Is killing something that is in pain or is sentenced to live a life of misery murder or euthanasia? Murder is usually defined as the act of killing someone unlawfully and that has been preplanned and thought out, whereas euthanasian is killing to end one's pain and suffering. While euthanasian is usually associated with putting down animals that are suffering or had a troubled life it also applies to humans, over the course of history it has been commonly used in people with mental disorders, the terminally ill and criminals given the death penalty. In John Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men, readers see the death of Lennie caused by his friend George and can either claim it is murder or if George euthanized Lennie. After learning the book, reading between the lines, and examining Geroge’s action in the last few chapters readers can conclude that the decision to shoot Lennie was euthanasian and not murder. …show more content…
Steinbeck only shows that George and Lennie have had to move once in the book due to Lennie’s actions although it is unknown if that was the only move, proving that moving may not be a cause to murder Lennie despite it helping George. Having to look after Lennie constantly may also seem like a reason to murder but in the book, George tells Slim (40) about how he met Lennie and that once Aunt Clara died, him and Lennie had to start working together and they got used to each other meaning that George learned to tolerate Lennie and eventually befriend