Comparing The Death Penalty In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

At the age of 16, a man named Corey Williams was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering a pizza delivery man. However, the judge reduced the sentence considering the fact that Williams was intellectually disabled. Throughout his life, Cory “lacked ‘the ability to engage in the world around him (even in a proceeding where the death penalty (for him) is being addressed.” After Corey Williams was sentenced to death, defense attorneys found out through interviews that there were actually three other men involved in the murder. Since Williams was disabled, they thought it would be easy to blame it on him. In John Steinbeckś novella Of Mice and Men set in the 1930ś in Salinas Valley, California we meet the static character Lennie Smalls, and his best friend George. Although the author does not point out or say that Lennie has a disability, it is implied throughout the novella that he does have one. Back in the 1930ś, no one knew how to handle Lennieś condition because it was new to them; When something is new to someone, typically they will get scared and handle the situation incorrectly. Once when Lennie and George were in the town Weed, Lennie wanted to feel this girl´s dress. When the girl tried to get away and screamed, Lennie didn't understand what he did wrong, and kept
He tried to hide the corpse of the dog so he wouldn't get in trouble. Curlyś wife came in and he showed her the pup when she asked. She continued to talk to him and mentioned her hair, and then let Lennie touch it. When she told him to let go, he panicked and held on tighter. He ended up breaking her neck, killing her. This was much like what happened with the dress incident. ¨´I don't want ta hurt you.´ he said, ´but George´ll be mad if you yell.´ When she didn't answer nor move he bent closely over her. He lifted her arm and let it drop. For a moment he seemed bewildered.¨ (Steinbeck,