Examples Of Euthanasia In Of Mice And Men

Life To Euthanasia A distinct beep echoes around the operating room; a defibrillator is quickly set to 200 joules as the doctors rush to save the patient. Suddenly, a phone call reaches the operating room. The operating surgeon is notified of the patient’s request for euthanasia prior to the surgery that was found hidden in a drawer. Should they end the patient’s life? In the novel, Of Mice And Men, written by John Steinbeck, the idea of euthanasia is introduced to the readers. The first killing is for Candy’s dog; the second, Lennie, the main character. Both of the deaths are involuntary and only occur because one or more people believe the better option is death. There are certainly things worse than dying and people who know that have relieved themselves of a painful life. The killing of a living being is considered merciful because the killer is giving the person less pain.

They believe Candy’s dog is too old and useless to live anymore. “That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got old an’ a cripple,” (Steinbeck 45). Candy’s dog can do nothing in it’s condition and lives on the ranch just because Candy is there. Candy’s dog is obviously in a lot of pain and things would get worse if it were to keep on suffering and dying a painful death instead. Carlson, the person in charge of Candy’s dog’s death makes sure that it does not feel anything. “The way I’d shoot him, he wouldn’t feel nothing. I’d put the gun there. Right at the back of the head. He wouldn’t even quiver,” (Steinbeck 45). This shows the mercy of the person doing the killing since they are trying to take as much pain out of this as possible. The first death in this book is meant to initiate the first contact with euthanasia in this book. It introduces the readers to an example of mercy