Examples Of Euthanasia In Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men: Controversy of Mercy Killing Enhancing Literary Merit

Euthanasia is intentionally ending a life to eliminate pain and suffering. To illustrate, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is the story of two migrant workers, George and Lennie, whose dynamic doesn’t fit society’s standards. Lennie is mentally challenged and depends on George as his only friend and guardian. George and Lennie dream of one day owning a piece of land and farming it for themselves, with George working the fields and Lennie tending the rabbits. It becomes clear throughout the novel that Lennie has a history of innocent violence, which leads to him accidentally murdering Curley’s wife. When faced with the decision to let Curley, who is notoriously cruel,

Although some critics argue that Of Mice and Men devalues life, the controversy over mercy killing enhances the novel's literary merit because Steinbeck uses literary elements such as foreshadowing, imagery, and complex characters to prompt the reader to discuss and look at the novel’s themes from different perspectives.

First of all, the aspect of euthanasia in Of Mice and Men allows Steinbeck to use literary elements to artfully write the novel. For example, Candy, another worker at the farm, has a very sick dog. The other workers convince Candy to let them put it out of its misery, which is one of the first times Steinbeck introduces the theme of euthanasia in the novel. Later in the bunkhouse, a distraught Candy says, “‘I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldn't have let no stranger shoot my dog.’", foreshadowing George's reasoning for killing Lennie (Steinbeck 60). Later in the story, George uses this similar thought process when he decides to kill Lennie rather than let Curley torture and kill him. Steinbeck uses Candy and his dog to foreshadow George killing Lennie, conveying the prevalent idea of euthanasia and mercy killing

In particular, when Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, Lennie runs and hides just as George told him to in case anything happens. Curley and some other workers seek Lennie out “with the intention of vengefully killing him. George, in an ironic act of mercy, preempts them by shooting Lennie himself” (Evans). George’s odd motive for killing Lennie enhances the novel’s literary merit because instead of leaving Lennie in the hands of Curley, George gives him a peaceful death, but a death all the same. Prompting the discussion of euthanasia, a relevant controversy throughout the years, readers ponder whether George killing Lennie as an act of mercy is morally right. Moreover, Steinbeck expresses that George killing Lennie is the respectful or compassionate thing to do in the exchange between George, Candy, and Slim after Lennie’s death when Slim says, “‘You hadda, George. I swear you hadda.’” (Steinbeck 93). Steinbeck uses Slim as an authoritative character at the farm to convey that killing Lennie was the right thing to do based on circumstance, launching many readers for years to come into discussions if mercy killing is legally or ethically right. The exchange after Lennie’s death also contributes to the novel’s literary merit by leaving the readers shocked and without an actual