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Examples Of Euthanasia In Of Mice And Men

802 Words4 Pages

Patrick Bateman

Mr. Irby

English 3

7 March 2023

Euthanasia in Context

Animal shelters are often surrounded by angry people holding signs saying, "These dogs deserve a second chance!" or "Stop gas chambers!". Protesters against animal euthanasia often believe that murder and euthanasia are one and the same, though the official definitions differ greatly. While euthanasia is easy to define in the case of animals, which cannot communicate and aren't as intelligent as humans, the line between ethical and unethical killing gets blurrier with people. For example, in the 1937 novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George shoots his mentally disabled friend Lennie after Lennie accidentally kills their boss's daughter-in-law. This scene …show more content…

Some readers of the story determine that there was no indication that he was saving Lennie from a worse fate or that there was no other option for either character; however, Lennie was in danger of being lynched by Curley and the ranch boys, who were close to discovering them during this scene. If George had tried to stop Curley, it's likely that he would have ended up injured as well, and if Lennie had tried to run off, he would not have lived long, as the book established that Lennie doesn't have any survival skills. However, some argue that the case against George is still valid, as Lennie wasn't given an explanation and didn't consent to be killed, thus making the decision murderous. However, Lennie's disability- potentially autism- inhibited his understanding of social dynamics and conditions, thus rendering him unaware of the reasoning behind George's actions, if George had tried to explain them to him. The final accusation against George is that his actions are seen by some as selfish, as killing Lennie would allow him to keep job and live easy, as the book acknowledges the animosity George feels toward Lennie. However, just because it would have benefitted George to kill Lennie doesn't mean that it was his goal, as George is clearly shaken by the incident when the ranch boys find

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