'Of Mice and Men' - Why did George shoot Lennie?

As a human being George has a conscience and knowing how serious Lennie's crimes are becoming he has the responsibility to protect other people.

Lennie was strong and dangerous when frightened and was incapable of controlling his own strength. Through the story there are many examples which show the reader. He killed the mouse by 'petting' it even though Lennie thought he was being nice he didn't know his own strength and the mouse ended up dead. Another example is in weed when he grabbed the girls dress because he likes to touch soft things. When she got scared and screamed, he got frightened and held on tighter. If George wasn't there to save him something terrible could have happened.

These are all minor incidents and explanations to how the novel ends. In the end Lennie kills Curly's wife, he breaks her neck when he is trying to stop her from screaming. Lennie doesn't want to harm anyone, but he isn't in control of his own strength or mind.

George was aware that Lennie's strength was dangerous. George says 'you get him back there quick... you'll kill him before you know '. George says this to Lennie about the puppy. George knows that he is going to hurt the puppy and is warning Lennie about it. He also says 'Lennie was just scared... he didn't know what to do. George says to Slim 'I told you nobody ought never to fight him' after Lennie and Curly have a fight. George is sticking up for Lennie when is say's 'Lennie was just scared' even though he knows he has done something wrong, he is acting like a parent.

George looks after Lennie like a parent, watching everything he does and making sure he is ok. Just like a parent would do, teaching them the difference between right and wrong and pointing them in the right direction. Lennie is just like a child in a mans body. Curly's wife even notices it saying 'you're a kind of nice fella. Jus' like a big baby'. Even someone who doesn't know him very well is realising what he is really like.

When George takes the mouse away from Lennie, he gets upset and George says, 'blubberin' like a baby.... A big guy like you'. Lennie isn't just crying he is hysterical. He's like a baby who can't control their feelings or their actions, babies run on instinct and so does Lennie.

Lennie can not make moral decisions and has to be told what to do and how to do it; he only ever knows he has done something wrong when George tells him. Just like children don't know how to take responsibility when their wrong. Lennie is the same when he blames the death of the animal on the animal its self. Therefore when he's done something bad, i.e. killing the animal, he doesn't understand he's done something wrong so he blames it on someone or something else. ' why do you got to get killed?..... Now I won't get to tend the rabbits'.

George wants to protect Lennie from the consequences of his crime and from curly. The problem is Lennie can't understand just how much trouble he is in and George can only do so much to help him. 'Aint you guna give me hell?' Lennie doesn't understand the enormity of what he's done, so doesn't realise what the outcome will be. George wants to protect Lennie from curly and his lynch mob, this is such a big crime there is no easy way out.

George knows Curly will kill Lennie once he gets his hands on him. There is no way George can let him die at the hands of a mob, scared and frightened. George makes the decision that Lennie has to die happy, so he starts to talk about their 'dream'. When George tells Lennie the dream for the final time it is a metaphor for heaven. George doesn't use the word might or if it becomes 'lets do it now, lets get that place now'. He wants Lennie to know that he's not mad at him ' no Lennie I aint mad, I never been mad.... that's a thing I want you to know'. He needs Lennie to understand everything is fine and he has nothing to worry about.

The shooting is a final act of responsibility, the 'saving' of Lennie from worse harm. George knows their dream will be impossible without Lennie and has

no plans to carry it out alone even though he could have his freedom. All George has ever done is protect Lennie from the things he could not handle and he is still protecting him now by killing him. He could be brought to trial and suffer punishment but has chosen to sacrifice himself to protect Lennie. George realises he will be left by himself if he kills Lennie, they could run away and still be together but he knows that would never work and makes what he thinks is the right the decision.

The words of John Steinbeck in the last section describe how George feels towards Lennie, he says talking about George, "he fell silent again". This gives the impression George is sad and alone.

George's voice was almost a whisper he found it hard to speak. After George killed Lennie John Steinbeck says "George let himself be helped to his feet" he was drained of all emotions, weak, confused and a little afraid.

I think shooting Lennie was a very hard thing for him to do because Lennie was his best friend. If George hadn't shot him Lennie would have been beaten and then killed by the lynch mob.

George shot Lennie because he couldn't handle him anymore and he figured that even if he didn't, someone else would have.