The Death Of Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

After Lennie has inadvertently murdered Curley’s wife, Curley’s lynch mob go out in search of Lennie. George’s decision is almost inevitable to spare Lennie’s life, rather than let Curley and his gang destroy the bit of life Lennie has.

They start talking and she asks Lennie if she wants to feel her hair, for she claimed that it was soft. Lennie grabbed her hair and her words were verified. His grip grew tighter. He would not let go, for he was too panicked to do anything. She thrashes under his grip and when Lennie finally lets go, she is motionless on the ground (Steinbeck 91). Lennie had killed Curley’s wife by snapping her neck. Lennie did not mean to kill her, but his action of not letting go of her hair had caused the downfall of Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife dying caused Lennie to run away from the ranch and hide by a river. Lennie left, trying to avoid George. Lennie said, “I shouldn’t have did that. George’ll be mad” (Steinbeck 93). Lennie left the ranch after killing her, knowing how mad George would be, because they could get let go or killed when her corpse was found Lennie went to the Salinas River, where the story begins. George knew that he would be there, for he told Lennie to go there. George came to where Lennie was, and shot him in the back of the head by tricking Lennie. Lennie’s choice to run resulted in the downfall of himself, which was avoidable. He was going to be imprisoned in the ranch if he stayed; instead his actions meant impending death. Lennie not letting go of her resulted in the death of Lennie and Curley’s wife, due to the carelessness of Lennie.

His love of soft things instantly overwhelms the rest of his thoughts. His mental disability causes him to forget everything George taught him: about not going near her, about how she is trouble. Even though he didn’t want any trouble, her hair reminds him of the rabbits. As soon as Curley’s wife starts to get uncomfortable and asks him to stop, Lennie can’t. Curley’s wife is suddenly in horror, so she yells out for help. Upon hearing this, Lennie instantaneously cups his massive hands around her mouth and nose, knowing what consequences will follow if he gets caught in trouble again. Lennie’s childish actions causes Curley’s wife to start suffocate until he eventually breaks her neck. It takes a few moments for Lennie to react to what he has done an then he remembers whar George told him to do if he got in to trouble, “Lennie if you jus’ happen to get in trouble like you always done before, want you to come right here an’ hide in the brush” . This is the only thought he can think of at this point, so he sets out for the river.

“And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie's head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The

Any good person does not want to watch a friend to be hurt, and George is no exception. George is most worried for Lennie when Curley says ‘“i’m gonna shoot the guts outta that big dumb bastard myself, even if i only got one hand.”’ (steinbeck 48). this is when Curley, Slim and Carlson are getting together to find Lennie and hurt him and kill him. George thought

This picture he described was of a farm which was a common dream they shared. Lennie always looked forward to tending the rabbits because he had an obsession for petting small fury things. Upon hearing this, Lennie must have had pleasant thoughts in his last moments. Moreover, the place that George shot Lennie was at the back of his head to avoid him for fearing his death and to make sure the process was

"I just done it ... took [the gun] an' ... killed him" says George on murdering Lennie (Steinbeck 107). John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men takes place at a ranch near Soledad, California during the Great Depression. George and Lennie are two migrant workers who travel together from place to place. Lennie has a mental disability and likes to pet soft objects. One day, Lennie starts to pet a woman’s hair. After the woman starts to panic, Lennie accidentally snaps her neck and kills her. George then hunts down Lennie and murders him. George murdered Lennie because Lennie didn’t wish to die.

Lennie was talking to the boss’s son's wife, known as curley's wife Lennie killed curley's wife by accidentally snapping her neck. George and Candy were talking and george realizes that curley and boss would want to kill him or lock him up but they don't understand that lennie can't survive on his own. Georges debating whether to let the guys kill lennie or if he should,. George was telling Lennie a story and his hands were shaking and the gun drops. He continues to tell him the story but he hears the guys coming in the distance. George shoots Lennie and he

“‘Ain’t gonna be no more trouble. Nobody gonna hurt nobody nor steal from ‘em.’ ‘Le’s do it now. Let’s get that place now’” (106). These are the last words that filled the air between George and Lennie, their last exchange preceding a pivotal moment in both of their lives. They conversation calms and soothes Lennie, who hopes to finally get the farm that he and George dreamed about for so many years. Yet unbeknownst to him, Lennie would soon be set free from his earthly bonds by his long-time friend; a bullet, shot from the barrel of George’s gun, would enter Lennie’s head and kill him instantly. That bullet was not one of self-gain and moral disrepute, but one of freedom and liberation from worldly restraints. While this remains a hotly contested topic in classrooms reading Of Mice and Men, George’s intentions in killing Lennie were overwhelmingly good-natured.

His mental disability had caused the dream they had created to be ruined. Curley, the man on the ranch who picks on Lennie, currently has a wife that is very isolated and lonely and loves to talk to Lennie since he is a very warm and soft loving man until she had told Lennie to feel her hair. Lennie wouldn't let go and Curley's wife was struggling to get out of Lennie's grasp. "And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck" (Steinbeck 91). This quotation explains how Lennie had ruined the dream because he had killed a woman and would be expelled from working on the ranch, leading to not making any money towards their life dream. Since George knew the dream was over, and that it wouldn't happen, he had to find Lennie. Since Curley had picked on him and had made fun of him, Curley was already after Lennie to kill. George knew this was all happening and knew he had to find Lennie before them to tell him the dream one more time before he was going to die. George had found Lennie on the creek side in the forest and told him about their dream one more time. Then George had Lennie at gunpoint. "His hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger” (Steinbeck 106). This quote from Of Mice and Men explains to the reader that Lennie had ruined their dreams once and for all since he had done terrible things to halt the dream. George had to put Lennie out of his misery since he was already going to be killed. George wanted to share their dream together one more

In order to prevent this agony from befalling his dear friend, George took it upon himself to kill Lennie with a quick, painless death by shooting him in the back of the head. This form of killing someone results in a painless, instantaneous death, as by shooting in the back of the head as done by George and Carlson, the spinal cord is obliterated, instantly killing the victim, so that they feel nothing. George decided to kill Lennie at his very happiest, while he was thinking about their plans for their piece of land. In doing so, George prevented Lennie from causing any harm to anyone else, or himself. He also saved Lennie from any grief or pain from being executed or shot by someone without sympathy, as well as having Lennie know of his death. One moment, Lennie was bubbling over taking care of his rabbits, the next he was dead, blissfully unaware of dying. This is the noblest motive for killing, and one that was highly justified by George, as well as preferable for Lennie. "And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it close to the back of Lennie 's head. The hand shook violently, but his face set and his hand steadied. He pulled the trigger. The crash of the shot rolled up the hills and rolled down again. Lennie jarred and then settled slowly forward to the sand, he lay without quivering."(p. 106)

The first day on the new job George had to speak for Lennie about their pay and work and was accused by the boss of taking Lennie’s money. George many times had to tell Lennie to stay away from Curley because he was an easy target for trouble. One day curled passed Lennie to far and cause him to fight back when he mangled Curley’s hand. George had to make up a lie to cover for Lennie. This was another example of Lennie not knowing his own strength. Consequences Kept following George.

After Lennie killed Curley’s wife, Curley and a mob went after Lennie to “shoot him in the guts,”(Steinbeck) which would have been a excruciating and slow death. George also realizes Lennie would be lonely in jail and without a friend where they would “strap him down and put him in a cage.” (Steinbeck) By mercifully killing his friend, George shows that his decision to give

When performing a mercy killing “no one suggests using a gun,” but George does when he kills Lennie (Lynch). In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, George, small and smart, and Lennie, big and strong, are migrant workers during the Great Depression and are also best friends. Lennie is mentally challenged and acts like a kid, so George has to be like a parent to him. At one of their jobs, Lennie gets into an altercation with a woman. He accidentally snaps her neck because he gets so scared and does not know his own strength.

-On Sunday when they have the day off, Lennie sits alone in the barn. He accidently kills one of the small puppies. He is extremely nervous and fears George will not let him tend the rabbits.