“Made no attempt to enter”
abides with segregation laws + doesn’t question them
highlights maintainment of segregation
normalised + common racist attitudes in 1930s
“Tart”
Misogyny was common + use of derogatory terms
She’s a young girl → different ideas of women in society
Clashing views of young women → different generations
struggles to adopt new ideas of women
women were now had more independent social lives → drinking + smoking
“Old Candy” “old man”
“Old” → not listened to on ranch
Everyone else is working age → may not think he is pulling his weight
Decrepit → position on ranch is very low
“Wish’t somebody’d shoot me”
Because of his loneliness, he is aware of his inevitable cruel fate → wants to avoid this though
Cruel fate of not being able to work → die of starvation
Nowhere to go → no pension system for elderly in 1930s
“since he was a pup”
dog equivalent of a friend
others do not understand friendship → want it dead because it’s no longer useful
the inevitable loneliness of migrant workers
“They’ll can me purty soon”
Fears that he will lose his job
emphasises Laissez-Faire approach to government
When pension brought, excluded agriculture workers
“Best damn sheep dog”
represents him not wanting to be dismissed as useless
elderly rejected by society → Candy aware of this but wants to avoid it
“ ‘spose I went in with you guys”
offers 2 strangers his life savings → desperate
Makes George + lennie’s dream possible
Candy really really wants to avoid his cruel fate → dream gives him hope
“Change came over old Candy”
dream gave him hope + friendship (George Lennie)
→ things he hasn’t had for a long time
gives him confidence
Steinbeck shows → Candy had some power → hinting that marginalised should have power
“Snivelled” “voice shook”
he’s crying over the end of the dream
he’s devastated → he has no hope left
given up on life → die lonely + sad
“Ain’t no good to you”
shows that masculinity reflects power in 1930s
because of age + immobility → further enforces his uselessness
People preyed on those more vulnerable
“Tall” “stoop shouldered”
height + age links to masculinity
Stoop shouldered + old → not masculine
no hand → emasculated
Can’t go to brothels as he’s to old → lacks masculinity
shows the not masculine as powerless