Part Five and Six: Accidental Manslaughter and Mercy

Part Five and Six: Accidental Manslaughter and Mercy

In John Steinbeck's, Of Mice and Men, Lennie has a bit of a breakdown. It started when Lennie accidentally kills his pup by hitting it on the head. He starts to worry that George won't allow him to tend for the rabbits on their farm. As he starts to have his breakdown, Curley's wife walks into the room. She tries to talk to him but Lennie rejects her by saying, "'George says I ain't to have nothing to do with you - talk to you or nothing'" (86). As their conversation progresses, George goes on to tell the story about how he started to pet things that he likes. Curley's wife listens and Lennie starts to pet Curley's wife's hair. As he pets a bit more furiously, she starts to complain that he was messing her hair up to much. He then panics and he grabbed her hair. Out of panic, Curley's wife screamed "and Lennie's other hand close over her mouth and nose" (91). He then suffocates her and tosses her causing her to break her neck when she hits the ground. After Lennie realizes what he did, he runs to the brush where George told him to go if he got in trouble again. Later, George and Lennie discover the body hidden under some hay. Soon, everyone else gathers around to look at the body. Curley then says, "'That big son-of-a-b---- done it... I'm going for my shotgun. I'll kill the big son-of-a-b---- myself'" (96). Soon, everyone gathered around them. They then decided to go and kill Lennie because of what he did. Meanwhile, Lennie starts to hallucinate and think about Aunt Clara and rabbits. His vision of Aunt Clara comforts him and tells him it wasn't his fault. While the rabbit told him that it was his fault. Lennie soon finds George and he starts to comfort him and he finds out that Lennie has a gun. George is able to then coax him and make him stare straight forward. He then talks about the farm and how they will live. At the end of the story, George shoots him in the head. When I read this, I was thoroughly confused. But, after rereading the passage, I learned that it was a mercy kill because George knew that Lennie couldn't survive on his own and he couldn't survive being with George because Curley would've lynched him.

What did you think about Lennie's actions and the killing of Lennie?