Of Mice and Men Decision

George is one of the main characters in John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men. In the climactic moments of the story, his retarded friend, Lennie, has gotten himself into a huge bind. As he had done before with mere mice and a puppy, Lennie accidentally killed Curley's wife when his stroking of her hair turned violent. When Curley returned home at the end of the day, he found his wife dead in the barn. He immediately knew it was Lennie's doing because he was the only one there at the time. Curley armed himself and gathered the rest of the men to search for Lennie. It seemed that Lennie was doomed to be tortured by Curley and the others, but George found him first. The situation presented a huge decision for George.

George could either let Lennie try to escape and fend for himself, knowing full well that the odds were against him, and that he would likely be captured and have to suffer through Curley's harsh revenge, or he could make it quick and painless with a bullet to the back of the head before Lennie even knew what hit him.

Lennie James

Lennie James

Lennie James

He chose the latter. He opted to swiftly kill the man whom he had come to love over the years. And that's exactly what prompted the action: his love for Lennie.

Before Curley or his men arrived, George did what he felt compelled to do. First, he filled Lennie's head with dreams of the future. He calmly talked about how wonderful the years ahead would be, how they would buy a farm, and Lennie would be able to tend the rabbits. As he prepared his weapon, George had Lennie look off into the distance to envision the farm being out there somewhere. Then, George fired...