How Does George Kill Lennie

The gift of friendship is something that ends with a justifiable murder. At least, this is true for George and Lennie, in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, two “pals” who works together as ranch hands, until one ends up dead, killed by the other. Now, most of us would never consider murdering your best friend as justifiable, but it is in the case of George Milton when he kills his own best friend, Lennie Small. “And George raised the gun and steadied it, and he brought the muzzle of it closely to the back of Lennie’s head” (106). This powerful quote as George prepares to kill shows us that he truly struggled with this decision, seen through the facts that George never betrayed his friendship with Lennie, George supported Lennie in every way as long as he could, and murdering him was justifiable as an act of love. George truly never betrayed his friendship with Lennie, although their many shared experiences offered chances for George to do so. ““George, you want I should go away and leave you alone?”” this quote from Lennie shows his shallow understanding of how he can’t live on his own as he offers George to leave him behind before they take their new jobs (12). ““No-look! I was jus’ foolin’, Lennie. ’Cause I want you to stay with me.”” George’s reply to the offer Lennie makes, and
““I’m gonna get him. I’m going for my shotgun. I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot ’im in the guts” (96). This statement from Curley in the climax when Curley’s wife has been found dead shows us that the only safe option for Lennie in the end was for George to kill him out mercy, which he does. Lennie at this point was hallucinating and losing himself before George finished the act of love, ultimately showing his true love for Lennie by doing