Introduction: My character is Candy from Of Mice and Men. Candy is the janitor of the ranch and is an old man with one hand.
Direct Characterization: One direct characterization of candy is that he only has one hand
Quote: Candy said “I ain’t much with on’y hand. I lost my hand right here on this ranch. That’s why they give me a job swampin (Steinbeck 58)
Explanation: Don’t need much of an explanation… says it right there
Direct Characterization: another direct characterization is that Candy is old. It’s stated several times in the book
Quotes: “Old Candy turned slowly turned over. His eyes were wide open” (Steinbeck 56)
“It was almost dark outside now. Old Candy, the swamper, came in and went to his bunk, and behind him struggles the old dog” (Steinbeck 43)
Explanation: All these people are calling him old all the time, directly says he’s old
Indirect Characterization: Candy is lonely because when George bring up the ranch and how he and Lennie are going to buy one Candy jumps right on that idea.
Quotes: “S’pose I went with you guys. Tha’s three hundred an’ fifty bucks I’s put in. I ain’t much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some. How’d that be?” (Steinbeck 59)
“I’d make a will an’ leave my share to you guys in case I kick off, ‘cause I ain’t got no relatives nor nothing.” (Steinbeck 59)
Explanation: Candy wants to live with people he just met leading me to infer that he has no one else. Following that quote Candy also says that he has no relatives
Indirect Characterization: Another Indirect Characterization is that Candy is a sentimental guy because he doesn’t want to kill his dog because he’s had him since he was a ‘pup’
Quote: “The old man squirmed uncomfortably. ‘Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup. I herded sheep with him’ he said proudly, ‘You wouldn’t think it to look at him now, but he was the best damn sheep dog I ever seen’” (Steinbeck 44)
Explanation: Candy wants to hold on to his dog because he’s had it for so long and had formed an attachment to it because he herded sheep with it and has had it since he was a baby. Showing how he is a sentimental person
Conclusion: If Candy was a real person I would not want him as my friend because first off, he’s an old man and I’m only 14 so if my parents saw me hanging around an old man that probably wouldn’t be good. I also wouldn’t want to be his friend because he talks trash about a lot of people on the ranch and I wouldn’t want to be a victim of that.
Outro: That was my characterization of Candy. Thank you all for being a great audience.