Euthanasia (Mercy Killing) & of Mice & Men
Thomas Bush
Mr. Jacobson and Mrs. O’Keefe
English 9
4 June 2013
Mercy Killing
In the Novel “Of Mice and Men” written by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie, the two protagonists of the story, are two men who travel around California together, looking for work on ranches, to get by in the depression. But, they don’t just travel together; they have an inseparable bond. But suddenly, things go awry, and George is faced with the decision to kill his best friend in the act of mercy killing, or Euthanasia. George chooses to kill him rather than some stranger killing him. Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing is “The act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The act of George killing Lennie was justifiable as a mercy killing because Lennie would have been faced with horrible torture and ultimately painful death if George did not kill him.
To start off, George and Lennie have been friends for a very long time, and their story begins in a town called Weed. Lennie, a “huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck 2), is mentally retarded. Lennie lived with his Aunt Clara, and she treated him very well. Since he liked soft things, she would give him mice to pet, but, Lennie killed every one she gave him. So, when she died, George wouldn’t give him mice to pet, and that ultimately led to them fleeing from Weed. Their departure from Weed was abrupt, and was caused when a woman in a red dress got the wrong idea. As stated before, Lennie liked to touch soft things, and he started to touch the women in the red dress’ dress. She thought that he was going to rape her, which is quite understandable, for him being a “huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders” (2). So she screamed that he was going to rape her, and Lennie and George fled from Weed. George, a man that is
Mr. Jacobson and Mrs. O’Keefe
English 9
4 June 2013
Mercy Killing
In the Novel “Of Mice and Men” written by John Steinbeck, George and Lennie, the two protagonists of the story, are two men who travel around California together, looking for work on ranches, to get by in the depression. But, they don’t just travel together; they have an inseparable bond. But suddenly, things go awry, and George is faced with the decision to kill his best friend in the act of mercy killing, or Euthanasia. George chooses to kill him rather than some stranger killing him. Euthanasia, or Mercy Killing is “The act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The act of George killing Lennie was justifiable as a mercy killing because Lennie would have been faced with horrible torture and ultimately painful death if George did not kill him.
To start off, George and Lennie have been friends for a very long time, and their story begins in a town called Weed. Lennie, a “huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders” (Steinbeck 2), is mentally retarded. Lennie lived with his Aunt Clara, and she treated him very well. Since he liked soft things, she would give him mice to pet, but, Lennie killed every one she gave him. So, when she died, George wouldn’t give him mice to pet, and that ultimately led to them fleeing from Weed. Their departure from Weed was abrupt, and was caused when a woman in a red dress got the wrong idea. As stated before, Lennie liked to touch soft things, and he started to touch the women in the red dress’ dress. She thought that he was going to rape her, which is quite understandable, for him being a “huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, and wide, sloping shoulders” (2). So she screamed that he was going to rape her, and Lennie and George fled from Weed. George, a man that is
Cited: "Arizona Man, 86, Sentenced to Probation after Mercy Killing of His Ailing Wife." n.d.: n. pag. Fox News. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/30/arizona-man- 86-sentenced-to-probation-after-mercy-killing-his-ailing-wife/>. "Euthanasia." N.p.: n.p., n.d. Merriam-Webster. Web. 10 June 2013. <http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/euthanasia>. "Facts and Ethics behind Mercy Killing." Law Teacher. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2013. Maisie M., Dr. "Pros and Cons of Euthanasia." (n.d.): n. pag. Web. Steinbeck, John. Of Mice & Men. New York City: Covici, Friede, 1937. Print.