“There is a significant disparity of treatment in the way the criminal justice system handles things. Unfortunately, there's a double standard because there is a double standard in society.” David Raybin. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck; Steinbeck introduces two men, George and Lennie, who live in Salinas, California. The novel occurs in the 1930s, during the great depression; in the novel, both men go from one job to another as they try to purchase their own ‘American Dream’. The dream to build a shack with an acre of land, but as they struggle with life, their shot at achieving their dream disappears. Towards the end, George murders Lennie in order to solve problems that Lennie caused throughout the plot. Lennie’s murder is categorized as mercy killing; mercy killing is known as killing a person for the benefit of their own good. This novel makes it clear that mercy is the best way to kill people with disabilities, it takes the cruelty out of killing by making it more kind.
George committed mercy killing by shooting Lennie. Even though George did not feel right in killing his only best friend, he realized that his actions were justified because Lennie was going to die regardless. In the novel, Lennie is known for killing little creatures on accident, the fact that he kills them by showing love and care towards the animal foreshadows the murder of Curley’s wife. Lennie accidently killed Curley’s wife by petting her hair, when George realizes what Lennie has done he realizes that he has to kill Lennie before Curley or the police. It is because of Lennie’s incapacities that allow mercy killing to be better then capital punishment, since Lennie does not understand the difference from right and wrong. It is for the best to kill someone out of mercy, and put them out of their misery, than to do capital punishment which beats and tortures them to death.
Mercy killing may sound like a