Of Mice and Men Candy

Question 1

Candy – Theme: Welfare State, Old/Useless & Prejudice – Quotes

Answer 1

1. “When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me.”
2. “I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.”
3. “Old swamper”

Question 2

Candy – Theme: Welfare State, Old/Useless & Prejudice – Context

Answer 2

Candy’s situation reflects a grim reality for aged and disabled workers before the welfare state. With no safety net, his outlook is one of desperation and devaluation—a stark commentary on how society treats its most vulnerable citizens.

Question 3

Candy – Theme: Loneliness, Itinerant Worker – Quotes

Answer 3

1. “Don’t tell Curley I said none of this he’d slough me.”
2. (Note: Candy’s interruption to join discussions about the dream shows his need for connection.)

Question 4

Candy – Theme: Loneliness, Itinerant Worker – Context

Answer 4

The isolation Candy endures is palpable. His cautious speech and desperate actions reveal a longing for friendship and protection—a hope to break free from the loneliness endemic to itinerant life.

Question 5

Candy – Theme: American Dream – Quotes

Answer 5

1. “S’pose I went with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’d put in.”
2. “You and me can get that little place, can’t we, George?”

Question 6

Candy – Theme: American Dream – Context

Answer 6

For Candy, the American Dream is a lifeline—a promise of security and belonging. His willingness to invest his savings into this dream underscores both his desperation and his hope for a life that dignifies him in a harsh, unforgiving economy.