Candy, the old ranch hand, plays a very important role in the book. He is virtually the narrator, because he talks about everyone on the ranch to the new, two men: George Milton, and Lennie Small who were both bought up together in an orphanage. They left their previous job by a rape accusation, in Weed, on Lennie. Candy, also known as the Old Swamper, has a dog that is rheumatic.
We first hear about Candy in chapter two of the book. George and Lennie arrive and go into the bunk-house. "It was a long rectangular building. There were eight bunks." Nevertheless, they both found it rigorous. It was about ten in the morning when the sun rose and Candy met the two men. Candy is a tall, stoop-shouldered, old man. Candy now starts to get into his character by saying "The boss was expectin" you last night." This tells us that the man is giving some advice. Lennie and George are probably thinking he is a benevolent and considerate person of a high stature. We learn that Candy, has a number of names in the book: the old man, the old swamper, and the old ranch hand. He seems the main character as he begins to tell George and Lennie about the other ranch members. .
He starts off by saying that the boss, "gives the stable buck hell." The only reason he gives the stable hell, is because he is a "nigger." His name is Crooks; because a horse kicked him to the left of his spine, so it is disformed. He lives by himself in the barn. As he worked on the barn he was entitled to compensation. He did not get very much, it was a meagre amount. On the otherhand, Candy, had his hand chopped off by a machine. He got a handsome amount of money. This tells us that the people, who were meant to give compensation, were racist towards blacks. Fortunately, Candy made Lennie and George's dream more possible, as the money funded the house. .
Although the boss, gives Crooks hell, Candy tells the two new recruits that Crooks is a "nice fella, too.