The hopelessness is also used by John Steinbeck to protest against the treatment of the disabled during the Great Depression. Candy knows that he does not have
a future. Crooks emphasises this fact, when he says that Candy will be "a swamper … till they take" him "out in a box". Candy swamps out houses, because he is
not able to do something else. Although he hopes that their dream will work, he recognises that it is unrealistic. It is unrealistic because of his disability. Steinbeck's
protest against the treatment of the disabled is evident from the way he describes Candy's hopelessness.
Through his descriptions of Candy's primitive working and living conditions, Steinbeck protests against ageism. Candy is an "old swamper", who lives in a
"bunkhouse". His possessions are a "bunk" and "an apple box". The reader interprets these facts as a protest against ageism. Theoretically, one should treat aged
people respectfully. In our society, pensioners have a better life than employees. However, Candy is a "swamper". He is not treated fairly. He lives in community
with "lice" and "roaches".
Steinbeck also uses Candy's primitive working and living conditions to protest against the treatment of the disabled. Candy's job intensifies the discrimination
against him, because of his disability. The reader finds out very fast that Candy is an "old swamper". He carries "a big push-broom in his left hand". Of course
Steinbeck emphasises that Candy carries the "broom" in his left hand, because he lost his right one. To portray the relation between his Candy's disability and his
job, Steinbeck juxtaposes these ideas. Directly after the mention of the "big push-broom", he emphasises his disability. Obviously this connection is a protest
against the treatment of the disabled.
To some degree, Steinbeck uses the shooting of Candy's dog as a protest against ageism. The link between the "old swamper" Candy, and the "old dog" is
obvious. Both, Candy and the dog are old. Especially Slim hurts Candy, when he says that he "wisht somebody'd shoot" him if he gets "old". Through this
description, Steinbeck tries to simplify the circumstances for the reader. He evokes an impression of a Candy, who is very similar to his dog. That means that Slim
discriminates Candy indirectly. However, also Carlson classifies Candy. He says that the dog "stinks to beat hell". In other words, Candy "stinks to beat hell". The
reader cannot miss that, because of all the similarities between Candy and his dog. All in all, Steinbeck wants to protest against ageism.
Steinbeck conveys the impression that the shooting of Candy's dog, is symbolic to the treatment of the disabled. Slim discriminates Candy because of his disability
too. He says that he "wisht somebody'd shoot him" if he gets "a cripple". That is another parallel between Candy and his dog. Both, Candy and his dog are
handy-capped. Carlson discriminates Candy as well, when he states that the dog "can't eat, can't see" and "can't even walk without hurting". The dog would be "no
good to himself". Candy receives these statements as discriminations against him. What about him, if his dog has to be shoot? Steinbeck's protest against the
discrimination of the disabled is evident from these descriptions.
To some extent, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a novel of protest. When he wrote the novel, Steinbeck was sad because of the horrible situation of the old
and disabled during the Great Depression. The themes of ageism and the treatment of the disabled are protested through Candy. Candy does not play a very big
role in the story, but he plays a very big role in the background of the novel.
