How Does Steinbeck Make Decisions In Of Mice And Men

Zyrille Moiket Miss Hessami English 9 Honors 7 April 2024

Picture a scenario that forces one to make the agonizing decision of protecting someone dear, only to realize that the best way to do so is by taking their life away to spare them from the harsh realities of the world. John Steinbeck explores the complexity of making this decision in his rendition of the American Dream, Of Mice and Men, a novel that discusses the two characters of George and Lennie who embark on a journey to attain their own set of dreams. While caring for his mentally disabled partner, Lennie, George is met with the harsh realities of their working environment, ultimately having to choose between staying true to his well-trusted companion or protecting others after

During his discussion with Slim regarding his shared past with Lennie, George mentions a certain incident back in their hometown of Weed involving Lennie. As soon as Slim piques his interest in the matter, George describes how the “girl rabbits in an’ tells the law she was raped. The guys in Weed start a party out to lynch Lennie. “He just wanted to touch that red dress” (Steinbeck 42). After the woman mistakes Lennie’s infatuation with caressing soft textures for assault, George reveals that his friend was targeted for execution due to miscommunication. Because they had experienced a similar event in the past, George knew that Lennie would be experiencing multiple hardships when underestimating his strength, and potential danger. Lennie would be incapable of defending himself and explaining himself when under the mental distress brought by his condition. George was aware of the potential consequences of keeping his companion alive, which caused him to think of the fragility of Lennie’s mind if he were to endure these hardships himself. George wanted to prevent Lennie from feeling alienated and discriminated against by others, which ultimately resulted in him deciding to put Lennie out of his

When revealing his and Lennie’s past, George mentions an incident solely based on a misunderstanding involving Lennie and his desire to pet soft objects. As Slim listens, George recalls how Lennie “reaches out to feel this red dress an' the girl lets out a squawk, and that gets Lennie all mixed up, and he holds on 'cause that's the only thing he can think to do” (Steinbeck 41). Without consent, Lennie decided to touch a woman’s dress out of curiosity and desire for its soft consistency. However, as soon as the woman struggled against him, Lennie had no choice but to hold onto the woman’s dress since he was unable to comprehend how to respond when under mental stress. Due to his lack of social cues and awareness, Lennie unintentionally harmed others with his undeniable strength. Despite his innocent and child-like characteristics, Lennie had the potential to harm those around him, aiding in George’s decision to kill him to avoid the progression of Lennie’s danger to others. When left alone with his reckless use of strength, Lennie ends up killing his dog, allowing him to doubt himself by stating, “Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice. I didn’t bounce you as hard” (Steinbeck 85). Although George repeatedly warned Lennie about the dangers of his erratic strength,