George knew he had to kill Lennie himself because if he did not, Lennie would be locked up, or more likely, Curley would have killed him. Curley clearly states that he was going to shoot Lennie in the guts so that he died slowly and painfully and George knew that Lennie did not deserve that. He knew that the best thing he could do for Lennie at that point was to find him first and spare him that miserable fate. By doing that George proved he loved Lennie and that he knew what was right for him. He spared Lennie from dying scared and tortured.
Admittedly, as sympathetic and understanding as readers are for Lennie, Lennie is still a danger to other lives. In many instances in the book, Lennie accidentally kills many lives but does not realize the significance of his mistakes. Lennie is a man with the mind of a child with an unequal match of formidable strength, hence committing murder without meaning to do so. In the scene when Lennie kills Curley’s wife, he has the same slightly panicked reaction as when he killed the rat and puppy earlier in the book. Readers then realize that Lennie doesn’t understand the difference between killing an animal and murdering a human, therefore putting other lives at risk.
It was the ultimate act of friendship and sacrifice, on George's part, to kill Lennie. He knew that Lennie would be lynched and hung for murdering Curley's wife. He also knew that Lennie didn't know any better, he had no idea the power of his own strength, he did not fully know the ramifications of what he had done, but he did know that it was bad and that he might get into trouble. George basically spared Lennie from a death filled with pain and suffering and Lennie almost had this moment of clarity when he knows what George has to do and he's ok with it. 3.
His sense of pride prevented him from admitting to the adultery. Thus, the town did not understand Abigail’s motivation as did Proctor. He could have also prevented his demise if he had chosen to sign the paper. However, he feels that his name is “not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang” and chooses death over humility. This play exhibits tragedy because, though Proctor had many opportunities to change his fate, he chooses his demise because his tragic flaw prohibits him from doing otherwise.
George also did everything he could to kill Lennie in the most humane way possible. Lastly George knew couldn’t just run with Lennie like they did after Weed. But by no means was this an easy choice you can tell that George was troubled when asked how he killed Lennie…“ ‘I just done it,’ George said tiredly” (Steinbeck p.107). The first and most prominent reason that George shot Lennie him self was the fact that George would not have been able to live with himself if he had not done it. The thing that you have to understand about Lennie is that he has a mental disability.
In that moment he knew he had to shoot Lennie, George thought about when Candy’s dog had to die, how Carlson shot him, and not Candy himself. George knew he had to kill Lennie himself because of that experience. When Carlson shot Candy’s dog George could see the pain in Candy’s face. George didn’t want to experience that pain for himself. Yet he was forced into the same position.
He had loved Martha more than his men, and as consequence Lavender was now dead…” (O’Brien,1990). This epiphany drives Lieutenant Cross to think hard about his situation and make a key decision to focus more on the task at hand and less on his desires. His internal conflict is resolved with burning the pictures and letters of his former love interest. Even though he knows he cannot forget nor will it bring back his lost comrade, he presses forward to become the leader he was entrusted to be. While the conflict of individual vs. self is resolved in this story, the same conflict in “The Raven” is not so easily dismissed.
Both of these ate away at the men; mind, body and soul. ‘Carry’ means to hold or support while moving, to transport, transmit, or transfer, but figuratively, ‘carry’ connotes bearing a grievance. After Ted Lavender was killed Lieutenant Jimmy Cross carried Lavenders burden with him because he felt personally responsible for his death. He was to busy thinking about Martha the one he loved, even though he knew she didn’t love him in return. L.T.
When faced with a hard decision with no time to think, we often make irrational decisions based on certain circumstances. To take the law upon oneself is not an option available to those who have no authority. John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ readers are confronted with a situation of similarity as George’s malignant action of shooting Lennie at the end of the novel was pressured by the threat of Curley and an apparent weakness for other’s suffering. George’s actions raised debate on how his response can be justified, however, also condemned. In support of George, he saved Lennie from a potential death at the hands of Curley, however in rejecting George’s actions, it was not definite that Curley was going to kill Lennie, but by shotting him,
Despite that deaths like this are commonly caused by freak incidents, he feels that if his attention had been focused on the war at the very moment Lavender died instead of the girl whose love he can never obtain, he could have prevented this loss of life. As a result of his remorse, Cross decides to remove all distractions he possibly can and “[burns] Martha’s letters [followed by] the two photographs” (O’Brien 23) of her. It is Lavender’s unexpected death that helps Lieutenant Cross recognize his responsibility to his men who are counting on him to direct them around the perils of Vietnam. When he is contemplating how to alter his tactics of leadership for the better, he reminds “himself that his obligation [is] not to be loved but to lead]” (O’Brien 26). By doing this, Lieutenant Cross demonstrates that he has the ability to learn from his past mistakes and improve his accountability to lead his men to