How do you think Steinbeck uses Candy in Of Mice and Men to convey important ideas about society at that time?

Candy, the old, one-handed ranch hand, has outlived his usefulness, according to the standards of the time, with little government assistance and even less social interest, in those who have been handicapped in a physical way. In a time when the Great Depression has made everyone vulnerable, not just those who are “weak” or marginalized, Candy does not have a chance of self-support beyond the most menial labor. He is viewed as extraneous, just waiting...

Candy, the old, one-handed ranch hand, has outlived his usefulness, according to the standards of the time, with little government assistance and even less social interest, in those who have been handicapped in a physical way. In a time when the Great Depression has made everyone vulnerable, not just those who are “weak” or marginalized, Candy does not have a chance of self-support beyond the most menial labor. He is viewed as extraneous, just waiting to die. His dog becomes a parallel of him, though, unlike Candy, the dog is “put out of its misery” once he becomes a burden to the society of the ranch house. Also paralleling, Lennie (who is also shot to “put him out of his misery”), becomes a drag on George, even though he has made himself responsible for the mentally-handicapped man and thus choosing the time when it is best that Lennie be dead.

Candy, as well as the dog and Lennie, give a picture of society as Steinbeck sees it, when a government that has made itself responsible for the  safety of the nation also has the responsibility to care for its most vulnerable citizens. This failure to do so (as seen in the very existence of the Great Depression) has made human life of less value unless it can contribute in a “meaningful” way.