Responsibility In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Words: 1064
Pages: 5
Open Document
A few years ago, my brother and I fought over unnecessary things. One of our bickerings blew up into an argument so big, my parents had to get involved. Being the oldest child, it was expected I would apologize and take responsibility. There was my problem. Do I be the perfect child and apologize -but I couldn’t bare to lose to my brother- or do I tell my parents it wasn’t me and make the situation worse altogether. Although this incident was over a spot on the couch, there are times where there are no right solution, even if the right thing to do is obvious, because there is always a sacrifice to be made. In the novella, Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, many characters are faced with problems they cannot escape from, and to find a resolution, …show more content…
Innocent Lennie was thinking about the farm and the rabbits, while Curley was ‘screaming’ at Slim, followed by Slim getting mad at Curley, for always assuming that Slim is with his wife. They walk in, arguing like normal, when suddenly, everyone becomes quiet, as the two argue inside the bunkhouse. Unaware of what's going on, Lennie continues to laugh at the thought of the farm. Curley takes this as Lennie laughing at him and his behavior, and attempts to grab him and beat him. Blood running down his face, Lennie cries and whimpers, for he wouldn’t do anything unless he has George’s permission. After George repeatedly said to fight back, Lennie almost breaks his hand with little effort. In pain and shock, Curley doesn’t know what to do. If word got around that world class fighter Curley was beat up by innocent Lennie, his reputation would be ruined. The other men see this and wonder what he will do. There is no right solution, and the other men are just fine with that. “Slim went on. ‘I think you got your hand caught in the machine. If you don’t tell nobody what happened, we ain’t going to.’” (64). Slim tells Curley his hand is caught in the machine or he has no way out. Curley has the others vow to tell nobody and lie about it all. They agree, but Curley must sacrifice his macho reputation for solving …show more content…
George thought he had no choice but to kill Lennie. He sparred him of a lot of pain that he would get from the other men. Lennie died happy, thinking about his favorite thing; tending the rabbits. But, George could have let Lennie survive, and just run away to another ranch. However, George feared the cycle would continue, getting worse and worse. This time, there was no right solution. Slim especially, along with the other men, comforted George and reassured him it was the right choice. “Slim said. ‘You hadda George. I swear, you hadda…’”(107). George was faced with a problem, that had no right solution. Lennie would have been hung and died a painful death. By shooting Lennie, George spared him from the pain and violence. However, George’s life revolved around Lennie. Even if he didn’t realize it at the time, he needed Lennie just as much as Lennie needed him. This choice shows how this theme is threaded through the novel, how sometimes there are no right solutions to a problem. The only way to fix things is by sacrificing what you value less. By going with your gut, the right decision will be true to yourself, just like George’s decision to spare Lennie from pain and torture. George valued Lennie’s well-being more than his life, so he sacrificed his life to ensure he had a peaceful
Show More

Related Documents: Responsibility In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Responsibility Of Lennie In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the two main characters George and Lennie maintain a lasting friendship even when faced with extreme adversity. Lennie suffers from a mental disability. Eventually, Lennie makes choices that negatively affect everyone around him. Steinbeck illustrates in his novel, that Lennie has some responsibility concerning his choices. Therefore, mentally challenged people should be accountable for their actions to some degree to prevent further wrong choices and to protect…

Words 377 - Pages 2

Comparing The Banning Of John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

John Steinbeck once said, “I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind”. Throughout the novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck displays many reasons as to why the novella should not be banned. Although the novella has been banned in a number of school districts in the world because of profanity used by characters and the inclusion of…

Words 883 - Pages 4

Role Of George In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men In Steinbeck's, Of Mice and Men, demonstrates the roles of two men trying to find work to fulfill their dream. One man -Lennie- is always getting into bad situations for his mental disability and his pal -George- has to keep him in check to not get into the bad situations. George shows kindness, can be protective, smart, strong willed and a hard worker. George is a kind and strong character all through Steinbeck’s novel. He says anything he can to his…

Words 278 - Pages 2

Of Mice and Men Literary Criticism Essay

At the mention of the name, "John Steinbeck," many associations can be made to the classic works produced by the man. However, he did not begin his life as a successful writer. Growing up in Salinas, California, Steinbeck lived the life of a common man, working to survive in the Land of Promise. He began to develop a taste for writing; however, he studied marine biology while he attended Stanford University. Without graduating with a degree, Steinbeck began working as a laborer and reporter for the…

Words 1943 - Pages 8

of mice and men Essay

Jump to: navigation, search For other uses, see Of Mice and Men (disambiguation). Page semi-protected Of Mice and Men OfMiceAndMen.jpg First edition cover Author John Steinbeck Cover artist Ross MacDonald Country United States Language English Publisher Covici Friede Publication date 1937 Pages 187pp. Of Mice and Men is a novella[1][2] written by Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck. Published in 1937, it tells the story of George…

Words 4351 - Pages 18

Comparing Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

many ominous events. John Steinbeck is a Nobel Prize winner, who wrote the influential novel, Of Mice and Men during the time of the Great Depression. His speech reflects pivotal moments in human history, what mankind should be like and how mankind can progress and thrive. Of Mice and Men takes place in the 1930’s with two main characters named George Milton and Lennie Smalls. George and Lennie are two migrant…

Words 1129 - Pages 5

Of Mice And Men Theme Essay

Themes in Of Mice and Men Authors often use books to teach lessons that we can relate to in our own lives. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, they show deepest desires through the characters actions. These actions often contribute to one or more of the three main themes in the novel: friendship, loneliness, and dreams. The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader on the themes of friendship, loneliness, and dreams. In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, several themes are shown through…

Words 669 - Pages 3

Of Mice and Men Essay

10 Mrs. Bolitho 25 March 2014 John Steinbeck and the American Dream Everyone has their own idea of an American Dream. Though it would be ideal for everyone’s dream to come true, this isn’t always the case. In John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, his characters George and Lennie embark on a journey to achieve their American Dream. Due to certain circumstances however, they are unable to follow through. In order to show that the American Dream is unrealistic, John Steinbeck describes through different…

Words 554 - Pages 3

Mercy Killing In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Mercy Killing in Of Mice and Men In 1937 John Ernst Steinbeck wrote his seventh book, Of Mice and Men. This classic novel goes into the lives of Lenny Small and George Milton, two men barely scratching out a living during the depression, bouncing from one farm to another. The guys get expelled out of Weed, where they previously worked, because George and Lennie were being hunted for Lennie’s mistake of touching a girl’s dress. George and Lennie arrive Soledad, where their liveliness will change…

Words 813 - Pages 4

Steinbeck Fantasy Essay

Steinbeck Fantasy Essay John Steinbeck was an American novelist who won the Nobel Prize for literature and the Pulitzer Prize for his book, The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck developed a biological worldview of mankind, and analyzed his characters as if they were controlled by their environment, instinct, or chance. Steinbeck wrote about the economic and social problems by the countryside class during the Great Depression. In one of Steinbeck's greatest novels Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck illustrates…

Words 296 - Pages 2