How does the killing of Candy's dog portray the key topic of strength and weakness?

In ,
Carlson enters the bunkhouse and begins complaining about Candy's ancient dog. He comments on
the awful smell of the old dog and mentions that it can barely eat its food. Candy's old dog is
essentially useless and barely living. Although Candy shares a special bond with his old dog, he
cannot deny that the ancient dog is close to death. Carlson lacks sympathy and offers to shoot
the dog to put it out of its misery. Candy hesitates to allow Carlson to follow through with
shooting his dog until Slim gives Carlson the okay. Once Slim agrees with Carlson and tells him
to put the dog out of its misery, Candy is helpless and does not stop Carlson from taking his
dog outside and shooting it.

The fate of Candy's dog underscores the
relationship between the strong and weak on the ranch. The ranch is a hostile, threatening
environment, where only the strong survive. Candy's dog is old, useless, and extremely
vulnerable. Therefore, Candy's ancient dog cannot defend itself from strong, aggressive
individuals like Carlson. This scene not only foreshadows 's tragic death but also underscores
Steinbeck's theme regarding the relationship between the strong and weak. On the ranch, strong
individuals ruthlessly wield their power by oppressing and harming weaker people. Steinbeck
continually depicts how stronger, callous individuals take advantage of weaker characters. For
example, Curley immediately challenges Lennie because he knows that he is mentally disabled, and
Curley's wife threatens Crooks because he is a powerless black man. Similarly, Candy's dog is
weak and vulnerable, which is why Carlson ruthlessly kills it.