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

401 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of John Steinbeck

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 …show more content…

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

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Was George Justified In Killing Lennie Justified

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    “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.

    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

  • 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

    George realizes in the end of the book Lennie has done too much harm and needs to essentially go away. George then shoots Lennie in the back of the head because Lennie couldn't live on his own if he were to run away from Curly and the rest of the gang of workers coming after him. George did the right thing

    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

  • The Deceitful George In Of Mice And Men Essay

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    Steinbeck gives a lot of reasons for George to stay with Lennie, but his critics also have some merit in their criticism that the story isn't believable.  Steinbeck's critics suggest that Steinbeck is "simply sentimental in this regard." There are some very compelling reasons George would like to stay with Lennie... but being "sentimental," towards Lennie has nothing to do with it.

    Read More

  • The Ultimate Sacrifice In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    In fact, near the ending of the story, he unintentionally snapped Curley’s wife’s neck trying to quiet her (91). Failing to recognize his own strength, Lennie accidentally took her life, proving that he was perilous. By shooting Lennie, George prevented Lennie from accidentally injuring or killing anyone ever again. His verdict was correct in view of the fact that he sacrificed his friend’s life with the intention to protect the lives of others. Furthermore, George’s decision protected Lennie. As a punishment for his deeds, The workers wanted Lennie executed. George realized this and told candy, “Curley’s gon’ta wanta get ‘i'm lynched. Curley’ll get ‘im killed,” (94). In consequence of killing Curley’s wife, Lennie unknowingly put himself in harm's way. Curley’s motive for wanting to kill Lennie was spite and revenge. So, instead of allowing Lennie to be murdered alone and afraid, George took matters into his own hands and made sure his friend died knowing he was cared for and full of hope. Through it's ironic, George’s choice protected Lennie from the malice of others, thus keeping him unafraid and unharmed. However, others may believe

    Read More

  • George In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    651 Words  | 2 Pages

    How does John Steinbeck use the character George to illustrate aspects of 1930s American society?

    Read More

  • Writing from the Perspective of George in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    I remember 20 years ago when I used to look after a guy called Lennie, he was a really nice, he was very tall with a very friendly smile. I had a slight problem though, he was a lot like a child. He would enjoy stroking things which are soft and warm. If he saw something he liked he would touch it and if he was scared he wouldn’t even let go. This meant he loved rabbits and mice but he didn’t know his own strength so he usually ended up killing them by stroking them too hard and crushing their skulls but he is really just like a big friendly giant. He has the strength of 2 men so he is usually very good at work but I always had to get him out of trouble. He would do anything I asked him to.

    Read More

  • The Sake Of The Future In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    “‘…That was your own Aunt Clara. An’ she stopped givin’ ‘em to ya. You always killed ‘em.’” (Page 9, Paragraph 7) George also knows that there is nothing he can do for Lennie’s mental and physical state. After they learn about Curley’s wife and meet her, George warns Lennie to stay away from her: “‘Well, you keep away from her, ‘cause she’s a rattrap if I ever seen one. Glove fulla Vaseline,’ George said disgustedly.” (Page 32, Paragraph 11) George is probably worried that Lennie might want to touch her and be accused of rape again. However, George is aghast when he sees Curley’s wife dead on the ground. He knows that Lennie did not mean to kill her, but he also knows that accidentally killing a human is still an unforgivable crime. George probably thinks of Lennie as a danger to him, to his future ranch, and to other humans as

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men - The Importance Of George

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    Even from the very start of John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, the uniqueness of George, as a character, is already noticeable. He is described as “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp strong features” and has an obvious dominance over the relationship between Lennie and himself. This lets the reader know from a very early stage in the book that George is different, and probably the essential character. George’s character seems to be used by Steinbeck to reflect the major themes of the novel: loneliness, prejudice, the importance of companionship, the danger of devoted companionships, and the harshness of Californian ranch life.

    Read More

  • Conflict In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Lennie gets into the debacle with Curley’s wife, he runs to the oasis described at the beginning of the book. George fears the men will tear Lennie apart and murder him. He also knew he would be institutionalized, or “caged” if he survived the attack. He had the moral clarity that let him see that killing Lennie was the best thing for him. When George kills Lennie, it’s a kind of mercy killing.

    Read More

  • The Character of George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    George, a character in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck was “small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.” (Steinbeck, Pg.2) George was Caucasian and it looked as if he had stepped out of an old movie containing drifters, better known as migrant workers. Although physically George was very small, he had complete control over his companion Lennie, the way a father controls a son.

    Read More

  • The Importance of Lennie and George’s Friendship in Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    The famed nurses study from Harvard found “Not having a close friend is as detrimental to your health as smoking.” Lennie and George’s friendship is necessary to keep the better for each other. Throughout the story, Lennie and George need each other and look out for one another no matter what. Lennie and George’s friendship and journey throughout the story symbolizes the struggles to achieve the American dream. Steinbeck, in the story Of Mice and Men, combines characterization and symbolism to prove friends do whats best for eachother.

    Read More

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

Open Document