Morality Battles Friendship in Of Mice and Men. Literary Essay Sample

George Milton was a man who valued friendship and was always ready to look after his friend Lennie who was somehow mentally challenged. Despite the fact that Lennie put George in trouble all the time including making him lose his last job, George still tagged him along in search of the farm work job. With this psychopath behavior, he ended up hurting Curley, who was the son of the farm owner and also breaking Curley's wife neck in the new farm that had offered them employment. Lennie put George in an awkward situation as he was sure that Lennie was going to be facing merciless punishment which undoubtedly would lead to his death. George had to decide what to do to save his friend from what awaited him. With this fact George had to make a decision, if I were in Georges shoes, I would let Lennie know that all he has done is dreadful, and some consequences came with it. I would urge him to go and report himself to the police. I would take this action as it gives Lennie the chance to decide the fate he wants.

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Although I would not abandon him if he gave himself up, it had finally come a time for Lennie to realize that it gets to a point where I have no control over the things he does especially when it involves people's lives and thus is a case of murder. According to the Story Lennie and Curley's wife were just the two of them when the death of Curley's wife happened. So Lennie should not expect me to intervene in the matter and protect him.

It is time for Lennie to finally pay for his mistakes. George has always been the good friend whose entire life revolved around protecting his friend even when he did wrong. For example, George left with Lennie on a job hunting road trip not because he needed the new job but George was doing so to protect Lennie from the consequences that would have followed after being accused of rape. However, it has now come a time when things are uncontrollable.

Letting Lennie make the decision will also make it easier on George. He will not suffer the guilt of killing his friend and will still have tried to protect him from the merciless death by the search party that was furiously looking for him. If Lennie decides not to turn himself into the police and choose to be on the run at least George will be content that he had given him the option of not being on the run and offered to be on his side.

My decision on this case would have been different if this happened in the present as there are better ways of handling such an issue. I would have tried to check Lennie into a mental institution and get them to assess him. Later, I would go to the authorities to report the incidence and try to get him a lawyer to defend him.

Having the interest of both Lennie and George in mind, my decision of giving Lennie the chance to make the final decision on this matter would have provided Lennie an opportunity to contemplate on the best action to take and also it would have saved George from having the blood of his friend on his hands.

Work Cited

Steinbeck, John. Of Mice and Men: Play in Three Acts. New York: Dramatists Play Service, 1937. Print.