"The right of a competent, terminally ill person to avoid excruciating pain and embrace a timely and dignified death bears the sanction of history and is implicit in the concept of ordered Liberty," (Pros 1). Throughout John Steinbeck's novel, "Of Mice and Men" George, a short farm laborer, must protect and teach Lennie, a tall but autistic farm laborer. George's responsibilities over Lennie creates a family-like bond. However when Lennie puts himself in serious danger, George is faced with the task of killing Lennie. On procon.org there is an article titled, "Is There a Legal Right to Die" which provides the reader with a list of pros and cons for euthanasia. Euthanasia is ending a life on purpose to relieve someone from suffering. Similarly, …show more content…
The proponents believe that George and Lennie could have survived and that euthanasia should be illegal. Instead of killing Lennie, they could have ran away from Curley and his men, similar to what they did in Weed. By shooting Lennie, George isn't making Lennie's life better, but instead he is committing murder. '"...to prevent abuse and to protect people from unscrupulous doctors and others. They are not, and never have been, intended to make anyone suffer,"' (Pros 21). People shouldn't have the fate of their life decided by someone else, they should have a full chance to recover from any injury. Also, these machines and doctors that keep them on devices such as life support, are trying to save their lives not end them. Firstly, George and Lennie couldn't run away because they were surrounded by Curley and his men, they just hadn't been seen yet. At the same time, George didn't commit murder; Lennie didn't give his true consent because they didn't have the time. On the contrary, George and Lennie could have hid somewhere until Curley and his men would've left. "...on the proposition that patients have a general and abstract 'right to hasten death,' but on well established traditional rights to bodily integrity and freedom from unwanted touching," (Legal 2). People have a right to choose wether the speed of their death should increase or decrease. Correspondingly, Lennie should have been asked in some way about his opinion about his death. Again, George and Lennie could not have hid somewhere because they were surrounded, and Curley and his men were slowly moving closer to them while checking every part of the forest they were in. Once they would have been found, Curley would have simply kill Lennie slowly and painfully, and he might have tried to kill George for trying to help Lennie. Both of the counterarguments made by the proponents can be easily
George is justified in euthanizing Lennie because he prevented suffering, he realized that Lennie would continue to harm others and himself, and he knew that Lennie was incapable of making a decision for himself. One reason George euthanized Lennie is when he realized that Lennie would continue to harm others and himself. Lennie is not even aware of how strong he is. Whenever he pets a mouse, he ends up crushing it not even realizing he killed it. Lennie doesn't understand the long term effects that come along with killing a living creature.
Some people believe that killing another human being for the sake of “putting them out of their misery” is the right thing to do. They are wrong. The act of committing homicide cannot be reversed. He is taking away an indefinite amount of time from a person’s life : time that an individual might become stronger or even fully recover. That is why George should not have taken Lennie’s life away for the intention of saving his life.
Euthanasia should be permitted everywhere around the world because all individuals have the right to determine their future either by choosing death or the right to live. For instance, in the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the companionship of Candy and his dog is very strong as they stay together all day long. Candy’s dog has become very old and weak in which he is forced to give up his life since he was no use. According to the text, “He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself.
I believe George should have killed Lennie because he has hurt people, can’t control himself, and would have probably ended up in a horrible mental institution anyway. Despite Lennie’s seemingly innocent nature, he hurts many people and animals throughout the story. He would pet mice and break their tiny bodies. He had a puppy and killed it for trying to bite him.
So George killing Lennie is wrong in multiple ways. “God gives people life, so only god has the right to take it away”. This is invalid because he did do the right thing. They could’ve ran off and been fugitives but there lives would have never been the same. No matter what they wouldn't have the life they planned.
George and Lennie had already run from one place because of Lennie’s actions, and now they had to be on the run again. The question arose that a life of running from bad things was not a life at all. Also, George knew that if the ranchers were to catch Lennie, they would kill him as revenge for killing Curley's wife. At the very least, George would be thrown into jail and he due to his mental disability, he would not even comprehend the reason for his incarceration. George’s compassion for Lennie made him believe that there was no other choice but to shoot Lennie himself preventing Lennie from suffering the at the hands of the
History is an essential factor within time, present and future, even today several have learned from events or works written in the past due to their constant lessons and messages being expressed. Within the United States specifically 1929-1941, one event that several learned from is the impact of the Great depression. Throughout the Great depression, as stock markets crashed it soon resulted in banks entering bankruptcy reluctantly closing down. ” Millions of families lost their savings as numerous banks collapsed in the early 1930’s unable to make mortgage or rent payments, many were deprived of their homes or were evicted from their apartments” [...] “In 1933, the average family income had dropped to 1,500, 40 percent less than the 1929 average family income of 2,300” (Bryson 1).
Candy allowed the veterinarian to administer a lethal injection, which was a difficult decision due to his close bond with his dog. Similarly, George’s decision to end Lennie’s life after he accidentally killed Curley’s wife is an example of active euthanasia. George killed Lennie to spare him from a painful death at the hands of an angry mob. Supporters of euthanasia argue that it is a compassionate way to relieve the suffering of an individual or animal who is in unbearable pain.
Some people might think in the opposite side that George should not killed Lennie because Lennie did not mean to anything. He has done it without knowing how strong of himself. Lennie made many troubles this might be because of his disability, but this is the reason that he deserves to live. He has done many thing that make George get into trouble and It is better if Lennie has to die because of George shoot him not the other. "All the time he coulda had such a good time if it was not for you” (Steinbeck).
In the novella, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, George’s decision to kill Lennie at the end of the novel was justified. George and Lennie were best friends, and have been since they were little. They got ran out of Weed(the old farm they used to work at) for harassing a girl and not letting her go. He was just scared from her screaming and kicking. He didn’t mean to harm, or scare her.
I do agree that George did the right thing shooting Linnie instead of Curley and the others shooting him for the pain instead of caring about Curley 's wife that just died. George did do the right thing because Curley wanted to kill Lennie and by kill he wanted Lennie to suffer by shooting him in the stomach and letting him bleed to death with that Culey wanted Lennie to have a painful death unlike his wife 's death quick and fast. Although George had no Choice but to kill Lennie, he got to hear about the rabbits one more time so it was better to have your best friend kill you the some womans husband that just wants you to suffer.
George killing Lennie is justified. Lennie was either gonna get killed by the other men or George. The other men were only doing it because they hated Lennie, George would have done it for the sake of Lennie’s safety and mental state. George would have felt guilty if he did not handle it himself. One reason George was justified in killing Lennie was that George had realized Lennie would never get better and their dream would never come true.
Another reason is the ranchers would’ve killed him no matter what so this way George ensured it was fast and painless. On the other hand, this was condemned because George had been saying how his life would be so much better without Lennie and this allowed him to be able to live that life. George's decision to kill Lennie was justified because Lennie was going to be killed no matter what. After all of the ranchers find out that Lennie killed Curley’s wife, Curley states that he is going to kill Lennie, "I'm gonna get him.
With this knowledge, George ultimately decides that taking Lennie’s life is unequivocally the most merciful way to remedy the egregious situation.
It is clear that George did not have the right to end Lennie 's life in such a selfish way. George always talks to Lennie about how fabulous they are when they are together at their own ranch and from day to day I end up with their life in a very cruel way. In conclusion, it can be said that George 's reasons for ending George 's life were enough to do so since Lennie was a very dependent person and could not stand alone. George tried to help him at all times as far as he could, but still Lennie was still in serious trouble, that 's precisely the reason why George wanted to prevent Lennie suffering in the future because he realized that he could not live alone.