Betrayal In Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck

Friendship Comes at a Price

Does friendship come with betrayal? In many novels that dive deep into the concept of friendship, there is also the idea of betrayal within friendships and relationships. This causes one to think about whether friendship comes at a price or if true, devoted friends do what is best for one another. This argument is seen in the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Numerous people believe that the shooting of Lennie should be considered as murder and was not an act of euthanasia. George shooting Lennie was justified by virtue that he wanted to put Lennie out of his misery, Lennie would never be able to love what he wants because he always kills it, and he wanted to be the one to kill Lennie, not an angry stranger

They claim that George shot Lennie out of selfishness in himself since he wanted to escape the burden Lennie caused. Although Steinbeck made it seem as though George at times saw Lennie as something that held him back, Lennie was his best companion, and he would have never thought to hurt Lennie unless he knew that it was the best decision to make. Not to mention some also state that it was an act of murder, being that there was no thought to the fact that Lennie has mental challenges and should have been given a second chance because he does not mean to commit the acts that he does. But Curly would have murdered Lennie either way, regardless of his mental disabilities, and George was only trying to save Lennie from being shot by a stranger who was looking for revenge. Also, people might also argue that the police officers should have been contacted, and that neither George nor Curly should have shot Lennie. This is a reasonable claim, but George knew that Lennie would not have been able to survive on his own, especially in jail. Despite many believing the shooting to be murder, George was showing mercy to his best

The first reason would be because George wanted to put Lennie out of his misery. George noticed all Lennie could focus on was his hopes and dreams of tending to the rabbits and he knew that after what had happened, he would not reach his goal and would be killed either way. Another supporting reason would be Lennie would never be able to love what he wants being that he always kills it. George saw that Lennie was continuously making mistakes when he never meant to hurt anybody. He always kills the animals or people he wants to love, and George did not want Lennie to keep hurting others and himself. The final reason George shooting Lennie is justified, is in the interest of the fact that he wanted to be the one to kill Lennie, not an angry stranger that was out for Lennie’s blood. He did not want Lennie to die terrified and if George did not kill him Curly would have. George also wanted Lennie to be with the one person he loved the most, and to be comforted with the thought of going to tend the rabbits and ending up living with George. All baggage considered, George did not have any intention to hurt Lennie, he shot him as one would put down their dog who was in pain. He only wanted the best for Lennie and did not want him to suffer