Mercy Killing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

In 1937 John Ernst Steinbeck wrote his seventh book, Of Mice and Men. This classic story covers the lives of Lennie Small and George Milton, two men barely scratching out a living during the Depression, bouncing from one farm to another. They get expelled from a town called Weed, where they previously worked, because George and Lennie were being hunted for Lennie touching a girl’s dress. George and Lennie reach Soledad, where their liveliness will alter forever. They would confront jealousy, rage, cockiness, a tart, and death. John Steinbeck targets helpless characters for mercy killings, such as Candy’s dog, the four puppies, and Lennie Small. The opening mercy killing is the four puppies that have to be drowned. “She slang her puppies

Candy’s dog is, “So God damn old he can’t hardly walk. Stinks like hell too. Ever’ time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days. Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat” (Steinbeck 36). Carlson, one of the ranch hands, cannot stand it anymore. He cannot tolerate how Candy’s dog smells and how atrocious he looks. Carlson demands that the dog be put out of his misery, even if it pains Candy. Carlson is the kind of character that does not have empathy. Although, he is willing to take care of Candy’s dog, so Candy does not have to go through the pain. “Tell you what. I’ll shoot him for you. Then it won’t be you that does it” (Steinbeck 45). He then demonstrates how he will carry out the job. “ ‘I’ll put it right there’, he pointed with his toe. ‘Right back of the head, He wouldn’t even quiver’ ” (Steinbeck 45). Candy allows this and he watches as Carlson leads his dog away, the dog not knowing what is about to happen. This is another positive mercy killing because, Candy’s dog was old and he was in bad shape. The dog lived a abundant, content life, and he needed alleviation from his

Brother slays brother, not because he desires to, because he has to. Lennie Small murders Curley’s wife by accident. When Curley discovers this, he demands Lennie’s blood and he requests him to suffer slowly. George makes certain he finds Lennie first, to make his death instantaneous and painless. He finds him at the Salinas River, the place where it all began. He comforts Lennie, and makes him ecstatic about their future. Not revealing his true emotions that are running through his mind like a train on the rails. George tells Lennie the story of their fantasy, “Live off the fatta the lan’ ” (Steinbeck 56), one more time. Then the inevitable transpires. “And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie’s head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hill and rolled down again. Lennie jarred, and then settled slowly forward to the sand, and he lay without quivering” (Steinbeck 106). George and Lennie’s fantasy vanished the instant the trigger went off. George’s friend, brother, and responsibility rests in front of his feet. This is a positive mercy killing. Lennie is mentally challenged and he was in a predicament, that George couldn’t get him out of. George did what he thought was necessary, for him and