How Is George Justified In Of Mice And Men

An Act to Protect and Love
The novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck introduces a relationship between two men who have this rare connection that makes them distinct among others in that period. It was set during the Great Depression, a time when loneliness was prevalent among people. George Milton and Lennie Small were the exceptions in that they cared for each other, while others could not afford that kind of luxury. While some believe George acted selfishly, in reality, he was motivated by his love for his friend. Over time, as he cared for Lennie, a strong bond was created between them. This bond was the underlying factor as to why George decided to kill him mercifully rather than leave him in the hands of the men. George’s decision

One reason George is justified in killing Lennie is due to the fact that Lennie is dangerous in the way that he isn’t aware of his own strength. This then leads to the constant cycle of Lennie doing “bad things” with each action becoming both more serious and dangerous. When he saw a girl in a red dress, he reached out to touch it. The girl screamed and “...Lennie’s so scared that all he can think to do is jus’ hold on.” (p. 41, line 29) They had to escape out of Weed because Lennie was incapable of knowing where to draw the line regarding to what he can and cannot do. Another action that displayed the threat Lennie is was when he accidentally killed his puppy. He said to Curley’s wife, “...I made it like I was gonna smack him...an’...an’ I done it. An’ then he was dead.” (p. 87, line 14) Lennie does not understand how much strength he

If George had not taken action, Curley would have used even more drastic measures to murder Lennie. Curley said, “When you see ‘um, don’t give ‘im no chance. Shoot for his guts. That’ll double ‘im over.” (p. 97, line 30) Shooting at someone’s gut makes for a painful and long death. George wanted to save Lennie from experiencing this terror. He was also careful as to not cause pain for his friend. “He looked at the back of Lennie’s head, at the place where the spine and skull were joined.” (p. 105, Line 14) George remembered what Carlson said about shooting Candy’s dog in the back of the head. By shooting Lennie in the same place, he made sure it was painless and quick. He cared for his friend all the way until Lennie’s death. “We’ll have a cow…An’ we’ll have maybe a pig an’ chickens...an’ down the flat we’ll have a...little piece alfalfa…” George shared a dream with his friend about someday being able to own a farm and live off the land. Lennie was so taken with that idea that George told him the story one last time so that Lennie could die with that happy image in his mind. By giving Lennie a merciful death, George shows that he acted out of love for his friend and proves the impossibility of their dream, which was hindered by