Of Mice and Men Persuasive Paper In John Steinbecks novel, Of Mice and Men, Lennie and George were real friends. Lennie could not control his actions. He was caused danger for himself and for others. Lennie did not mean to harm others. He would have been like a caged animal, endangering himself and others who were assigned to care for him. Was there anything George could have done to prevent Lennie from his violent actions? I am not sure if back those days it was possible to find the best solution.
And George decided to kill Lennie to stop his miserable life. Can Georges action be justified? Is murder an acceptable way out? The novel starts with the two main characters – George and Lennie – walking along the river. In the way they walk and with the help of the episode of drinking water, John Steinbeck wanted to focus the attention of readers on the positive side of the relationships between George and Lennie. George and Lennie were true friends. The author of the novel depicts George as a man with a strong will, who feels it is his duty to control and to take care of Lennie, and, notwithstanding his own disappointment in life and feeling of helplessness in the conditions he has to face, George, like the only one sensible in their company, overcomes hardships and solves the problems concerning life support and future of them two. George treats Lennie as a child and bears Lennies whims and wild tricks with tolerance. At the same time, it is not so easy to stay calm when Lennies actions become violent and lead to death and misery of living beings.
The Essay on “Of Mice and Men”: George’s actions at the end of the novel
... His actions are also justified as George meant no malicious intent and only wants the best for his friend. Lennie would have made life ... excruciating death awaits Lennie. By shooting his friend, George gives Lennie a peaceful death. During the scene where the two men are in ... there was really no chance of the men actually getting the ranch. By killing Lennie, George puts an end to the unrealistic dream ...
But is should one kill his best friend even attempting to help him? It is a question, whether Lennie would desire to die. I believe it is a really hard question to answer. I simply cannot support Georges decision to kill Lennie; however, there is enough evidence in the book that justifies Georges decision. Taking into account things we know about Lennie, I believe George should have killed Lennie. George did everything possible to save his friend from suffering. We can see this even when George shot Lennie.
George did it in a way to avoid Lennie suffering. If George decided not to shot his friend, other workers would have beaten Lennie. Mean Curley had a plan to shoot Lennie in the gut, which would cause a slow and painful death. If we assume that workers had not killed or tortured Lennie, another option for him would be life in a mental institution, which back those days would have been painful and hard life for Lennie. One should not blame George for killing Lennie. We should keep in mind that Lennie was Georges only friend.
Georges life would be empty without Lennie. Therefore, for George it was a tough decision to shot his only friend because he felt terrible about his action. George was sure he did a right thing he did what was right for him and for Lennie. There was a small chance that both friends could have escaped the ranch; however, in the future Lennie could only get himself into more trouble. George was a real friend and real friends wish and do what is the best. Even murder is not acceptable; sometimes it can be the most merciful thing..
