Mercy Killing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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In the book, Of Mice and Men, the issue of mercy killing is brought up many times throughout. Whether or not something is a mercy depends on the situation. The definition of a mercy kill is when a person or animal is killed to prevent or stop suffering and pain. By killing pups that weren’t going to get enough milk Slim was preventing the slow and painful death. “She couldn’t feed that many,” (Steinbeck 39). If he hadn’t killed the pups, the mom would probably be trying to feed way too many pups, and eventually some would die after starving. Puppies should only be fed canine milk at a young age, and if not it fed properly it could really harm the puppies’ health. So, there truly isn’t another option, because giving them to someone else will …show more content…

While Slim’s decision was based purely off of the pain that the puppies would have to endure, Candy also has a lot of emotional attachment. Considering Candy has had his dog since he was a pup to maybe thirteen years old, the attachment is very justified. Through those years, Candy relied on his sheepdog and felt proud of what he and his dog could do. His dog became like his Lennie to George, or his buddy in a sea of strangers. Like Lennie and George, Candy and his dog showed a strong sense of friendship and love for one another. Even thinking about killing his best friend would be hard and painful for anyone. Especially in this time period and setting, having hope and love was something that was treasured. Candy’s dog was shown as not only a friend but as an emotional support for a disabled man trying to work on a farm. The dog must love Candy a lot to stay with him all this time and endure life. Slim’s scenario would rip a part of his soul, but Candy’s would be totally torn apart because of this attachment. Still, the dog was old, and suffering. Steinbeck writes, “...his ancient dog lifted his head from the ground and peered about, and then got painfully to to his feet to follow,” (Steinbeck, 31). This dog is obviously in a lot of pain. He only drinks milk, smells putrid, is blind, barely able to walk or move, and yet killing him would be a very difficult choice to make. Still, suffering is suffering, and killing this dog would be a mercy by

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