“ Even the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.“. In the book of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George, one of the main characters, has to kill his best friend- Lennie Small. He does this for a few different reasons. Killing his best friend was justified though, for one George and Lennie were always on the move because Lennie always messed up, two, in the end when Lennie messed up again, Curly was going to make him suffer for killing his wife and breaking his hand. Third, George had to kill Lennie because lennie would have done it again.
Lennie cannot change his mental disability nor can Crooks change his race, but due to these inalterable characteristics, Lennie hurts others unintentionally, and Crooks is hurt by others. “Naturalism does not deal primarily with individuals in themselves, but rather with social groups, settings, or movements…”( ), which relates to the story, because Lennie’s actions not only affect him and his future, but the other characters in the book. In Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the concept of naturalism is portrayed through the experiences of Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Crooks.
The novel, "Of Mice and Men," is about George Milton and Lennie Smalls traveling together trying to conquer their dreams, which is to have their own farmland and to tend the rabbits. While trying to achieve their dreams they also build up their relationship and bond as they explore and travel with each other. At the end of the novel, George makes a startling and debatable decision to kill Lennie. George killing Lennie portrayed that as saving him, wanting him to rest in peace, and getting rid of his own guiltiness.
Lennie before he died. George didn’t want to kill Lennie. George was apprehensive to kill Lennie. Throughout the story “The Scarlet Ibis”, Brother was always disappointed by Doodle no matter how hard Doodle tried. George stated he was never mad at Lennie in Lennie’s final moments, but he was frustrated with him throughout the story. “Lennie said, “George.” “Yeah?” “Ain’t you gonna give me hell?” “Give ya hell?” “Sure, like you always done before. Like, ‘If I di’n’t have you I’d take my fifty bucks—’” “Jesus Christ, Lennie! You can’t remember nothing that happens, but you remember ever’ word I say.” “Well, ain’t you gonna say it?” (Steinbeck 47). This changes what happened at death. George had to kill Lennie, unless he wanted Curley to get to Lennie. Lennie was in imminent danger
In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the era of the Great Depression in the 1930’s is revealed through a simple story of ranch workers who hope to improve their lives. Migrant workers, George and Lennie, have a friendship that is based on trust and protection. The other workers lack the companionship and bond that these two men have. In the novel, the absence and presence of friendship is the motivation for the characters’ actions.
If you had the choice to save your friend from misery by kill them. What would you do? In the story, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, opposite pair up like George Milton and Lennie Small. Both George and Lennie stick together like brothers through the rough times of the Great Depression.
George’s act of killing Lennie was a justifiable act because he didn't want Lennie to suffer. In this case, “ I’m gonna shoot the guts outta that big bastard myself…” (Steinbeck 98). This passage shows that George didn't want Lennie to have a painful death. Important to realize, “ An’s’ pose as they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage, that ain’t no good, George” ( Steinbeck 97). In other words George never wanted Lennie to be treated poorly or be harmed, he wanted Lennie to be cared for, but since he killed Curley's wife they are no out looking for him. George can no longer protect Lennie, he rather end his life with happy feelings, than to suffer a terrible death.
What would be the feelings of one who had to shoot one close to them? Would it be remorse or guilt? How about the thoughts of justified killings; is there such a thing? Two people named George and Lennie are put in a situation like this. It involves a death, two actually. Lennie killed, the farm owners son, Curley’s wife by accident. The whole situation causes George to make a life changing decision; to kill Lennie or not kill him. He makes the choice of killing him. Many people believe George was justified in killing someone very close to him, his best friend, Lennie because he would have had a slow, painful death if he had not. Others believe he was not justified in killing him. Just because he was George’s best friend did not give him any reason to shoot him. Lennie is a person that is childish, a little slow, and irresponsible adult. George is his caretaker that is responsible, caring, and a wiry person.
“The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger.” (P.106). In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, there is a massive conflict at the end of book. At the end, Lennie kills Curley 's wife and George has to make the decision to kill or spare Lennie. George decided to shoot Lennie in the back of the head, many have different opinions on how the book should have ended but George made the right choice. He made the appropriate decision to shoot Lennie for the following reasons: Lennie might kill more people, Curley and the rest of the farm workers would have killed him anyways, and George made Lennie 's last few moments enjoyable.
In some cases, the main characters of two very different books can share many similarities and differences. One example of this was shown in the novels, Of Mice and Men and Flowers for Algernon. In Of Mice and Men, the novel took place during the Great Depression. Lennie, the main character, and his best friend George conquered this toilsome time together. They found work at a farm in California. In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon was a mentally impaired man that wanted nothing else but to be smart. He went through a series of procedures and experiments to become smarter. Both of the main characters in the novels, Of Mice and Men and Flowers for Algernon, contain many similarities and differences within them such as having true friends,
People today with mental disabilities are often criticized for not being “up to par” with everyone else in the world. This is true especially in the 1920’s, in which the novel Of Mice and Men takes place. Take Lennie Small for example, a large and hefty man, who has a mental disability. He, as a character, is blamed for the heinous act of murdering the antagonist’s wife, whose name is never revealed. It is true that Lennie does fracture her neck, but he does so without knowing. For this reason, along with many others, Lennie is not to blame in any case involving his acts of violence in this novel, because of various, indisputable reasons. These include the red dress incident in Weed, crushing Curley’s hand, and the aforementioned murder of Curley’s wife, all of which prove Lennie’s innocence.
In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck many hard decisions were made. In this novel two Characters George and Lennie get kicked out of their last city and travel to soledad to start their new life. Lennie causes lots of commotion at the ranch which turns people against George and Lennie. At the end of the novel George kills Lennie which raises the question if he fairly weighed all of the options and if his choice was justified or condemned. One reason why this was a justified decision is that George only wanted the best for his best friend. Another reason is the ranchers would’ve killed him no matter what so this way George ensured it was fast and painless. On the other hand, this was condemned because George had been saying how his life would be so much better without Lennie and this allowed him to be able to live that life.
It is clear that George did not have the right to end Lennie 's life in such a selfish way. George always talks to Lennie about how fabulous they are when they are together at their own ranch and from day to day I end up with their life in a very cruel way.
What is right and what must be done are two different concepts. Often times, life requires people to do what must be done in order to save themselves, or others, from negative consequences. The characters in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men illustrate how people implement remorseful decisions with astute intentions to help ease the consequences for those they care about.
Stupid as I was I didn’t do nothing to stop him.” Lennie blushed when he recalled the moment, and suddenly smiled and said “That dress was the prettiest thing I seen in my whole life George!” George shot Lennie and angry look