George has many strong reasons for killing Lennie and does well by doing it. George and Lennie are best friends

Another reason why George did well in killing Lennie is that Lennie only created problems for everyone. First of all he has too much strength and does not know how to control it. As our narrator tells us, in the first chapter, Lennie nearly kills a girl on the last ranch they worked at, all this only because he wants to feel the girl’s dress; she thought he was attacking her. This is one of the problems both George and Lennie encounter because of Lennie and only Lennie. George always gets him out of trouble, always risking his own life and jobs. Can there be a better friend than that? True friends were hard to find in those times. John Steinbeck informs us in the beginning of chapter one that this story occurs in the middle of the Depression times in America. Friends that would take care of each other and support each other in the worst times would be hard to find!

Besides, Lennie does not appreciate of the friend he has. Unfortunately he is not such a great friend, giving back the love, care and affection George has for him. What would happen if George would have got fed up of Lennie’s ignorance and his childish, naïve behaviour? For example, George tells Lennie many times not to talk to Curley’s wife. George tells Lennie, “Well you keep away from her, ’cause she’s a rat trap…” in page 54. Another example is when Lennie tells Curley’s wife that “George says I ain’t to have nothing to do with you – talk to you or nothing” in page 122. This explains that George does warn Lennie not to get involved with Curley’s wife, he can see something bad happening. But does Lennie obey him? After all, the job they lost at the last ranch they worked at was because of Lennie’s ignorance, as he nearly killed a girl there. Does Lennie ever try not to screw things up for himself and George? But he does not understand that it is for his own welfare when George tells him not to speak to Curley’s wife!

Therefore people like Lennie are a threat to the society. He causes harm to anyone or anything around him. First the girl he nearly kills at the last ranch they work at; then the mouse that he accidentally kills on their way to this new ranch; furthermore kills the pup that was given to him and finally kills Curley’s wife. All of this is not done deliberately but they are his acts and only his! Lennie has a very infantile mind. An example of this is that whenever he and George talk about their “dream” he says that he want to “tend the rabbits”. This explains that he is innocent and is mentally immature. Deep in his heart he wants no harm to anyone; but unfortunately he is not being able to control his forces. All the deaths occur because of his strength. Despite knowing he has a very weak self control, Lennie still wills to “pet” the soft fur or hair of the creatures that he eventually kills!

It is favourable acts to kill people like Lennie, instead of letting them go, do as they want and harm the people around them. George thinks that if he kills Lennie, he would suffer less than if anyone else kills him– in this case Curley kills him. Both Lennie’s and George’s lives are in George’s hands. There is a possibility that if George does not kill Lennie, both might get killed. He has no fault in what Lennie does, how he does, why he does it! George is a great friend to Lennie, always tells him what is right and what is wrong especially tolerates everything that he does. Regrettably Lennie does not comprehend this. Some drastic action has to be taken for all this to stop! George has tolerated too much. Lennie crosses all the limits of toleration.