Why I think Candy was added by John Steinbeck to his book

Of Mice and Men

There are many reasons why John Steinbeck added Candy to his book Of Mice and Men. The first and foremost reason, which may not be so obvious at first, is that Candy is in fact the narrator. He is the narrator in a way because he is the one telling George and Lennie about the ranch. Candy describes to them the people, their personalities and who to stay away from.

When Candy is first introduced, he is called the ‘old swamper’. We only discover his name after a while. The first person Candy talks about is Crooks, the ‘nigger’ stable. From this you can make out that the others on the ranch are prejudice towards the stable buck, ‘ Ya see the stable buck’s a nigger,’ Crooks is clearly disadvantaged due to his skin colour. When the boss is finished talking to Lennie and George, George tells Lennie off for talking. As Lennie is being told off, George looked outside and found Candy standing there, thinking Candy was eavesdropping, George repeatedly asks Candy why he was standing out side, ‘…and peered out. “Say, what the hell you doin’ listenin’?’ ‘“I wasn’t listenin’. I was jus’ standin’ in the shade a minute scratchin’ my dog.”’ Candy says that guys on ranches don’t listen into things they shouldn’t, ‘ “A guy on a ranch don’t never listen nor he don’t ast no questions.”’ Candy tells George about Curley and to keep Lennie away from him, ‘” Curley’s like a lot of little guys. Kind of like he’s made at em’ because he ain’t a big guy. You seen little guys like that, ain’t you? Always scrappy?”’ He tells George to not tell Curley that he was talking about him because he would get ‘sloughed’ by Curley and Curley won’t get fired because he is the boss’ son. ‘“Don’t Curley I said none of this. He’d slough me. He just don’t give a damn. Won’t ever get canned ‘cause his old man’s the boss”’

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Candy also tells George that Curley has gotten even cockier than before he was married, ‘“Seems like Curley is cockier’n ever since he got married.”’ Candy tells George a secret about Curley’s hand, ‘“You seen that glove on his left hand?… Well that glove’s full of Vaseline… Well, I tell ya what, Curley says he’s keepin’ that hand soft for his wife.”’ George is clearly not impressed by Candy’s secret and tells him ‘“That’s a dirty thing to tell around,”’ the comment by George seemed expected by Candy who listened in delight. ‘“The old man was reassured. He had drawn a derogatory statement from George. He felt safe now, and he spoke more confidently.”’ Candy seems to know about Curley’s wife and her giving ‘the eye’ to Slim and Carlson. ‘“I seen her give Slim the eye,”’ ‘“An’ I seen her give Carlson the eye.”’

When the subject of Candy’s dog comes up, they decide to put the dog out of its misery and to kill it, ‘“This ol’ dog jus’ suffers hisself all the time.”’ They all try to tell Candy that the dog won’t feel it after he admits that the dog should be put down, ‘“He won’t even feel it”’

Candy was standing outside Crooks’ room and wanted to come inside. He was asking Lennie about ‘the dream’ that George and he had. It seemed that Crooks was trying to make negative remarks about the dream but Candy seemed interested in it. Candy became involved because he overheard a conversation between George and Lennie and was in, ‘ Candy went on exitedly: “How much they want for a place like that?”’

When Candy saw Curley’s wife dead on the floor he was clearly shocked, ‘“Oh, Jesus Christ!”’ and then he left the barn. Candy first response to the sight was he asked George if they could still accomplish the dream. It seemed to him not to prolong the inevitable because he knew the answer to his own question, ‘Now Candy spoke his greatest fear. “You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we, George? Can’t we?” Before George answered, Candy dropped his head and looked down at the hay. He knew.’ George said ‘“I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her…”’ ‘“Then – it’s all off?” Candy asked sulkily. George didn’t answer this, as they both knew the answer. Candy felt sorrow and anger at Curley’s wife; he then expresses this into words. ‘“You God damn tramp… You done it di’n’t you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good now, you lousy tart”’ Candy clearly feels angry with Curley’s wife and why shouldn’t he be, she shattered his dreams as if it were a piece of glass into tiny fragments.

The way Candy behaves and speaks as if he were the narrator telling the story, although he isn’t. He speaks in a tone, which isn’t with any anger or conflict with anyone and is friends with everyone. As he is the only one explaining what the ranch is like, what to do and what not to do he is as if the narrator describing everyone’s character and who to steer clear of. He speaks as if an old friend of the person listening in a soft and comfortable tone.