Of Mice and Men
Scene #9 · Chapter 5
Candy discovers the body and realizes the dream is dead
Scene Description
Candy enters the barn looking for Lennie and discovers Curley's wife's body in the hay. He fetches George, who immediately understands what happened and realizes Lennie has gone to the river. Candy pleads to know if they can still get the farm, and George answers quietly that he knew all along it would never happen. Candy briefly stays with the body, then angrily calls the dead woman a tramp and blames her for ruining their dream before going to alert the other men.
Why It Matters
George's admission that he never truly believed in the dream reveals it was always a fantasy, a story to give meaning to their hard lives rather than a real plan. Candy's anger at the dead woman shows how desperately he needed the dream and how quickly grief turns to blame in this harsh world. The moment marks the death of hope itself, not just the death of one woman.
Related Prompts
Related Quotes
—I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.
Chapter 5 · George Milton
"I should of knew," George said hopelessly. "I guess maybe way back in my head I did."
Chapter 5 · George Milton
You an’ me can get that little place, can’t we, George? You an’ me can go there an’ live nice, can’t we, George? Can’t we?
Chapter 5 · Candy
"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. ..."
Chapter 5 · Candy