Good morning ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, I would like to first thank you all for deliberating in the trial for the past two months. These charges should not have been brought against George Milton. Would you consider someone guilty if they killed someone for the right reason, or to not see their best friend in so much pain and in so much danger? Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope that you all find my client, George Milton, not guilty of all charges brought against him and give him the opportunity to explain what had happened that night. Death is a saddening thing that happens every day to millions of people. It can be caused by natural causes, homicide, suicide, accidental, and, in most cases, unidentified or unknown. Lennie Small’s death …show more content…
George Milton, as you all know, did not plan this killing beforehand. Lennie had killed Mrs. Georgia Haven unsuspectingly, which caused George to worry for Lennie. A few weeks ago, George revealed that they had a place where Lennie would go if he ever got into any trouble. It was a small area by a stream. Lennie, being so afraid not to be able to raise bunnies with George, kept on asking him if he hated him. George replied, “No Lennie. I don’t hate you.” At that moment, George pulled the trigger. I called Mr. Curley Haven to the stand only one week ago, and he has stated that he threatened Lennie for laughing at him only months ago. “My wife was my everything. She was from a small town. She was someone I can never find again.” From Mr. Milton’s friends, it has been said that she is a Tramp. Mr. Curley Haven was the son of George and Lennie’s boss, so he intimidated Lennie. George told Lennie to stay away from him and Mrs. Georgia, and Lennie did for an amount of time. While the boys on the farm were throwing horse shoes, Lennie was in the barn, hugging a dead puppy that he accidentally
David C. Brown (1985) recounts the details of how Giles Cory was pressed to death on September 19th. Cory pled not guilty but remained silent when asked if he would accept a trial in front of a jury. His failure to speak brought the proceedings to a halt. After several days the court decided to use its legal right at attempting to literally press an answer out of him. Although the court had the right under common law to deal with Cory as it did, it seemed to many to be a harsh and increasingly arbitrary act of enforcing authority.
I believe George should have killed Lennie because he has hurt people, can’t control himself, and would have probably ended up in a horrible mental institution anyway. Despite Lennie’s seemingly innocent nature, he hurts many people and animals throughout the story. He would pet mice and break their tiny bodies. He had a puppy and killed it for trying to bite him.
Some people may believe that George had killed Lennie out of spite, and he had wanted him dead all along. There are a few examples of proof in which George wanted to kill Lennie. For starters, George had grabbed the gun before he had known about what Lennie had done. The book never stated that he went in to grab the gun, leading the reader to believe that he was planning on murdering Lennie all along. But the only reason that George had the gun was because he knew that Lennie would mess up eventually.
Partners in Crime “Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity.” Throughout this book Lennie and his partner in crime George encounter many problems and contradictions that shakes things up a notch. After reading John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, George is justified in killing Lennie because; Lennie is a liability and he is already suffering mentally enough. George is justified in killing Lennie because he is already being punished enough mentally. One quote that explains Lennie’s confusion and mental illness is, “they was so little," he said apologetically.
The trial would provide him with the means to persuade the American public that the death penalty had no place in the modern judicial system.”) I feel like Leopold and Loeb did received a fair and just trial but I think the verdict that was made by Judge John R. Cavalry was not just enough for taking a young boy’s life. The punishment was
George is forceful and often shows abrasive tendencies when it came to keeping Lennie in line with what he wanted. On the day the main crime took place George already knew where to find Lennie because he had given Lennie instructions on where to go if he got into anymore trouble at their new job. Who is to say whether George knew that Lennie would mess up eventually and he would have his perfect opportunity to get rid of Lennie and live out his “lone wolf fantasy”. We know that when the other workers arrived in the brush Lennie Smalls was already murdered, killed by George Milton using a gun that belonged to one of his fellow workers, Carlson. He had lied and said that Lennie had stolen and armed himself with the gun when we know this not to be true.
Curley’s wife never ceases to stick her nose into unwanted situations, and she performs immaculately in this one. This scene brings us to a mourning Lennie distraught over his deceased pup when Curley’s wife comes in and starts pouring her heart out to him. Lennie insists that she leave but she wiggles on in. He continuously repeats that George does not want him talking to her but she convinces him to let her stay.
George would protect Lennie at all costs even from himself. After Lennie kills a young woman, George decides it is better for Lennie to be dead rather than to be tortured and kept in a cell or a mental asylum. The decision of killing Lennie hit George like a train, but he knew it was something that was in Lennie’s own good. Knowing he could have an easier life without Lennie, George still kept him around because he needed George and George needed Lennie. George tells Slim “Course Lennie’s a God damn nuisance most of the time, but you get used to goin’ around with a guy an’ you can’t get rid of him.”
It was Georges responsibility to take care of Lennie. Aunt Clara asked George to watch after Lennie and he did for awhile but when Lennie needed him the most, he was not there for him. Why would anyone want to kill their best
This relates back to naturalism, because Lennie gets himself into a situation that he cannot control. He does not understand that he has to be very careful with the puppy because it is so small, and he does not know his own strength. “What is clear is that Lennie’s body wins out over his mind repeatedly,- in the end with tragic consequences”(Keener 1215). Lennie is very kind- hearted, and never wants to hurt anyone. This quote explains that Lennie’s strength wins over his intentions.
Lennie with his simple mind, always gets into trouble. This time, Lennie gets himself in a bind once again, that George can’t save him from. George decision to kill Lennie in the story, was due to his responsibility, sympathy, and love for Lennie. George’s decision to kill Lennie was out of sympathy for him.
George had to kill Lennie, unless he wanted Curley to get to Lennie. Lennie was in imminent danger
After meeting Curley for the first time George has a horrible feeling about him and goes on to tell Lennie: “‘If he tangle with you, Lennie, we’re gonna get the can. Don’t make no mistake about that. He’s the boss’s son. Look Lennie. You try to keep away from him, will you?’”
The main reason George killed Lennie is because Lennie would have killed somebody again. And the evidence is clearly there, the pet mice that he killed, the poor puppy that he accidently hit to hard, and especially Curley’s wife. He almost killed the girl in weed if he had gone any further. The sad thing is is that he doesn't know how strong he really is, nor does he know what he’s done wrong in the first place.
George’s decision to kill Lennie was ultimately for his benefit. “The hand shook violently, but his (George) face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106). The quote which states how Lennie dies also shows that George was nervous and hesitant in killing Lennie. Scarseth explains in the article, “Friendship.