How does Candy address the body of the girl after he talks to George and learns that their dream of the farm is no longer a reality? Why do you think he reacts this way? Evidence from the text.
Candy yells at the dead girl and calls her a tramp. He's let down and angry..... he's devastated that he had a future and companionship within his grasp and lost it because of her.
"You God damn tramp", he said viciously. "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." He sniveled, and his voice shook. "I could of hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys." He paused, and then went on in a singsong. And he repeated the old words: "If they was a circus or a baseball game . . . . we would of went to her . . . . jus’ said ‘ta hell with work,’ an’ went to her. Never ast nobody’s say so. An’ they’d of been a pig and chickens . . . . an’ in the winter . . . . the little fat stove . . . . an’ the rain comin’ . . . . an’ us jes’ settin’ there." His eyes blinded with tears and he turned and went weakly out of the barn, and he rubbed his bristly whiskers with his wrist stump.
Of Mice and Men
It's fascinating how Candy treats the girl's body after hearing about the shattered dream of their farm. His actions reveal deep emotions and a sense of lost hope.
Edit by https://moto-x3m.io a day ago
In Chapter Five, after George tells Candy that the dream of owning the farm is over, Candy turns to Curley’s wife’s body and harshly scolds it. He calls her a “tramp” and a “tart,” blaming her for ruining their plans. Instead of showing sympathy, he reacts with anger and bitterness.
Candy responds this way because the farm represented hope, security, and dignity for him. As an aging, disabled worker, he depended on that dream for a better future. When he realizes it will never happen, he needs someone to blame, and Curley’s wife becomes the symbol of everything he has lost. The text shows this clearly when Candy says, “You God damn tramp,” and focuses on how she “done it,” meaning she destroyed their dream.
His reaction reveals how deeply he believed in the farm and how devastated he feels when it disappears. It also reflects the novel’s larger theme of shattered dreams and misplaced blame.
