Argumentative Essay On Of Mice And Men

Unfortunately everyone has had to put down an animal at one point in their life, but is it acceptable to put down a fellow human? In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, as readers, we are faced with this question. Everyday thousands of animals are put down because there is no hope of them having a family to care for them, but can we ever truly justify putting down a fellow human being because they require special care? Unlike pets or other animals, humans possess the ability to communicate clearly with others and reason with them. In this book George, Lennie’s “friend”, ends Lennie’s life, only with no verbal warning to Lennie. Lennie was unfortunately killed when he could have possibly lived a better life if George gave him the chance. Lennie should not have been killed because he could have potentially been a valuable asset, a good friend to keep company with, and a kind person at heart.

George was a good worker, but Lennie was an amazing worker with a tenacious work ethic and stamina. Lennie had incredible strength, but sometimes he did not understand just how massive he was. Many times throughout the book Lennie is caught hurting people or killing animals on accident. The biggest reason Lennie should not have been killed was because he was a major asset in the working force. That means he could have helped continue to bring in money towards the farm they dreamed about operating someday. Some could argue that he was also a hinderance. As soon as Lennie was in an isolated environment on the farm, it would have been hard for him to find trouble. George gave up on Lennie and was tired of dealing with him, so he shot him. Killing him was a costly