He thinks that Candy’s dog should be shot because it is old and smelly, he persistently argues to shoot the dog, an example is when he says “Well, I can’t stand him in here” and “and he stinks to bear hell. Tell you what. I’ll shoot him for you. Then it won’t be you that does it.” He suggests that Candy could have one of Slim’s puppies instead, but he does not recognise that Candy has an emotional attachment to his dog. After he shoots the dog, he does not apologise to Candy and he even cleans his gun in full view of everyone, this shows that he is an insensitive character.
Though the pet was once a great sheepdog, it was put out to pasture once it stopped being productive. Candy realizes that his fate is to be put on the roadside as soon as he’s no longer useful on the ranch, he won’t be treated any differently than his dog. In 1930’s America there was no welfare system for the older generation as they were expected to take care of themselves. Candy and his dog parallel the relationship of George and Lennie. Like Candy's dog, Lennie depends on George to take care of him and show him what to do.
In comparison, Slim was more thoughtful and wanted the dog dead for its own good because of its poor health: “He ain't no good to you, Candy. An' he ain't no good to himself. Why'n't you shoot him, Candy?” At the end of the novel when Lennie must die, similarly, Carlson is only interested in killing the weak (Lennie), so he says, “I’ll get my luger” not thinking about anyone else. The scene that includes the killing of the old dog foreshadows the death of Lennie too; one clue is that the dog is shot in the back of the head completely unaware and with no pain with the luger. Towards the end of the novel, Lennie is also secretly shot in the same place with the same weapon by George out of mercy so his friend doesn’t experience a cruel painful death.
Though the pet was once a great sheepherder, it was put out to pasture once it stopped being productive. Candy realizes that his fate is to be put on the roadside as soon as he’s no longer useful; on the ranch, he won’t be treated any differently than his dog. Worse than the dog parallel, though, is that Candy (unlike his dog) is emotionally broken by this whole affair. He can’t bring himself to shoot his pet himself, and we suspect this is going to be the same fear and reticence that keep him from making anything more of his life. Candy can’t stand up for his pet because Candy can’t stand up for himself.
CANDY (OLD AND INFIRM) “lousy ol’ sheep” …Carlson’s attitude towards his dog (A70,P48): ‘I don’t know nothing that stinks as bad as an old dog. You gotta get himout…he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him, Candy?’ …Candy’s words about his future (A88, P66): ‘You seen what they done to my dog tonight?…When they can me here…I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.’ He believes he will share the same fate as his dog eventually, because he is old he is seen as 2useless2. In the novel old age is associated with lack of ability, even in modern times, we still believe old people to lack vital capabilities. However, there are some old people who are still fit and capable of working.
The performance of Jim Carrey was outstanding as the introverted withdrawn Joel; One of his best performances so far. Kate Winslet pulled it off beautifully, as always, as the impulsive, vibrant, and outgoing Clementine and her personality was emphasized by her constantly-changing bright hair color. But I think it’s a bit of a cliché for an introverted shy withdrawn guy to fall in love with an impulsive outgoing girl and for her to get him out of his bubble. The movie is a bit complicated and confusing when you see it for the first time because of the non-chronological (non-linear) order of the story but I think it serves the story very well. It emphasizes Joel’s state of mind and his confusion, struggling, and fear.
Of Mice and Literary Merit Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is widely esteemed as classical literature, enough so it is a part of many A.P. English reading lists. How does a book achieve the status of ‘Classic literature”? Is it merely lovable characters and a happy ending? I submit that any book widely considered as classic literature has to have masterful use of literary elements and compelling depictions of themes.
In ʻOf Mice and Menʼ, Steinbeck has created a relationship between Lennie and George as one of friendship and stewardship. These two agricultural workers travel together and share a dream, however the two are juxtaposed.This poignant story takes place in the 1930ʼs depression; a time when the dreams of many men and women were shattered by the harsh reality of the futility of dreams. Steinbeck demonstrates this by using foreshadowing and creating tension and anticipation for the reader. As the plot progresses so does our understanding of George and Lennieʼs relationship and Steinbeck guides us to the truth. This was in fact that their relationship was not very different to the others in the ranch as it ends with the books biggest climax: the
"You wouldn't think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I have ever seen." As a reader, the individual can see how highly the character commends his dog. Also through the text the reader can see how Candy relies on his dog. They both need each other. Candy needed his dog to get jobs on a cattle farm as he could herd animals and his dog needed an owner in his older age.
Lennie was very isolated also from the ranch workers because he wasn't normal and acted very childish, this mustn't of been nice for Lennie and that is how the ranch is unpleasent for him. Carlson made Candy's life on the ranch very hard because he depised Candy's smelly old dog, in the book Carlson kills the dog because it was old and it stank but he never cared about how Candy felt about the dog he just cared about himself. Carlson killed the dog eventhough he knew how much Candy loved it, when Carlson suggested killing the dog “Candy looked for help from face to face” but nobody helped him. The reason why Candy couldn't stop Carlson from killing his dog was because he was a very brittle old man and was mainly over powered by people stronger than him. This event was very unpleasent for Candy.