Mercy Killing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Mercy Killing in Of Mice and Men In 1937 John Ernst Steinbeck wrote his seventh book, Of Mice and Men. This classic novel goes into the lives of Lenny Small and George Milton, two men barely scratching out a living during the depression, bouncing from one farm to another. The guys get expelled out of Weed, where they previously worked, because George and Lennie were being hunted for Lennie’s mistake of touching a girl’s dress. George and Lennie arrive Soledad, where their liveliness will change forever. They would face jealousy, rage, cockiness, a tart, and death. John Steinbeck targets helpless characters for mercy killings, such as Candy’s dog, the four puppies, and Lennie Small. The first mercy killing is the four puppies that have to be drowned. “She slang her puppies last night. Nine of ‘em. Had to drown four of ‘em right off. She couldn’t feed that many” (Steinbeck 35). This demise displays that John Steinbeck targets innocent characters. The puppies were just born, they could not shield themselves, and they were vulnerable. If Slim would have let them live, they would ultimately die an agonizing and excruciating death from malnourishment. The larger puppies would shove them aside and they would not get any milk. This is …show more content…
Displaying it could occur to anybody or anything with a flaw, mercy killings are sincerely bittersweet. The four puppies did not have a chance. Candy’s dog, was too old to endure living. Lennie’s death may be controversial, whether it was necessary or not. He was too far lost, but are people really lost? Steinbeck’s story possess emotions that have been over looked or forgotten. The emotion when Candy saw his dog walk away one last time. When the puppies never got to live a day, and the feelings Lennie felt every day, being different from others. Maybe there is a deep reason why Steinbeck targets helpless characters. Could this story contain some
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