Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck : How does the killing of candy's dog relate to the killing of Lennie? What were the similarities between them? What was the reason for killing?

Candy wished he had shot his dog himself because he was supposed to be the one who cared for him. He was also very upset because he lost the only thing that he cared about, the dog that he had sense it was a pup. “I wish somebody would shoot me when I become useless” (60). Candy doesn’t want to be useless and just be there he actually wants to have a purpose. As it is he doesn’t really get to do much because of his injury.

On pages 63 to 65, Lennie struggles internally over his own unrealized strength. After Lennie crushed Curley’s hand, Lennie sat cowering in the corner. He’s scared that he did something wrong but he never meant to hurt Curley. He only fought back because George told him to. George and Slim assured George that it wasn’t his fault and that he didn’t do a bad thing. On pages 44 to 48, Candy undergoes a personal struggle. When Carlson tells him that his dog is old and suffering and should be put down, Candy does not want to give up his dog. After Slim agreed that Candy’s dog should be put down on page 45, “Candy looked helplessly at him, for Slim’s opinions were law.” After being defeated by Carlson’s reasonable argument, Candy finally forces himself to give up his dog, knowing that he won’t have to suffer any more.

Lennie and Candy’s dog are parallel. Candy’s dog is old, stinky, it cant take care of itself and he’s useless. Lennie cant take care of himself of others, and when he gets scared he holds on to whatever hes got. Candy’s dog had to be put down, just like Lennie. They were also killed the same way. “If you want me to, I’ll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with. Ain’t nothing left for him. Can’t eat, can’t see, can’t even walk without hurtin’” (48). In this scene Carlson took Candy’s dog out and shot him. Though Candy did not want his dog to be dead, he still went through with it. This is just like when George went to kill Lennie, he didn’t want too but it had to be

Candy and his dog also draw similarities to George and Lennie, who are companions. When the dog is shot, and Candy is alone, it foreshadows what will happen to Lennie and how George will be alone. But the difference is that Candy lets Carlson shoot the dog, while George will not let anyone but himself shoot Lennie. However, Candy later admits that he ‘ought to of shot that dog myself’, which again creates sympathy for him, because the reader knows that he regrets letting Carlson shoot the dog for him.

Lastly, Lennie’s mental state lead to his death because he couldn't learn from his mistakes. Lennie has had a history of causing problems. In his old town Weed that him and George got chased out because Lennie got accused of rape. Just like Weed Lennie caused a problem which led to him being shot by George.

The characters’ fates in the novel develop individually through separate journeys all controlled by power. The scene depicting Carlson influencing Candy to let him kill his dog represents the idea of power, and the concept of the characters’ journeys with power. Candy is an old man, and because of this, he does not have a powerful position in the social structure on the ranch. Carlson and Slim have power over him because of their younger age and physical abilities. Slim agreed with Carlson’s idea and had the last word on the matter when the book states, “Slim’s opinions were law” (45). Candy knows that he does not have any power over the situations or even himself as he becomes obsolete on the ranch. The dog symbolises Candy and represents the end of Candy’s life journey and the loss of power and worth due to old age when Slim states, “I wisht somebody’ed shoot me if I got old and’ a cripple” (45). The idea that Candy has no power over himself because of his social status and

This dog puts its own sufferings aside to follow his master. But this dog is not necessary for Candy to have, as he could have a much more able-bodied dog, George also does not have to care for Lennie but does so because of the strong relationship they share. A little later in the book, Candy’s dog gets killed because the men in the bunkhouse no longer want him there. The dog’s death parallels Lennie’s because they are both killed to please those around them. Steinbeck uses animals and nature to show a comparison between Lennie and Candy’s

In the foreshadowing Carlson shoots Candy’s dog. Carlson's reason for doing this is that it’s too old and doesn't have fun anymore. When Carlson does it Candy say “ I ought to have shot that dog myself George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog.” (61).George probably took this and put it in perspective with Lennie. If he would’ve let Curley shoot him then things would've been worse because he would've suffered more. Another reason the reader thinks he did the right thing is because of what slim says.

In the novella Of Mice and Men both Lennie and Candy’s dog dies. The dog was killed by Carlson with a bullet in the back of his head with Carlson’s Luger pistol. Carlson convinced Candy to kill him because the dog was useless to itself and he wouldn’t hurt it while killing it as he said on page 72, “The way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing.” Lennie was killed by George by the Salinas River. George killed Lennie because Curly was going to kill Lennie for killing his wife and I guess thought he should do it. Both Candy’s dog and Lennie was killed by a shot

This quote was taken from the book, when Carlson offered to shoot Candy’s dog. I think at that moment, Candy had a huge decision to make. This can make connections to real life, when someone’s pet has to be put down. It would be very hard to let go of a pet that you’ve had since it was born. It’s almost like losing a family member or a beloved friend. People struggle with deciding on whether they should get their pet to be put down or not. It’s a tough decision, and a lot of times people agree to it, because they think it is better for their pet. In Candy’s situation, it’s definitely a hard decision for him, because he’s had his dog since it was a pup. He had many memories from the

Candy risked his life and reputation to save George’s. When George wanted to make sure people didn’t think that he was in on the murder of Curley’s Wife, he said, “The guys might think I was in on it. I’m gonna go in the bunkhouse. Then in a minute you come out and tell the guys about her, and I’ll come along and make it like I never seen her. Will you do that?” Candy had no problem helping his friend out. He had just as much motive as George did, but he still went along with the plan, as if it wasn’t as huge a deal as it was. Candy sacrificed his freedom and life to make sure no one thought George killed Curley’s

Steinbeck foreshadows the death of Lennie many ways throughout the novel. Lennie has a tendency to mess up. For example, George said in the beginning of the novel if he ever got in trouble to go by the brush and wait for him to arrive. When Lennie killed the pup and Curley's wife he went to the brush and waited for George. Lennie also had trouble with pets or feeling soft things. For example, he killed the mice he always held or played with. This foreshadows that Lennie has the strength and ability to kill someone or something without trying or wanting to. When Candy's dog was was old and suffering, Carlson grabbed his Luger and shot the dog in the back of the head. This foreshadows that someone is going to die. For example, George grabbed

The only character who really cares for Candy’s dog is Candy himself. He is the only one opposed to the dog being put down because he has become attached to it; Candy has spent a lifetime with his dog and the thought of putting him down is too much for him. Candy wants to keep the dog alive for his own

Like Candy, Candy’s dog is faced with the ultimate punishment for his age and disability. Candy’s dog is old and said to smell bad and isn’t worth anything, the dog is shot because of its disabilities. This event foreshadows Lennie’s fate at the hand of George. Both of these characters’ euthanasia is rationalized to put them out of their misery and to prevent future suffering from happening due to their disabilities. Which is almost a mirror image of George and Lennie’s relationship where George has known Lennie for a considerable amount of time and George knows that he is completely responsible of Lennie’s well-being and when that well-being is in jeopardy George feels a moral obligation just like Candy did when he gave permission to Carlson to shoot his dog. The euthanizing of Candy’s dog is a “foreshadowing of what will happen with Lennie and George” (Thomas Scarseth) because both Candy and George’s relationship to those dependent to them end with them killing them in order to save them from suffering.

The parallels between Lennie and George’s relationship and the relationship that their workmate, Candy had with his dog reaffirm the power dynamic between George and Lennie. In the novella, Candy must kill his dog because it is old and weak. Candy felt such extreme regret when it came time to kill his dog, that instead of doing