1. Euthanasia In
Of Mice and Men

2. What is Euthanasia?
The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma.
Sentence starters:
In Of Mice and Men

3. The Dog
Candy’s dog is the first to be euthanised and foreshadows Lennie's death
He is euthanised because he is old and crippled- the other characters argue that the dog would be better off dead
George sees everything that happens and is introduced to the idea of euthanasia
“he don’t have no fun”- the dog had to die
“The way I’d shoot him wouldn’t even feel nothing”
The dog is old like Candy “and he stinks to beat hell”
“He ain’t no good to himself”- Carlson is a lonely man who doesn’t value companionship

4. The reader is made to feel bad for Candy, although we may not agree with the euthanasia, because Slim is okay with it and “Slim’s opinions were law”….
Slim is the voice of reason and justice therefore, the killing of Candy’s dog had to be done, because he said so
“all the men watched except Candy”
“Candy did not answer”
We as the reader are upset when Candy looses his only friend on the ranch- Candy is the first character other than George and Lennie that we meet- “Candy lay rigidly on his bed staring at the ceiling” “had him since he was a pup”
P.89 “I ought to have shot that dog myself”- this quote shapes the ending and is an example of foreshadowing. Candy says this to George- It warns him of the guilt he may face if Lennie is not euthanised, and if George is not the one to do it.

5. The Man
Lennie’s death is inevitable from moment of ripples in the water
But is Lennie’s death euthanasia?
Did Lennie need to die?

6. Lennie’s Death Reasons for Reasons against Good worker
Stupid “–too dumb to take care of himself” p.66
Doesn’t learn- “you gonna be sick like you was last night”
Kills things: mouse, pup, Curley’s wife
George will be better off with Lennie dead.
The men are going to kill him or lock him up anyway - “Spose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage that ain’t no good.”
In killing Lennie himself, George makes it a more painless death. His intentions are good, rather than Curley who is out for revenge. “I’m gunna get him. I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot him in the guts.”
Good worker
Nice guy- “Guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella”
Reader does not want him to die
Killing is morally wrong
In killing Lennie, the dream dies and George loses his companion

7. The Girl
Curley’s Wife’s death is not an act of Euthanasia as she did not want to die, nor did Lennie intend to kill her.
You can argue, however, that the result/benefits of her death are much like those for the other cases of Euthanasia
On page 129 she achieves happiness- she was unsatisfied with her life, and arguably was not happy until she died.
Find two phrases which support this idea.

8. The Dream
The dream dies when Curley’s wife dies, however Lennie still believes in the dream. Lennie dies as a result of Euthanasia whilst thinking about the dream. Therefore, Steinbeck is highlighting his the dream is futile and better off dead.