Moral Dilemmas In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

742 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Of mice and men john steinbeck strengths and weaknesses

This or That Right vs Wrong and Good vs Bad… We are faced with moral dilemmas every day, some are more difficult than others but it is all based on our preferences. It's what we think we should do while we are being forced to choose between two actions. All of the characters through Of Mice and Men, The Crucible, and The Dark Knight undergo situations and have their own way of doing the right thing. Out of all the characters, the dilemmas dealt with by Of Mice and Men characters were the most heartfelt. While, Batman had the toughest dilemmas.
In Of Mice and Men Candy faces a moral dilemma with dog, to let it keep suffering or let Carlson take care of it. Candy’s dog was the only thing that kept him company, and happy. When Carlson came in the bunkhouse and smelt the dog, he told Candy that he thinks the dog would be better of dead. “This ol’ dog suffers hisself all the time” (Steinback 49) since he was so old. So, Carlson took care of the dog and shot him were “he wouldn't feel nothing” (Steinback 50) . Candy made a good choice letting the dog go so it wouldn't suffer any longer. In Of Mice and Men Lennie faces a moral dilemma of listening to George and fight Curley back or keep his composure and get beat up. Of course he didn't want to fight back because he is so kind …show more content…

He was faced to let the Joker murder a person everyday he didn't come forward or risk his secret identity and the people in his life get killed. While Joker and Batman were arguing Batman asks why Joker hasn't just killed him yet, and Joker was basically saying because it wouldn't be fun, so Batman says “You’re garbage. You kill for money.” Which is true, Batman is there to save innocent people and get rid of the criminals like the Joker. Batman decides to still keep his identity a secret. Batman should have just came forward so that innocent people wouldn't have had to

Show More
Related

  • How Does George Kill Lennie Death In Of Mice And Men

    608 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another reason George should put Lennie to rest is to keep Curley from being cruel to him. Lennie would have been very

    Read More

  • Archetypes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    Candy’s dog. This is a sign of Carlson not knowing what it feels having someone besides

    Read More

  • Decisions In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    As we journey through life, we must make difficult decisions, even when few options exist and the situation is grim. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the decision George faces after Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife is complicated, as none of his choices are good. The importance of his relationship with Lennie forces George to look at the big picture and act in Lennie’s best interests, even though the action he must finally take will result in a weight that he will carry forever.

    Read More

  • How Does Steinbeck Make Difficult Decisions In Of Mice And Men

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    George felt though an extremely difficult choice, killing Lennie himself was the right decision. Curley was gonna get his revenge and George did not want that because he did not want Lennie to die painfully. “‘I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot him in the guts.’”(Steinbeck 96). When Lennie killed Curley’s wife, Curley wanted to give him the most painful death. Curley wanted to shoot Lennie in the stomach which wouldn’t kill you at first, Instead you would bleed out slowly and painfully. George didn’t want Lennie to suffer so he knew he had to get to Lennie before Curley did and kill Lennie the fastest and least painful death he could which he did. Lennie would be arrested and thrown in jail for

    Read More

  • How Lennie is Like a Mouse in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    417 Words  | 1 Pages

    Lennie relies on others to think for him. He won’t act or react unless he’s told to. When he’s getting punched in the face by Curley, Lennie doesn’t even flinch until George tells him to:

    Read More

  • Loyalty and Sacrifice in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Steinbeck was born in 1902, in California's Salinas Valley, a region that would eventually serve as the setting for Of Mice and Men, as well as many of his other works. He studied literature and writing at Stanford University. He then moved to New York City and worked as a laborer and journalist for five years, until he completed his first novel in 1929, Cup of Gold. With the publication of Tortilla Flat in 1935, Steinbeck achieved fame and became a popular author.  He wrote many novels about the California laboring class.  Two of his more famous novels included Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath.  Steinbeck got the title for Of Mice and Men from a line of Robert Burns, a Scottish poet, “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry."  In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck includes the theme of loyalty and sacrifice between friends.  Steinbeck illustrates the loyalty and sacrifice between friends through the friendship of Lennie and George.

    Read More

  • Dignity In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book it reads “Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat. Candy feeds him milk. He can’t chew nothing else” (Steinbeck 36). This evidence supports my argument because it shows Candy’s dog being in pain. Candy’s dog deserves to be put out of his misery because of his suffering. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, it reads “And at his heels there walked a drag footed sheep dog, gray of muzzle with pale, old eyes. The dog stuggled lamely to the side of the room and lay down, grunting softly to himself and licking his grizzled, moth eaten coat” (Steinbeck 24). This shows the dog has been in agony and is very old with his suffering self. This evidence supports my argument because Candy’s dog needs help getting around how Lennie needs help when he gets in trouble. By shooting Candy’s dog, Carlson offers mercy to his dog. Mercy killing can also happen in real life

    Read More

  • Is It Ethical To Euthanize Your Dog?

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, a ranch hand named Carlson addresses a fellow ranch hand, Candy, regarding his old dog, “He’s [Candy’s dog] all stiff with rheumatism. He ain’t no good to you, Candy. And he ain’t no good to himself.” (Steinbeck 44). Candy’s dog is ancient and Candy and the dog live on a ranch during the Great Depression. It would be a hard life for anyone, especially for an old dog with an even older owner. The dog was falling apart at the seams; near blind, no teeth, and ached every time he stood. I’d imagine life loses meaning at that point, the dog wasn't enjoying life and probably hadn’t for years. Carlson, the ranch hand also states in regard to Candy’s dog, “Can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t walk without hurtin’.” (Steinbeck 47). Dogs are, by nature happy creatures and this dog was anything but happy. Naturally,this dog would have died long ago and honestly, it was the best option at this point for the dog. You know what people alway say, quality over quantity and at this point the quality of his life was

    Read More

  • Characteristics And Similes In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    1227 Words  | 3 Pages

    John Steinbeck, the author of the novel Of Mice and Men uses many stylistic devices and description in chapter one to give the reader a deeper understanding of what may occur throughout the novel. Firstly, the name of the city the two protagonists, Lennie and George, are heading to is called “Soledad,” which means loneliness in Spanish; this is symbolism and foreshadowing because it can mean that as they get closer to the city, their relationship as friends may deteriorate and they may end up alone towards the end. Furthermore, this could also mean that there can be major problems in further chapters because of Lennie’s unpredictable behaviour due to his mental disabilities. In relation to Robert Burns’s poem, “To a Mouse,” the author may be

    Read More

  • The Vulnerability of Innocent Characters in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    546 Words  | 2 Pages

    Due to child like qualities, Lennie is a person which would be easy prey and a vulnerable person. Lennie is a vulnerable person who is quite dumb. His has an obsession for touching soft thing and this will often lead him in to trouble. But poor Lennie is an innocent person who means no harm to anybody. When he and Curley get into a fight Lennie is too shocked to do any thing. He tries to be innocent but, when told to by George grabs Curley’s fist and crushes it. George is Lennie’s best friend and Lennie does every thing he tells him to do as demonstrated in the fight with “But you tol...

    Read More

  • Lennie Small Character Analysis

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lennie Small is a very interesting character. He is big with power and mentally disabled. However, he is still defenseless is a way. “Lennie looked helplessly at George, and then he got up and tried to retreat. Curley was balanced and poised. He slashed at Lennie with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. Lennie gave a cry of terror. Blood welled from his nose. "George," he cried. "Make 'um let me alone, George." When Curley’s is beating Lennie up, he can’t fight back because he was taught not to unless George commands him to. His one and only biggest concern the friendship from George. He doesn’t worry about his future because George has a personal bunkhouse ready when they get the money. He acts with loyalty to

    Read More

  • A Man´s World in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    Steinbeck connects Candy with his dog in order to suggest that humans have created a society where the weak cannot survive. Earlier in the book, Candy describes his dog as the “best damn sheep dog I ever seen” (Steinbeck 44). However, in lines 9 and 10, Candy reiterates that the other workers shot his dog because “he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else.” As soon as the dog outgrows its usefulness by becoming old and blind, the other tenants team up to ensure its death, suggesting how society joins together to dispose of those who are weak. Steinbeck then connects Ca...

    Read More

  • Mercy Killing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    The death of Candy’s dog at the hands of Carlson and his luger could make the reader believe that Carlson is a vicious murderer who just wanted the dog dead when the death of the dog was just what Candy wanted and what was best for the dog. Candy’s dog had reached a point where he had no teeth, could barely walk, and was far past his days when he could run freely and herd sheep. Slim agreed with Carlson about killing the dog

    Read More

  • Conflict In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Conflict, by definition, is a back and forth struggle between two opposing forces. In the literary work, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, it is clear, the protagonist, George Milton, undergoes many conflicts that lead to the novel’s overall purpose. Steinbeck weaves together George’s conflicts with others, himself, and with society to illustrate what the true meaning of friendship is.

    Read More

  • Loyalty and Sacrifice

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    Candy, a major representation of loyalty and sacrifice, is an old rancher who has a dog, which is very old. Some of the ranchers who stays with Candy cannot even think of what keeps Candy from killing the dog who "...stinks like Hell"(35) and is "...all stiff with rheumatism"(44). Since Candy had his old sheepdog ever since it was a puppy, Candy does not want the ranchers shooting his dog to death because Candy's loyalty to the dog keeps Candy from wanting to sacrifice his lifelong partner, the dog. This is portrayed in the quote "Well-hell! I had him so long. Had him since he was a pup"(44). It was not until Slim, the most honored man in the ranch, agrees with the ranchers that putting the dog down would be the best that Candy gives in. Even though Candy gave in to put his dog down, he was reluctant to let the ranchers shoot him. This is shown in the quote where Candy is talking to George, "I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog."(60). Up until this point Candy remained very loyal to his old dog. It was only the thought that this was best for the dog that allowed Candy to agree to put him down. This sacrifice tells us that there is loyalty even between man and dog.

    Read More

More about Moral Dilemmas In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Open Document