Killing the only friend that was there since the ability to remember; each other against the world now pulling the trigger to kill them almost instantly. This killing brought attentions of those worldwide to one topic, mercy or murder. The reason what made the world questioning those topics, was the book Of mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. The scene of George killing Lennie still lingers from the 1930s to current time 2017. Lennie Small, though he may not be small, is mentally ill and has George to take care of him because they have a strong bond no one can ever understand. George later on kills Lennie because he felt to bring the matter into his own hands; killing Lennie almost instantly with only one pull of the trigger on the back …show more content…
To show how it was a mercy killing, Rivera says “Mr. Adamson said. ‘But it was not likely that she was ever going to recover to the point where she could care for herself’”(Rivera). This shows that his wife was very ill and there was a vey small chance for her to get better, and if she were to get better she still could not be able to magae herself without help. Lennie is the same way; where he can not take care of himself due to his lack of responsibilies. If he were to get better is would also be a very small chance due to the lack of technology in the setting and time period. Therefore, it was a mercy killing of both Lennie and of Mrs. Wise. Another example on how it is mercy killing, it says “The weepy mother confessed to taking Jude Mirra’s life in February 2010 at the swank Peninsula Hotel but insists that it was a ‘mercy killing’ to spare him from abuse at the hands of almost half a dozen people” (Rosenberg). This evidence proves how it was mercy killing for both Jude and Lennie. George and Judes mother both felt they had to do something to help their son and friend. Otherwise, both Lennie and Jude would suffer from more pain due to others and from their disabilities. This would happen to get the same result or close to what either one of them did. Therefore, the killing of Lennie was indeed a mercy killing rather than a murder, because it was to stop Lennie from going through tormentation and pain
One of the reasons why George should have killed Lennie is to keep him out of an institution. It is clearly not on the bright side for Lennie to be put in an institution. This is backed by Slim saying “…An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no good, George.”(pg. 97) Lennie would obviously be miserable without George anyway, his only kind friend. Without George, Lennie wouldn’t know a lot of things he does now, or what to do in situations. Lennie has one of the rare mentalities that always needs someone by their side. These are all good reasons that it would be a good thing for George to put Lennie away rather than in an institution.
George shoots Lennie because he sees what the other people on the ranch would do to Lennie. After asking Curley if he could not shoot Lennie, Curley tells George that, "'I’m gonna shoot the guts outa that big bastard myself, even if I only got one hand. I’m gonna get ‘im'" (50). This shows that the others on the ranch weren't going to consider that Lennie was disabled, and Curley would try to make his death very painful. This gives George a motivation to kill Lennie: so he could make his death as painless as possible. This makes the reader have sympathy towards George. Additionally, the result of George killed Lennie, who would be the closest person to George to die at his hands, leaves George devastated that he had to do something like that to his best friend. Even though it is the best option and if I were in that scenario, the thing I would do, it understandably still makes his feel heart-broken. Ultimately, the whole book has made me feel sympathy towards George, but the ending makes me feel so much
Why would you kill your best friend that has been with you through thick and thin? Lennie Small was killed by George Milton at the end of the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. “Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don't belong no place....With us it ain't like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” (Steinbeck 13-14). That quote basically describes Lennie and George's relationship to each other. Murder is something done with anger and to end a person’s life that should have not been ended. George had all the aspects of a murderer, he basically planned the murder of Lennie Small. George was not even accused for killing Lennie, everyone was happy and that is not right. Also George should have let Lennie escape to the cave and let Lennie live freely. Being said, George in all right, should be considered a murderer and not a savior.
Is killing someone bad if they were protecting them from someone else? What if that person was going to die anyway? is that a reason to kill them? In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George kills Lennie because he thinks he absolutely has to in order to stop future incidents. It seems like George killing Lennie was a sign of mercy. Lennie and George were friends and Curley was going to kill Lennie. Furthermore, people would think about the killing as a way out for George. He should be punished for killing Lennie because he broke his promise to Lennie’s aunt Clara by not protecting Lennie, He wanted to be alone since the beginning of the book, and Lennie had a lot to offer to society.
“I killed my best friend,” was the exact thought that hovered in George as he watched his best friend, Lennie, recumbent, cold, and still, on the grass by the riverbanks. In the book of Mice and Men, George faced the dilemma of knowing that he had killed the one he loved the most. Though it was no accident, it was for the good of Lennie. If Lennie had been allowed to live, he would only face the worst of what life has to offer. So instead of having to watch his best friend in pain, George took the initiative to end all of the cruelty of the world and send Lennie to a better place. Therefore, George was justified in killing Lennie.
One important reason that shows George's actions of killing Lennie is a euthanasia is a very important reason. The reason is that Lennie can't really tell George that that he wants to die, but he actually does in a more indirect way. Lennie's mental state is very low and it would be hard for him to tell George directly and give his constant.
But once you know she is gone you will miss her deeply but it will be better for her and all her pain will go away. In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, one of the important characters, George, faces a similar struggling situation with his best friend Lennie. Lennie murders the wife of another important character, Curley. George has to make an important decision that will affect the rest of both He wanted to put him out of misery instead of watching him be in pain.
1.) After lots of thinking, I have decided that George did not do the right thing by shooting Lennie. From an article written about euthanasia, it says, “ Taking someone’s life and calling it ‘merciful’ does not change the fact that you are taking someone’s life” (Fiano). This quote shows that Fiano would agree that George had made the wrong decision by shooting Lennie. Why would it be okay for someone to decide for others if they get to live or not? In comparison to Of Mice and Men, when George shoots Lennie, he does it very painless and quick. But before Lennie dies, he is trying to tell George about their American Dream. During the scene, Lennie says, “ Le’s do it now. Le’s get that place now” (Steinbeck
After Lennie makes his mistake of killing Curley's wife the other characters want to brutally kill him being led by Curley but George who realises that this is a cruel way for Lennie to die and that he can’t save Lennie he decides that Lennie must have a merciful death. The reader infers when Curley says “ ‘I know who done it,[...][It was lennie].I know he done it. [...] I’m gonna get him. I’m going for my shotgun[...]I’ll shoot him in the guts’ ” ( 96). In this quote we understand that Curley plans on killing Lennie but in a more painful way than Lennie deserves. Thus George realizes that Lennie is about to be killed in a horrific way so he intervenes and kills Lennie in a peaceful way. This shows that mercy killing is to be done over the horrific way that Curley wants to take out Lenie. Because Lennie would have a much worse death than needed and Lennie could have put up a fight, George completes a mercy killing as the safest
Was George to harsh or too fast with his decision to kill Lennie? Ever since Lennie was born he has needed help “living” and it started with his aunt Clara. When his aunt Clara died Lennie needed someone to help him with his everyday life and someone that could be there and tell him what to do. Lennie starts to travel with a good family friend George. In the book “Of Mice and Men” there is many cases where Lennie just “holds on” to George.
George kills Lennie because he did not want to witness Lennie being hurt or killed carelessly, run off by in his own and not being able to take care for himself, and Lennie’s mental disorder will never change how Lennie reacts to certain situations. Many believe taking the life of another without consent is unacceptable but in certain situations like George’s, he has to decide due to Lennie’s mental disorder that was leading him into unpleasant situations. George is an admirable character who choose to protect and do justice to his distressed friend,
George shouldn’t go to jail for killing Lennie, even though Lennie was completely innocent. Lennie is illiterate and ill-informed. He killed Curley's wife and many animals and to keep people safe from him would be hard. He might of had to just stay in one place all day alone, that isn't good for a human. Lennie's death could save many lives.
Therefore, George’s killing of Lennie was not done out of mercy, since Lennie did not consent and he was not suffering from a fatal illness. From the
Because in the book ‘men of mice’ Lennie already got in trouble at the place called weed because he loved this girls dress so he grabbed it and wouldn’t let go so she screamed which got the law involved in it and they had to get away. Also Lennie killed Curliest wife by grabbing her hair which shows that if George didn’t kill him himself then that would mean that Lennie would get in trouble again and do something that could get him killed and George can’t always be there to save him from all the
He travels with his friend, George to find a job at a new ranch. When he was frightened and accidently killed the boss of the ranch’s son’s wife. George and the other ranch workers decided enough was enough and George put Lennie out of his misery and away from his disease. George killing Lennie was mercy killing and not murder because Lennie was mentally sick, where his disease had no cure. George ended the suffering for Lennie and the other workers at the ranch.