Examples Of Euthanasia In Of Mice And Men

Sometimes the right thing to do is to kill another individual under proper circumstances. John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men is an excellent example of euthanasia. The story takes place in Soledad, California during the Great Depression and many people such as the characters in this book work as mobile farmers on different ranches. George, Lennie’s only friend and caretaker makes the right decision and shoots Lennie to prevent him from suffering, being harmed, and killed much more severely by Curley, the boss’ son and an evil character in Steinbeck’s novel. If George had not killed Lennie mercifully, Curley would have come through the brush a minute later and shot Lennie in the guts, which is one of the most tortuous, painful, and bloody deaths one can have. As shown throughout the novel, Lennie does not know his own strength causing him to hold things too tightly because of lack of intelligence. Lennie’s victims are progressively getting larger and more significant, so he most

When Lennie ran away to the bushes and the men are looking shocked at Curley’s dead wife, Curley shouts, “I’m going for my shotgun. I’ll kill that big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot ‘im in the guts. Come on, you guys” (Steinbeck 96). Clearly, Curley wants Lennie to die extremely painfully, and be the one inflicting the pain upon him as a revenge. Fortunately, George hears this and realizes he cannot save Lennie from the consequences so he decides to take his own actions. George shoots Lennie in the back of the head so he dies immediately without suffering, whereas if Curley shot Lennie in the guts, he would slowly bleed to death, which is one of the most unpleasant ways possible. Without a doubt, to spare Lennie from a more excruciating end, George made the right decision to shoot Lennie mercifully so he would not