Why We Should Be Punished For Lennie's Death

Numerous people believe that a person's life should be saved at all costs, but if the person is too far gone, it may not even be worth keeping them alive. In the novella Of Mice and Men, the author, John Steinbeck, introduces a mercy killing controversy. The story starts off by following two men in the 1930s, that are best friends. They talk about getting a job and putting down a stake to live off of the land. Lennie, one of the men, has a mental illness that causes him to act like a child. He will often fail to remember things, accidentally kill animals because of his unprecedented strength, and become upset easily. This ends up placing him into a severe dilemma and he ends up murdering a man’s wife. George chooses to end Lennie’s life so

he would not have to suffer later on; therefore, putting Lennie out of his misery was the optimum choice for everyone involved.

George killed Lennie purely out of love, compassion, and to save him from being locked up in jail or shot by Curley. After George and Candy find Curley’s wife dead, they debate whether or not Lennie should be punished for his crimes. Candy and George argue, “‘He’s such a nice fella. I didn’ think he’d do nothing like this.’ George still stared at Curely’s [dead] wife. ‘Lennie never done it in meanness,’ he said. ‘All the time he done bad things, but he never done one of ‘em mean,’” (Steinbeck 95). This shows that Lennie cannot apprehend situations that go on around him and that taking his life would mean no one else's life is being put at risk by him. Therefore, George shooting Lennie was the appropriate decision to make for himself, Lennie, and the rest of society. On the same note, a man in Ohio shoots his wife because he believes she never would have gotten better after experiencing a triple aneurysm that put her on life support.

Ray Rivera, the author of this article, comments, “Mr. Adamson said his client recalled the shooting only vaguely. But what he does remember clearly is a visit he and his son made to the hospital earlier that day. As Mr. Wise stood by her bedside, he later told his lawyer, he saw a tear roll down her cheek,” (Rivera). Wise’s wife was not content during the final days of her life, trapped in bed. Wise saw the pain and sadness within his own wife and wanted to change this. He did what he thought best for her, and it cost him his own life by being given the maximum sentence of life without parole. These two sources each show that the people with a disability do not live life joyful or to the fullest. If an animal is put down, could a human be put down just the same? George euthanizing Lennie was for his own well-being. Now life, for everyone else, will improve greatly.
People from another perspective argue that killing Lennie was immoral, but this is untrue because George removed him from a potentially harmful situation.

Admittedly, they believe letting a person with a disability wander around exposed to negative sources is a good idea. Many people despise and purposely upset a debilitated being for fun. Any person that agrees to let a living thing suffer, human or animal, is ignorant to the mental pain and mental problems that reside within a person if left untreated. At least a mother has attempted curing her son of his autism, but he, Jude Jordan, has failed to get any better and is susceptible to bad behavior from the adults around him “She asked Tzekov to leave their home. But over the course of the next several months, she claimed her son mimed and typed detailed descriptions of the gruesome abuse,” (Rosenberg). Aforementioned, little Jude is helpless to the attacks made by his own father and many other adults. Jude understands what his father is doing is extremely unacceptable, but he may not understand why his father is doing it. Therefore, the euthanization of Jude was necessary for his own mental health and safety. The practice of euthanization on humans is certainly moral and with good intent, benefits the afflicted person by putting them to peace from their unstable mental or physical

condition.
In conclusion, the euthanization of Lennie Small was the best option because it saved him from being shot by Curley, ended all the mental problems that caused him to hurt others, and lifted a problem off of George’s chest as well as making other’s lives safer. Euthanization is necessary if a person will not get better after experiencing significant trauma, a life of abuse, and disregard for their disability. Living a life with a severe, debilitating, mental condition is not a life worth living or taking care of, so it will not get better, it might get worse, it will cost a bucket load of emotions in the long run. For future reference, treat people with a disability of any kind the same respect.