How Does George Kill Lennie Death In Of Mice And Men

608 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The theme of mice and men

Would you be able to kill your lifelong companion? George Milton had to make that choice in John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men. After a whole bunch of misadventures with his mentally handicapped giant, Lennie Small. Lennie accidently murdered a woman out of innocence. While the ranch men search for Lennie, George made the decision to give Lennie a merciful death. I believe that George should have killed Lennie because he would have been put in an institution, Curley would have been cruel to him, and George had to give him a merciful death. 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

Show More
Related

  • Sympathy For George In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    401 Words  | 1 Pages

    In ending of "Of Mice And Men", George kills Lennie after he killed Curley's wife. However, I can still feel sympathy towards George, and see his action as justifiable. In the beginning of the book I had sympathy towards George. The book starts with George talking to Lennie and from this you learn a lot about their relationship. After Lennie asks for ketchup, which they can't get, George gets angry at Lennie and says, “Whatever we ain’t got, that’s what you want. God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble" (6). This shows the reader that George has given up a lot to take care of Lennie. He has given up his job security and a lot of his happiness because he takes care of Lennie. In chapter 3, the reader finds out how George and Lennie started traveling together, and from this the reader can infer that George travels

    Read More

  • Reasons George Should Be Punished In Of Mice And Men

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    George wanted to be alone, away from Lennie because he could earn a lot more money without worrying about Lennie. George wants Lennie gone so he could live life without getting into so much trouble like Lennie does. When Lennie gets into trouble then they both get into trouble. George needed Lennie gone in general weather he had to kill him or

    Read More

  • Essay On Was George Justified In Killing Lennie Justified

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    Another option for Lennie would be the placement in an asylum. Here, he would receive food, shelter, mental health treatment, and possibly medication. Finally, Lennie could have also been placed in jail. He would have food and shelter, but more importantly, he would have the protection from the revengeful actions of Curley. However, if allowed to live, Lennie would have suffered. If Lennie were placed in jail, he would have been bullied and assaulted by the other inmates. They would quickly be aware of his mental challenges and take advantage of him. Unfortunately, George would not be there to protect and comfort him. In an asylum, Lennie would have truly suffered. Mental health treatment in the 1930s often consisted of being restrained in a strait jacket or even offered a lobotomy. Many would cringe at the thought of a lobotomy, a process of which certain parts of the brain would be performed surgery on. Lennie’s brain without a lobotomy is already malfunctioning, if he had been offered a lobotomy, he would become nonfunctional. No emotions, no movement,

    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

  • Examples Of Euthanasia In Of Mice Of Men

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Lennie's Dignity In Of Mice And Men

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although Lennie was unattractive and has the tendency of accidental violence, compassion was still something readers had for him. Steinbeck constantly reminded us that he has a mental disability which automatically makes someone feel pity for him. Additionally he was ignored and made fun of by other characters, “Blubberin’ like a baby! Jesus Christ! A big guy like you”(Steinbeck 10). Him getting in trouble was beyond his control because of his mental disability which is something else that makes a reader feel sympathetic for him. Also, the readers are solicitous towards Lennie because of how much he looks up to George. This is portrayed when Crooks asks Lennie what he would do if George never came back, “Well, s’pose, jus’ s’pose he don’t come back. What’ll you do then?”(Steinbeck 70). Because of his inability to comprehend information, he got extremely defensive and said, “George is careful. He won’t get hurt” (Steinbeck 70). This scene is crafted in such a way that it automatically

    Read More

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

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Why Is Lennie Wrong

    690 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lennie has always been told what to do by George. George really helps him through problems that keep happening during the book. Lennie is incapable to live because he does not know his strength and George has to play the role as a living assistant for Lennie. Lennie does not mean to harm but because of his condition he essentially harms people. In the book it explains the

    Read More

  • Who Is Responsible For Lennie's Death

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    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,

    Read More

  • Archetypes In Of Mice And Men

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lennie dreams of living on a wide open ranch with George where he tends to the fluffy little rabbits he loves so much. Nevertheless, Lennie sadly never reaches his ultimate goal as his flaw finally becomes his fatal flaw. Lennie kills Curley 's wife by shaking her so hard that her neck breaks. He does not kill her on purpose but Lennie does not know his own strength. He is only shaking her like that because he wants her to stop yelling.

    Read More

  • Why Is Lennie Wrong

    507 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Why Is Lennie's Death Justified

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, George killing Lennie was a murder because of lack of consent and Lennie was not suffering physically. In this society, people are scared of the unknown, and that is how they lived. No one realized what they were doing was wrong. But Lennie was just like everyone else, only different because of a small, mental setback. The characters did not seem to realize that Lennie believed in a future ahead of him, and that he had hopes and dreams just like them. Life is incredibly short, and no one should deserve

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men

    369 Words  | 1 Pages

    George also knew that Lennie had dug a hole for himself and could never get out. He knew they were looking for Lennie and wouldn’t stop until they killed him. He decided to do it himself in the kindest way he could. It’s like when Candy said about his dog, “I should of shot that dog myself.'; meaning it would have been kinder to the dog. Lennie was lying down, facing away from George and didn’t know he was going to be shot. He didn’t know what was going to happen, just like Candy’s dog.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men Dialogue Essay

    805 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Richard was young he would always be the person to help out. But as he became older and more feeble, his capabilities were not as they were before. This was difficult for Richard to cope with because other people would reject his help, but this did not stop him from accomplishing his dreams. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck contains the character Candy, an old ranch worker who lost one of his hands in a farm accident. Like Richard, Candy is old and disabled and faces problems with people discriminating against him. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck uses dialogue to characterize Candy as a neglected, misunderstood idealist.

    Read More

  • Mercy Killing In Of Mice And Men

    422 Words  | 1 Pages

    This is the reason what George did in Of Mice and Men is acceptable even if not liked. After the killing of Curley’s wife, Curley was mad and was obligated in his own mind to find moral retribution that would never be settled until Lennie was suffering and, after suffering, dead. This is a astonishing example of when George was obligated as primary carer and close friend to Lennie to help him pass as quickly and painlessly as possible. In a situation where someone is suffering, like Lennie, from some condition, we are obligated to help the person pass as painlessly as possible. This is why George has necessity to help Lennie pass and why mercy killing is justifiably acceptable.

    Read More

More about How Does George Kill Lennie Death In Of Mice And Men

Open Document