George and Lennie had to leave Weed in a hurry because Lennie got into trouble. Carlson and Slim agree that Candy's old sick dog should be shot because it only suffers. This suggests that weak people and animals may be seen as burdens. The men struggle to save their wages but are tempted to spend it on alcohol and women each week. George shares his dream of owning a farm with Lennie, and Candy overhears and offers to contribute his savings to help make the dream real. This modifies the novel's mood by providing hope. There is tension between Slim and Curley, so Curley takes out his anger on Lennie instead of confronting Slim directly, showing Cur