The Role Of Suffering In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” In this quote by Theodore Roosevelt, it’s clear that in the face of a problem, doing nothing shouldn’t be an option, no matter how difficult the situation. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck perfectly illustrates the struggle of choosing another's future to prevent their suffering.

Justice has to be done without selfishness, no matter the difficulty. One example of justice would be that of Slim, one of the hardworking farmhands at the ranch, who owns a dog named Lulu. Unfortunately, after Lulu has her litter, Slim quickly realizes that she won’t be able to take care of all

Although Lennie was never very bright, George traveled with him and felt responsible for him. Lennie and George traveled to a new city where, unfortunately, Lennie accidentally kills the wife of the boss’s son; Curley. Naturally, when Curley finds his dead wife in a barn with a broken neck, he is quick to blame Lennie. George however also realizes that Lennie would be responsible for her accidental death. Curley says, “I’m gonna get him. I’m going for my shotgun. I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot ‘im in the guts. Come on, you guys. ” (96). Slim adds: “I guess Lennie done it, all right,…” “Her neck’s bust. Lennie coulda did that.” (97). George immediately realizes he needs to act quickly. A shot to the guts would be a slow and agonizing death; and not the death Lennie deserves. Even if Lennie was arrested instead of killed, he would be locked up in prison and wouldn’t understand why. George grabs Carlson’s Luger, sends the group in the wrong direction, and then breaks away from them to kind Lennie first. George talks with Lennie until Lennie is long lost in his imagination. George lifts up the gun and shoots George in the head with one bullet. By killing him first, George saves Lennie the pain of having to bleed out slowly and painfully. While it was a difficult decision for George, it was the most humane thing to do for