Hi Kristen,
Good question, and good basis for an essay.
George understands that Lennie doesn't realize what he's done (in killing Curly's wife) and that with his limited mental capacity, he's never going to understand what he's done.
George also realizes that he can't protect Lennie from Curly or the lynch mob that's going to come after him. He knows that Lennie won't understand why he's being lynched, because Lennie has the mind of a child. Imagine a five-year-old being attacked by a mob and hung. Lennie will be terrified, and will suffer horribly.
Finally, George realizes that he can't really control Lennie. Prior to the opening of the book, Lennie had been accused of raping a woman. George realizes that Lennie needs constant supervision, because he causes tremendous harm (to the puppy, to Curly's wife, to the woman he was accused of raping) without realizing he's doing so. Because George can't be with Lennie all the time, he knows that Lennie could hurt or kill someone again. Lennie is a danger to people around him.
In short, George kills Lennie to protect him from the terror of being hung by the mob, to prevent him from causing harm to more people, and to put him out of his misery. Lennie will never be able to hold a job, or live a normal, independent life. He relies completely on George for protection and care. And if something ever happened to George, Lennie would be at the mercy of men like Curly.
Hope that helps!
2007-02-19 06:23:40
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answer #1
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answered by Leigh 3
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I think you've missed the point with your answers. George telling Lennie (not Lenny) stories about their future is more to do with how George showed Lennie love rather than why he killed him out of love. I realise you have abbreviated your point about George not wanting Lennie to suffer, but maybe you should explain why you think George feels Lennie will suffer- what is it about Lennie, about George and about their circumstances to give George this idea?
You need to think about the implications of Lennie's behaviour and character- look at the reactions to him of other characters. Are they sympathetic to him, disrepectful, do they misunderstand him? The differences between Lennie and George are important to this question (which I assume is 'Give three reasons George would kill Lennie out of love') and also their relationship and their history, aswell as their relationship and their futures. Don't forget their similarities either. Steinbeck wrote about disenfranchised men, about their inherent loneliness, about their struggles to survive but the strength of their friendships- George was as much one of these men as Lennie. If you're looking for evidence to use in your assignment don't forget Crooks. You'll find parallels between Candy and his dog, and George and Lennie too.
I wish I could find my copy because I really want to reread this now! I hope your assignment will help you love and understand this book because it is a really important work of fiction.
2007-02-19 06:31:22
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answer #2
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answered by greenbean 6
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George killed Lenny because the other farmhands would have done it *inhumanely* if George hadn't. Also, Lenny might have killed some of the other farmhands defending himself.
2007-02-19 06:07:10
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answer #3
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answered by Larry 6
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the main reason George killed Lenny was because he knew he could not be there to take care of Lenny in prison and he had always taken care of him
2007-02-19 06:13:37
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answer #4
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answered by Pat B 3
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"The first reason that I believe George did the right thing was due to the circumstances that arose before Lenny’s death. At that time in the novel Lenny had just killed Curely’s wife accidentally because she had nice soft hair. When everyone found out, they immediately knew that Lenny had done it. So together, with the exception of George who left moments before, they set out in search of “their killer”. There is no question that their only motive was to kill him without a trial. My reason for this came right out of Candy’s conversation with George at the first murder scene. He said that “Curley gon’ta wanta get ‘im lynched. Curley’ll get ‘im killed.” Then George replied that Curley’s statement was right and that the other guys would go along with it.
The second reason for my option is based on the actual sequence of events that occurred at the Salinas Riverbank. When George got there, Lenny was frantically yelling. For he believed that George was “gonna give ‘im hell”. Lenny kept on using the same phrase that he “should go off and live in a cave somewhere”. This is evidently not logical because George knew that Lenny could not have survived on his own, especially when an angry mob was chasing after him. Therefore, instead of yelling at him he actually did the opposite. He tried to make Lenny happy in his last moments of life. George told him to look across the Salinas River and imagine what he was saying. He then started once again to tell the story of there shared dream. The dream of liv’in of the fata of the land. As he did this he then brought up the gun and shot Lenny in the back of the head.
This sounds cruel, but in reality George had an extremely hard time before and after this principal event. Steinbeck wrote that George’s hand shook violently as he pulled the trigger. It only makes sense to me that if George really wanted to kill Lenny for his own needs it would not have been so hard for him to do so. In addition, he would not have given it a second thought, but he did. For right after it happened “he shivered and looked at the gun, and then through it away from him”. Meaning that he wanted nothing with the gun, and that he could not bear to keep it in his possession any longer. Then, even moments later when the mob arrived he was still shaking and looking at that same hand. In my option this only could mean that he was still shell shocked for what he had just done.
Therefore, in conclusion I one again state that George did the right thing by killing Lenny. I hope that I made it clear that George’s act was the only humane thing to do, given the situation. Yes, it would have been nice if he could have hidden Lenny and possibly sent him on his way. As we all now, there was absolute no time for that. For just as George finished his act, the first signs of the angry mob arose. One can only assume with reason that they would have killed Lenny ruthlessly without a second thought. To me it was far better for Lenny to die in peace then by the torture and inhumane means that were sure to come. But then again that is for you yourself to decide."
"When the uncompassionate Carlson shot Candy’s dog (purely for himself), it was another example of foreshadowing as was George’s telling Lennie to hide in the brush if something bad happens. Therefore, from the beginning, the reader is prepared for the ending, even though there is still a bit of shock when it finally concludes, but the reader must be aware that if George had not killed Lennie, Curley would have, out of hate, though. Steinbeck underlines as the main theme of the story this powerful message: it is better to die out of love than out of hate."
2007-02-19 06:07:33
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answer #5
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answered by johnslat 7
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1. To save him from the wrath of Curly.
2. To save him from any future accidents.
3. To end his misery from autism and possible scizophrenia.
2007-02-19 06:11:52
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answer #6
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answered by Amanda C 2
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he shot him right below the neck, like the guy did that killed the dog, so it was instant and didn't feel anything.
2007-02-19 06:28:27
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0105046/
2007-02-19 06:04:09
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answer #8
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answered by pink_lousiana 2
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