Jeremiah Sharp

Mrs. Crawford

English 11 Honors

7 March 2017

The Mercy Killing in Of Mice and Men

The 1930s was not an easy time for the mentally disabled. At this

time, it was believed that putting mentally disabled people in institutions was

the best treatment. These institutions were in fact one of the worse places

they could be. The sanitation in these facilities was poor as were the

treatments. Overcrowding was also a large problem due to the lack of

understanding of mentally disabled people at this time. Flash forward about

ninety years, society has now learned how to help these people with mental

disabilities. There are even people trained in taking care of them, but not like

John Steinbecks perception. In the novel Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck,

George is deemed Lennies caretaker after his aunt died. Throughout the

story we get clues that Lennie has the mind of an underdeveloped man.

However, when the story continues on we see that Lennie tends to make

many mistakes, and George is always getting him out of trouble. Although

the last few pages tell about how George shoots Lennie leaving readers to

wonder if Lennies death was justifiable. Was it right to kill Lennie? Shooting

Lennie wasnt a mercy killing, yet a murder that was considered to be the
right thing for that type of person. These mercy killings are unjustifiable

and need to be stopped!

In the beginning of the novel we get a visualization of the what Lennie

looks like. Behind him walked his opposite, a huge man, shapeless face,

with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily,

dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not

swing at his sides, but hung loosely (Steinbeck 2). It is clear that he isnt a

normal person. Lennie then proceeds to give clear evidence that he has a

mental disability. He shows us his immense strength, his love for soft things,

and his bovine ways. Today many would have professionally trained people

who could take care of him, but instead he had George. George was a little

man with a large temper. Every time that Lennie did something to get them

into trouble George handled the situation the wrong way. George tended to

harshly yell at Lennie, and this showed how unfit of a care taker George

really was. He heard Lennies whimpering cry and wheeled about.

Blubberin like a baby! Jesus Christ! A big guy like you (Steinbeck 9). This

was a clear indicator from the beginning that George didnt have much

patience with Lennie and would only be able to handle him for so long.

The term mercy killing is becoming a popular and controversial topic

all around the world. This is interesting as it is rarely ever seen on a headline

in a newspaper, a story on the local news channel, or a beloved magazine

cover; yet it is happening all around us, and we have become oblivious to it!

The headlines online are quite astonishing! The Millionaire Mom Who
Poisoned Her Autistic Son and Called it a Mercy Killing (The Washington Post),

Mother Wins Case to Kill Her Disabled Daughter (Life News), Mercy Killing-

how a mother suffocated her own son with a pillow to end his Huntingtons

Disease suffering (Mirror News), these horrific titles are just some of the few

that can be found. These articles all say the same thing in the endit was

the best thing. That in itself is a very controversial statement. When a

person decides to take another persons life, while the victim isnt fully

competent, is it justifiable? No one should be subject to that! It doesnt

matter if they have a mental disability or not, they are still human beings

with rights. It should be their right to understand what someone else is doing

to them! People need to stop committing such atrocities! This has been the

main issue with mercy killings and will probably still be the main issue for

many years to come.

The evidence is all on the table. George thought he was doing a

service while in fact he shouldve been given the title of murderer. People

today are doing the same exact thing and getting away with it. This novel is

a good example of how George killed an innocent man and was never

punished for it. However, some people are being put to justice in this

growing epidemic. Hopefully soon laws will be put into effect when the world

starts really recognizing this problem! Perhaps Steinbeck was giving us a

sense of foreshadowing; when you kill someone thats not normal itll be

fine.
 In conclusion, Steinbeck had written about a sensitive topic that is now

a giant issue today. George may have gotten away with murder in the book,

but now its more than words on paper. A growing epidemic is headed our

way and as a society we are oblivious. People are not game to be hunted or

slaughtered, but merely individuals with their own identity that need to be

nurtured.

Works Cited

Pietras, Emma. "Mercy killing - how a mother suffocated her own son with a
pillow to end his Huntington's Disease suffering." Mirror. N.p., 05 Nov. 2013.
Web. Accessed. 09 Feb. 2017.

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin,

1986. Print.

"The millionaire mom who poisoned her autistic son and called it a mercy
killing." The Washington Post. WP Company, 29 May 2015. Web. Accessed.
09 Feb. 2017.