooting the dog, and had shown that he did not want the dog to die, Candy shows that he knew the dog should have been euthanized the whole time, and that he wish he had been the one to do it. Steinbeck shows Candy regretting not euthanizing the dog himself to make a point that even those closest to the subject of euthanasia know it is the right thing to do. Although Lennie is George’s best friend, George knows that Lennie has no way out of his situation, and that with the way his violence issues are progressing he will only get worse.

Read More

The Importance Of Friendship In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

129 Words | 1 Pages

In ‘Of Mice and Men’, written by John Steinbeck, friendship is portrayed as one of the main themes in this novella and a very important part of people’s lives. Steinbeck also portrays friendship by highlighting the importance of friendship and showing how its presence and absence can trigger many positive and negative emotions. Its presence creates hope, feeling of companionship and a sense of responsibility. In spite of friendship’s presence creating positive feelings, its absence does the complete opposite. It generates a feeling of loneliness and isolation.

Read More

The Role Of Companionship In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1216 Words | 5 Pages

In John Steinbeck´s Of Mice and Men, the ideas of companionship and friendship are addressed greatly. George and Lennie are companions who have traveled alongside each other for a long time. They have to keep moving because Lennie causes trouble, and essentially strains their relationship. Although they have issues, they have a deep connection which benefits each of them. Steinbeck´s Of Mice and Men uses motifs and characterization to show that companionship is beneficial to individuals.

Read More

Of Mice And Men Friendship

2017 Words | 9 Pages

“I’m so used to him,” he said softly.” Candy was nervous that they might be right, it might be the right thing to do but he was afraid it might be the biggest regret in his life because he would be lonely because of the absence of friendship. Candy gave up after he knew he had no hope of keeping his friend (the dog) “awright- take ‘im” he laid back on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.” Candy tried his best to avert looking at his poor dog because he can avoid crying or him getting sad or that he might change his mind even though he does not have a choice. However, Sometimes candy regrets agreeing for them to kill his dog, “I ought to shot that dog myself, George.

Read More

More about Importance Of Relationships In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Related Topics

Open Document