The Role Of Euthanasia In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a Depression-era tragic tale that, although praised for its realism, is regularly found in the top one hundred of the banned book list published by the American Library Association (Nagelsen). There is a great amount of controversy over whether this book is appropriate for students to be reading in a school setting. John Steinbeck has been “hailed by the Nobel Prize judges in 1962 for his realism and sympathetic humor” that is incorporated into Of Mice and Men; however, he has also been criticized because of its discrimination towards specific members of society, the concept of euthanasia, and inappropriate language (Lea). Of Mice and Men should have its position on the shelves of school libraries all across the country removed. The most important reason that Of Mice and Men should not be allowed to be read in schools is because it directly discriminates against

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Euthanasia can be defined as “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals.” John Steinbeck offers two examples of euthanasia in Of Mice and Men. The first example is when Carlson shoots Candy’s dog because it was getting old. The dog was old, beginning to cripple, and in some amount of pain. Candy did not want to let Carlson shoot his dog, but he believed that by allowing him to he would be helping to put his pet out of pain. The same kind of thing happens when George shoots Lennie. George and Candy both thought that were doing what was best for the ones that they cared the most about. Candy did not want his dog to be in pain and George did not want Lennie to get in trouble, or worse, be put to death in a torturous way. Their intentions were good, but they both still committed acts of euthanasia which is not a prime example of a good role