Quote: "For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silently" - illustrating Candy's emotional devastation.

Highlight: Candy's position on the ranch hierarchy, just above Crooks, demonstrates how age and disability affected social status in 1930s America.

Example: Candy's interaction with Crooks' room demonstrates the complex intersection of age and racial discrimination in the period.

Definition: The term "swamper" refers to a maintenance worker, often given to older or disabled workers who couldn't perform more strenuous tasks.

Vocabulary: "Viciously" - used to describe Candy's bitter outburst against Curley's wife, reflecting his accumulated frustration with his powerless position in society.

Highlight: During the Great Depression, physical strength was crucial for employment, making it particularly difficult for elderly or disabled workers to maintain jobs.

Quote: "Candy was just 'a lousy old sheep'" - highlighting society's dismissive attitude toward elderly workers.

Example: Candy's desperate offer to contribute his savings to George and Lennie's dream demonstrates the limited options available to elderly workers.

Definition: The term "put on the country" referred to being forced into dependency on public assistance, a common fate for elderly workers who could no longer maintain employment.

Vocabulary: "Canned" - a period-specific term meaning to be dismissed from employment, particularly relevant to elderly workers.