Of Mice and Men- Discussing the Importance of the Death of Candy's Dog in 5 Minutes

A five minute speech discussing the importance of Candy's dog being killed in Of Mice and Men. 

Candy looked a long time at Slim to try to find some reversal. And Slim gave him none. At last Candy said softly and hopelessly, “Awright—take ‘im.” He did not look down at the dog at all. He lay back on his bunk and crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

From his pocket Carlson took a little leather thong. He stooped over and tied it around the old dog’s neck. All the men except Candy watched him.

“Come boy. Come on, boy,” he said gently. And he said apologetically to Candy, “He won’t even feel it.” Candy did not move nor answer him. He twitched the thong. “Come on, boy.” The old dog got slowly and stiffly to his feet and followed the gently pulling leash.

Slim said, “Carlson.”

“Yeah?”

“You know what to do.”

“What ya mean, Slim?”

“Take a shovel,” said Slim shortly.

“Oh, sure! I get you.” He led the dog out into the darkness.

George followed to the door and shut the door and set the latch gently in its place. Candy lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling.

Slim said loudly, “One of my lead mules got a bad hoof. Got to get some tar on it.” His voice trailed off. It was silent outside. Carlson’s footsteps died away.

The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.

George chuckled, “I bet Lennie’s right out there in the barn with his pup. He won’t want to come in here no more now he’s got a pup.”

Slim said, “Candy, you can have any one of them pups you want.”

Candy did not answer. The silence fell on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room. George said, “Anybody like to play a little euchre?”

“I’ll play out a few with you,” said Whit.

The extract I have chosen from Of Mice and Men is from Chapter 3 in the novel, where Candy’s elderly dog is put down by Carlson. It is one of the most important parts of the novel, because it portrays the essence of death and the role of itinerant workers during the Great Depression, whilst also brushing the aspects of the novel that Steinbeck wanted to portray through actions and circumstances, one of which is death, others are the themes of loneliness, segregation, and ambition. The death of Candy’s dog uses powerful symbolism to fully integrate the state of ranch work and the helplessness of outcasts or valueless people.

The dog itself was described by Candy as his oldest companion, and we can see exactly how long Candy has been working on this ranch. He is crippled, as he has lost a hand, and is as old as his dog. The fear he feels for his dog’s death is parallel to his fear that, when he has fulfilled his purpose and is no long effectual, he too will be disposed of as readily as his dog.

At the beginning of the extract, we see Candy begging to Slim for assurance that he does not need to go through with Carlson’s suggestion. Slim is the figurehead of the group, and is seen to be the leader throughout the novel. He is revered, and almost worshipped; Steinbeck described him as “God like”. It is clear, therefore, why Candy turns to Slim when seeking reassurance. Steinbeck uses simple language, as if to represent the simplicity of Slim’s decision:

Candy looked a long time at Slim to try and find some reversal. And Slim gave him none.

The finality of this sentence is harsh and abrupt. Steinbeck is signifying the finality of the dog’s life, and in return, the finality of the fact that Candy will one day be as ineffectual as his dog. It paints a dark and morose picture, and the atmosphere is cold.

However, despite this, there is no cruelty in the scene. Carlson is very calm and kind to the dog, treating it tenderly because of its decrepit nature. The men treat death seriously. This can be seen by the lines:

“Come on boy,” he said gently. And he said apologetically to Candy, “He won’t even feel it.”

Slim shows his own sensitivity by reminding Carlson to take a shovel, to bury the dog. There is a great respect for death amongst the men. Steinbeck is using this to show that the men still band together, even in times of hardship, and while they grieve for Candy’s loss, they still have kept sight of the greater good and working towards a positive future. In this case, it is more humane to shoot the dog and prevent it from prolonged suffering, than to allow it to continue to live in pain.

The personification of silence occurs frequently throughout the novel. Steinbeck makes the silence appear to be real and tangible by describing it at length. By doing so, the reader gets a glimpse to the ambience the men are feeling, as they wait for Candy’s beloved dog to be killed. It proves to be very effective, and increases tension and anticipation. We are engaged and attentive, as the reality and gravity of the situation begins to become substantial. Lines such as:

The silence came into the room. And the silence lasted.

Are made to make the reader aware of the truth- that the dog is being killed. The men are feeling awkward, and silence is permeating the air. There is silence because nobody quite knows what to say. The silence is made to feel like a sentient being. By doing this, Steinbeck introduces the idea that the silence is overpowering, deafening in its lack of noise, because noise would mean life. He also implies that the silence is unwanted.

The silence fell on the room again. It came out of the night and invaded the room.

The silence is an undesirable addition to the feelings these men are experiencing. By personifying the silence, Steinbeck makes the reader feel uneasy.

This leads on to the idea of foreshadowing. This scene is foreboding as it mirrors what will happen at the end of the novel, when George will have to shoot his oldest friend, Lennie, in the head, to save him from the pain of being captured by Curley. Steinbeck uses the death of the dog to show the reader how murder for the sake of saving somebody is justified, but the hurt and misery is still present. The idea that it is crueller to keep Candy’s dog alive is then reflected in the implication that it would be crueller of George to let Lennie live but be handed over to Curley.

This extract is vitally important in showing the reader exactly why George shot Lennie, as he realises it is kinder and more loving, just as Candy allowed his dog to be put down. It is important for showing us how the discrimination against old or crippled men like Candy was a recurring theme throughout the novel, and is seen with the characters Crooks and Curley’s wife, as well as Lennie. It is important for showing us Steinbeck’s personification of the silence, and what he was trying to symbolise. The extract shows us the importance of companionship, which is another theme, and also of the hierarchy of the workers, where Slim is the elected leader, while Candy resides with the outcasts.

To conclude, this extract is the most significant in the novel, as it is vital to Steinbeck’s storytelling and symbolic narration of human nature during adversity in regards to death, friendship and sacrifices.

Okay, what do people usually use blogs for?

Spewing, right?
So, here's my spew:
Oh god, I don't even know what to write.
Life is so bloody boring at the moment. Which is rich, considering I have everything I want, I fly a fucking plane, and I own more books than I care to count. Doesn't that constitute awesome?
And yet, what's the point? I'm not going to do anything special. Just to think of all those people out there that are useless and unimportant. I'm so unimportant it hurts. I want to be magnificent. Ha! My arrogance is hideous.
That's what hurts the most, I suppose. I love reading about the universe, and all it's done is confirm that if I died, nothing would happen. Nobody would lose anything. People have all sorts of ideas about grief and shit like that, but to be honest, we're all psychopaths, we're all narcissists, we all care about ourselves.
God knows very few people would even bother to mourn me. Sophie might. For a while. Then she'd forget. I bet I'd forget. I don't know what that makes me- what sort of person would forget about the first person they ever loved if they died? Who even knows. Strange.
I just look at people who are beautiful, talented, clever, and I think "I'm none of those things, what's the point in me?" Because what is the point in me? There has to be a point. Everything has a point. I have no point. I'm not going to be anyone, I'm not going to do anything life changing.
And I know my family would be upset, but honestly, I don't care. I'd be dead. In the long run, they'd have more money, more space, and more free time. Isn't that more useful than some two-bit nobody who's just a waste? I am a waste. I'm a waste of natural resources. I'm a waste of money. I'm a waste of space. I can't do anything, and that's what's infuriating. I'm infuriated with myself. And I'm too fucking lazy to do anything about it.
Agh what is the point? I'm so boring. I hate boring people. Maybe I should go on a rampage and kill some people. Then get put into a mental hospital. I wonder if they'd let me read books there.
Sophie might join me. Or visit me.
She's so complicated. She's not pointless to me. To the whole world, though, she's pointless. Just like me. We're pointless together. But for me, she's everything. Haha how pedantic! I could quite easily live in a world with just Sophie. Just me and Sophie. It would be brilliant. Me and Sophie and a shed-load of books.
I ought to write a book. Then I wouldn't be pointless. My point would be to write books.
I need to get up early tomorrow and do my Latin. Latin is pointless for people who have no point. Latin is useful to clever people who can do something with it. But for me, Latin is pointless. Because I am pointless.
I feel like downing the bottle of morphine to see if I'd make it through the night. Being the unlucky bastard that I am, I bet I would make it to the next morning. I'd wake up and be like "Well fuck, that didn't work" and go to school and nobody would know.
I won't though. I'm too much of a coward. Cowardly and pointless. Jesus, I'm pathetic. Pathetic, cowardly and pointless.
I'll just go fester in a corner, shall I?
All right.
See you tomorrow, I guess, for more ranting.
Do all teenagers feel like this? I think they do. What a waste of time. A whole seven years of feeling like shit. Why can't we go into deep freeze during the teen years, and come out fresh and healthy and ready to do stuff?
I wonder what people would think if I did it, and ended it. Nobody would care. Only a few people. I've been over this. People might read about it in the local news, but it wouldn't impact anybody. At all. So what is the point of me? Agh, I've been over this!
Anyway.
Bye.
Mx

A while ago I had to write a review on the film "Deep Impact".

Deep Impact: A Film Review

The film Deep Impact, directed by Mimi Leder in 1998, is a disaster film based in the USA, and focuses on the situation of a meteorite destroying Earth.

The film centralises on several characters, and their reaction to the impending meteorite crash. We first are introduced to Leo Biederman, an amateur astronomer who detects an unusual object in space. He informs an astronomer at an observatory, who calculates that it is a comet which will hit Earth, but dies in a car accident before he can alert anybody.

A year later, we meet Jenny Lerner, an ambitious journalist, who has a difficult relationship with her parents. She learns of the impending meteorite, and the President of the USA announces to the world that if it is not stopped, life on Earth could end, and that the USA and Russia have been working on a defence programme called the Messiah.

The crew of the Messiah are assembled, and sent to destroy the comet. In their attempt, one crew member is killed, and the comet is separated into two parts, each very dangerous. The President announces, in light of the Messiah’s failure, that each state has underground shelters, and a lottery will be held in order to decide who will be saved in the event of the collision.

As the meteorite approaches, Leo and his girlfriend escape to high mountains, while Jenny gives her place in an evacuation helicopter to a friend with a young child, so that she can join her estranged father at last. They witness the first comet hit Earth, and Jenny and her father are swallowed by a colossal tsunami. However, Leo and his girlfriend survive.

The second comet, believed to create a dust cloud that would block the sun for two years, is waited for with trepidation. The remaining crew of the Messiah decide to undertake a suicide mission with their remaining weapons. They enter the comet and blow it up, killing themselves, but saving human kind.

The film closes with the President making an announcement to continue with their recovery.

As is seemingly typical with disaster movies, Deep Impact was set in the USA in 1998. Aside from the garish 90’s clothes and haircuts, the film was depicted in America at a particularly ideal state of time, where Leo Biederman, a white middle-class teenager in a white picket fence family, is able to detect unidentified flying objects in the sky, and Jenny Lerner can interrogate State secretaries on suspicion of illicit affairs. Of course, for both parties, neither of their pursuits turn out to be what is first thought- Leo’s mystery object turns out to be the cause to the end of the world, and Jenny’s supposed scandalous affair is in fact the secret acronym “Extinction-Level-Event”. I find that this initial state of tranquillity is to prepare the audience for the horror and revelation of the comet, working in extremes; one year the planet is wholesome and healthy, the next it is being ravaged by an extraterrestrial menace. The USA seems a popular place for world threatening occurrences, alien invasions and nuclear experiments going horribly wrong, and Deep Impact is no exception. The USA is often placed in a position of power in these life threatening situations, and considering the film was produced by an American company, it seems logical that the USA would seem the Earth’s only hope for survival. We put our trust in the USA government to make the decisions for us, and the film’s attempt to make this seem like a proper and liberal thing to do by casting a black man for the role of the President could be seen as both controversial and cunning. (The fact that the first black President would not be elected for another ten years put aside.)

So it is clear that the USA is “The Ideal Place” to live. However, this is all turned around in the event of the comet speeding towards Earth, destined to hit directly on, surprise surprise, the USA, and would cause massive destruction and death, not to mention the wiping out of the entire human race and all of Earth’s species.

In a countdown to the days leading to the impact, we get to know the characters a bit more as they become accustomed to the knowledge that sooner than later, their planet will have a 7 mile wide crater in it. Leo, our teenage astronomer prodigy, is now a celebrity, and is certainly enjoying the new lifestyle, with his entire family guaranteed a safe position in the secret underground caves, which will allow them to survive. (Because what is the US government, if they do not have secret caves preserved just for situations like this?) These caves can only hold 1,000,000 people, and we watch as some families are secured a space, and as others are not so lucky.

Jenny Lerner, who we learn has a difficult relationship with her father after he left her mother and married a rather young, rather attractive bride, is also claiming success and fame. There is an emotional scene when Jenny’s mother dies, but I found that, with Jenny Lerner being a rather stereotyped journalist, it was hard to find sympathy with her. She is depicted as a particularly hardened and ruthless woman, not hesitating to fight her way to accomplish her goals, or to speak her mind. Her intense and dedicated attitude towards her career reminds us of many an over ambitious journalist, but Jenny does not care if she loses friends along the way. This typecast of journalists does appear to be consistent in Deep Impact, which is why I found it quite difficult to feel pity towards a hard working young girl who came from a broken home, for Jenny is not heartless. She feels remorse and regret for the situation with her father, and seems quite distraught at her mother’s death. However, this is shadowed by the haze of the callous journalist that surrounds her. It is not until the end, when she gives up her space in the caves to a friend and her young daughter so that she can return to her father with forgiveness, that we realise that all humans, even the seemingly heartless ones, will unite together in the face of death.

Another archetype in Deep Impact is the representation of the crew aboard the Messiah, the defence mission that was sent to destroy the comet. The crew consisted of one older man who had seen many missions in his life, surrounded by five younger astronauts. The older pilot, nicknamed “Fish”, is the wise, dependable and noble hero of the mission. He is able to give advice and encouragement to the fresh new members, who initially doubted his ability due to his age. We see these people as very intellectual, capable professionals, as is usually seen in scientists. These scientists have a particularly important job: save the world, one that they seem to find rather difficult. After losing a crew member in the vast expanse of space when one of their attempts to destroy the comet fails, we see the crew begin to lose hope. Their confidence and jovial behaviour towards the task has diminished somewhat since the start, and we see the younger astronauts looking to Fish for support. This theme of the younger generations looking for help in the older generations in a time of need is consistent in Deep Impact. We see it here, and we see it when Jenny Lerner returns to her father in her last moments. I feel that the most emotional scene in the film was when the Messiah crew made the decision to end their lives to save the Earth, and said goodbye to their families over the phone. We experienced the true emotions of these steadfast and determined professionals, and watched them at their most vulnerable moment. All differences were put aside as they assigned themselves the most fatal, but most momentous task of their lives, and once again, we see the unity of human kind in confrontation of death.

So the stereotypical characters are put into a stereotypical setting, therefore it seemed fitting for the plot to be rather predictable also, which, in many ways, it was. The world didn’t end, nothing was irreparably destroyed- Asia and most of Europe didn’t even get disturbed! I found that the plot focused too much on the global aspect of the situation, whilst throwing in the perspectives of a few obvious typecasts. I would have much preferred a scenario where completely original and inspiring characters dealt with the circumstances. The attempts at evocative or emotional scenes were marred by the fact that we did not know the characters very well. I could not relate to any of them, therefore I found it very challenging to even begin to empathise, especially when it was so blindingly obvious that a solution would be made to save everyone. I also thought that the film’s attempt to shock the audience with massive casualties after the first collision rather inconsistent- Leo and his girlfriend managed to survive the tidal wave by climbing up a large hill, which was rather anticlimactic. Why didn’t everybody climb up a large hill? It seemed like the writers were trying too hard to make this a truly “disastrous” disaster movie. However, I found the plot entertaining in a minor capacity, as it was well executed, and well structured in its chronological order, leading to a suitable dénouement at the end.

One thing that I found very commendable in the film was its use of special effects. Despite this being well over a decade old, the CGI was almost believable. Their use of sets and props were very realistic, and I came to the conclusion that I had seen modern films with worse effects than this. Clearly a lot of time was put into making it seem real- the aerial views of the Earth, and one memorable scene where one of the crew members of the Messiah floated off into space, were particularly effectual. The tsunami scene was well done, only in places where the cartoonish feel of the water came through, and I thought that they displayed the impact of the comet with excellent efficiency.

Following on from this point, I enjoyed the dialogue on many occasions, and found the fast paced structure engaging. I believe Mimi Leder managed to direct the film satisfactorily, and achieved the right atmosphere. In terms of casting, I found Jenny Lerner’s character was well portrayed by Tea Leoni, who accomplished Jenny’s hard exterior but kind and forgiving hidden personality. Leo Biederman was successfully portrayed by Elijah Wood, managing the slightly geeky but  good-natured behaviour of the teenager. I thought Morgan Freeman’s casting as the President to be very interesting, as Freeman is often cast as global figureheads. He does exude an aura of power and reliability, which I think made him a successful President of the United States. However, I would have preferred Freeman to be cast as Fish, the astronaut, as then he would have had a larger role, and possibly evoked more emotion when Fish died, as the audience would have been more sympathetic to when Freeman’s character made the decision to kill himself for the greater good.

As an entirety, Deep Impact is trying to convey the message that, in our worst moments, human kind will band together in an attempt to survive, and that we shall all be equal and united. It is trying to tell us that we can put our conflicts aside in order to fight for life.

The depiction of science directly interlinks with the depiction of humanity. The film suggests that we rely on science and technology too much, when our humanity and love for one another will ultimately save us. In Deep Impact, the humans waited, depending entirely on the Messiah mission crew to destroy the comet by means of nuclear weapons. In a heady move, the writers made it so that the technology failed, and it wasn’t until the crew members sacrificed themselves in an act of humanity that the Earth was saved. It is seen that love will overcome all the fancy gadgetry and computer technology, and we will indefinitely save ourselves because of who we are, not because of what we can make out of metal.

Deep Impact is a memorable film, if not for its well known actors or graphical excellence, then for its classic, perhaps slightly predictable, portrayal of a global scale disaster that places it high up on the disaster movie genre.

I have a feeling this is going to take a lot of getting used to....