SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. One reason George should not have killed Lennie because everything that happened, was an accident. One could argue that Curley's neglect and poor treatment of his wife encouraged her to seek out companionship in the other ranchers; and this is what led to Curley's wife being with Lennie in the first place. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. This explanation is supported by the fact that, after killing her, Lennie seems genuinely surprised and upset by what he has done. Seeing this as a way to flirt with him, Curley's wife puts his hand on her hair, which is very soft. https://www.enotes.com/topics/of-mice-and-men. George shot him in the temple of his head for a quick and painless death. When the others find out, Curley heads the hunt to find Lennie and kill him. In Weed, Lennie touched a woman's red dress and refused to let go when she panicked. Lennie escapes the barn. Immediately after killing Curley's wife, Lennie travels back to his hidden meeting spot by the river and waits for George while Curley leads a lynch mob after him. Analyzes how lennie kills curley's wife because he shook her to hard while she was screaming and snapped her neck. Unfortunately, Lennie is too rough with her hair, and Curley's wife tells him to let go. for a group? answer choices Her neck was broken. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. He does not kill her on purpose. Also, one cannot blame Curley's wife for forcing a conversation with Lennie because of her loneliness on the farm. The hand shook violently, but his (George) face set and his hand steadied. Either way, she ended up marrying Curley. Sign up to highlight and take notes. In Of Mice and Men (1937) chapter 5, things spiral out of control. Like, If I dint have you Id take my fifty bucks Jesus Christ, Lennie! Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. Lennie takes the dead puppy with him and goes out of the barn leaving the dead girl in the hay. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! . Examination of Lennie's Mental Capacity and Potential Danger to Society. New User? They wanted to get a farm together with many animals. eNotes Editorial, 30 Nov. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/in-of-mice-and-men-how-and-why-does-lennie-kill-162143. He also killed his pup who tried to bite him. He will also do anything George or what most others would tell him to do. Or was there something more to it? Curley's pride became so great that he began to beat up Lennie only because he was laughing. Latest answer posted December 07, 2020 at 5:10:16 PM. He doesn't understand his own strength, however, and the force of his efforts breaks her neck, killing her instantly. he gets a little to rough and when Curley's wife starts to struggle, he gets confused and hold even tighter. After Curley finds out that his wife has died, he becomes determined to kill Lennie gruesomely for revenge. Afterwards, George and Lennie discuss their dream of owning a small farm together one day. This changes what happened at death. He is only shaking her like that because he wants her to stop yelling. In Of Mice and Men, how and why does Lennie kill his puppy? Curley's wife thinks her mother hid the letter from her. It is clear that George did not have the right to end Lennie 's life in such a selfish way. Lennie kills Curley's wife because he 'likes to pet soft things'.He is mourning the death of his puppy - also by his own hand - when Curley's wife enters the barn. Lennie realizes right away that "I done a bad thing," though he seems unable to comprehend the consequences of his actions beyond making George upset with him. However, Lennie doesn't simply kill herseveral unfortunate events lead to her death. George Milton took Lennie Smalls life. They could 've just let him go to jail but he would suffer. He is only shaking her like that because he wants her to stop yelling. StudySmarter is commited to creating, free, high quality explainations, opening education to all. But because Lennie does not know how to control his own strength, he squeezes Curley's wife's neck too hard and crushes her spine. As a result, he shook it and broke its neck. Why does George kill Lennie in Of Mice and Men? On one hand, it allows him to see the world in a more positive light. Lennie is like a mouse whose life is left up to chance. They had no family and traveled together. For example, when they first arrive at the ranch where theyll be working, George tells Lennie to stay hidden in the bushes until he can scope out the situation and make sure its safe. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: Lennie Small. Why does Curley wear a glove on one hand? So, he does this out of fear, obedience to George, and in self-defense. Lennie's puppy died because he handled it too roughly. Lennie did not want to get in trouble but in the ensuing struggle, broke her neck. But that is an indirect line of responsibility that goes along with the social structure of ranches in general. Its 100% free. In Of Mice and Men, how and why does Lennie kill Curley's wife? Lennie, Crooks, Candy and Curley's wife all live a life led by isolation. Continue to start your free trial. Who does Carlson think has stolen his Luger pistol? 1 - Tragically, Lennie destroys the small, soft animals he loves because of his physical strength. He has done it without knowing how strong of himself. Mercy Killing or Murder: A Moral Dilemma Regarding the Death of Lennie in Of Mice and Men December 2022 Authors: Ting-Xuan Shen Ya-huei Wang Abstract This study aims to analyze the death of. He had a habit of accidentally injuring or killing small animals, and this behavior escalated when he accidentally killed Curley's wife. Throughout the novel, George has been forced to protect Lennie from himself time and time again. I shouldnt of did that. He talks to it, saying he didn't know he'd kill it. George finds Lennie . So he's shaking her to try to protect his part in the dream. Hiding the dead puppy and in frustrated spirits, Lennie tells her that he's not supposed to talk to her. Curley's wife immediately recoils from Lennie's touch. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She was even brazen enough to enter the bunkhouse uninvited while the men were taking a break. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. When Curleys wife threatened Georges safety, Lennie may have felt he had no choice but to act. In Section 2, Slimwho is consistently presented as a humane, trustworthy characterintroduces the idea that any creature too weak to survive in a hard world must be killed. What quotes show that Crooks is lonely in Of Mice and Menby John Steinbeck? And she continued to struggle, and her eyes were wild with terror. Why did Lennie kill Curley's wife? What does the title Of Mice and Men mean? View OfMiceandMenPart1_TierraJohnson.docx from ENGLISH MISC at Dreher High. Basically, the main reason George kills Lennie is to spare his friend from experiencing the torture of being lynched. View _socratic seminar prep - OMAM.pdf from ENGLISH LA1 at Valencia High. The novella suggests that this is how the power of oppression works: not directly, but by creating oppressive circumstances and situations which force vulnerable peoplewomen, the working-class, Black people, and disabled peopleto hurt each other when they are at their weakest. The severity of the ranch-hands world is seen most clearly when the characters with less powerintellectually disabled Lennie, Black Crooks, disabled Candy, and Curleys wife, who isnt even given a nameare pitted against one another. Stovall and Other Moguls In The Making: murdoch hospital emergency waiting time Lennies childlike innocence can be both a strength and a weakness. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. When she begins yelling out in pain, Lennie begins covering her mouth and shaking her violently, leading to her neck breaking. Her hair is soft. Lennie is the mentally handicapped best friend of George. Lennie 's world basically revolves around George. bucknell class of 2024 profile March 20, 2023 | 0 bucknell class of 2024 profile March 20, 2023 | 0 He knows George is going to be mad, and he thinks George won't let him tend the rabbits. After all the anger that George has shown towards Lennie, he utters these words now so Lennie can die with a sense of peace. However, Lennie doesn't simply kill herseveral unfortunate events lead to her death. Well, I wasn't gonna stay no place where I couldn't get nowhere or make something of myself, an' where they stole your letters, I ast her if she stole it, too, an' she says no.". However Lennie is going to die in someday and It is better choice if Lennie gets killed by George not the other, In the book Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, I believe that George did make the right decision to shoot Lennie, because of the relationship that they had. How does he kill her? Mass Market Paperback - September 1, 1993. Lenny actions showed again that he was a tough working person. Accessed 2 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. By registering you get free access to our website and app (available on desktop AND mobile) which will help you to super-charge your learning process. Later, Curleys wife lets down her guard alone with Lennie in the barn, talking to him about her broken dreams, eventually trusting Lennie to touch her hair and dying tragically in her moment of vulnerability. The death of Curley's wife is a very sad time in indeed. george doesn't believe him because george told him to stay away from her. So he instinctively reaches out and starts stroking Curley's wife's hair. The cause for much of the pain in the novella is Lennie. You gonna get me in trouble jus' like George says you will. Already a member? When she has Lennie pet her hair, it spirals out of control and Lennie accidentally breaks her neck as he tries to keep her from screaming. While killing Lennie may seem like a cruel and heartless act, it can also be seen as a mercy . When Lennie and George get to a new ranch for work, Lennie's behavior causes problems with the boss's son, Curley, which leads to a confrontation. She is yelling because he is holding on to her hair and won't let go. Contrary to Georges hopes, having Lennie in prison would be inhumane. Have all your study materials in one place. This is something that has gotten him into trouble time and time again throughout the novel. George did Lennie a favor by giving him a merciful death before Curley killed him in cold, This conclusion cannot be drawn directly, but Georges words during Lennies final moments imply that George did not kill his best friend for malicious reasons. Because of the situation, Lennie and Curley's wife find themselves in together in a place where neither of them really fit in. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Why s Lennie angry at the puppy. Throughout the novella, we see that George serves as a father figure to Lennie. During their interaction, Lennie is the perpetrator, who refuses to let go of Curley's wife's hair despite her pleas. Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife after he begins shaking her so violently that he breaks her neck. because he thinks George won't let him tend the rabbits. Learn how your comment data is processed. There is no one correct answer to the question of why Lennie killed Curleys wife in Of Mice and Men. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. The fact that Lennie has a history of "assaulting" women and is unable to loosen his grip when asked indicates that he is more responsible for Curley's wife's death. Slim killed some puppies as a mercy killing, and then Carlson killed Candy's dog as a mercy killing. Lennie became scared and hung on tighter. She struggles, and he holds her down, eventually breaking her neck. Latest answer posted August 09, 2017 at 8:49:59 AM. Accessed 2 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. George lets Lennie know that hes never been mad, an I aint now. Curley is always trying to start fights, so when Lennie, a very large man, shows up at the ranch he tried to assert his dominance. One of the most controversial questions surrounding John Steinbecks novel Of Mice and Men is why did Lennie kill Curleys wife? I don 't think George was Lennies true friend because they both didn 't like Curley. Nie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen. Candy says, "maybe that's why curley's pants is full of ants" (Steinbeck 28). Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. She asked him to stroke her hair but then he grabbed in a bit. She flops like a fish in his arms: bitterly reminiscent of Curleys actions earlier in the novel when Lennie crushes Curley's hand. In the end, Curley's wife . So, she does go out and talk to the other men. Unfortunately, he does not understand his own strength or how to control his emotions, and this leads to yet another tragedy through the accidental killing of Curley's wife. If Lennie was killed by Curley, he would have been shot in the guts, and died painfully as he bled out. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. The Life & Times of Thomas K.R. He does not kill her on purpose. Free trial is available to new customers only. Lennie's world basically revolves around George. What was Curley's reaction to his wife's death? Finally, he shakes her and her neck snaps. Toward the end of the story, Lennie kills Curley's wife by accident . Lennie originally was in the barn mourning the death of his puppy. Curley's wife's death is a symbol of loss of innocence. | Analyzes how curley's wife provides the most evident portrayal of hopelessness in of mice and men. Ever'body knowed you'd mess things up. Analyzes how lennie expects george to be angry and yelling at him, but george doesn't want him to feel sad or worried. Log in here. Lennie and George, disparate types, are all against good reason, friends. Discount, Discount Code Curleys wifes loneliness and hatred of her husband cause her to seek out Lennies company; she respects Lennie for crushing Curleys hand after Curley bullied him. changing verbs to nouns worksheet pdf Tweet; epic inpatient assessment for nurse fundamentals 200 Share; capital community college admissions Hatena; hose reel swivel repair kit In the brush till he come. But he kills her and the dream too. Analyzes how john steinbeck utilizes george, crooks, and curley's wife to present the overwhelming battle between companionship and loneliness. Fig. That being said, one can't blame her for seeking to escape from Curley or for seeking companionship in what appears to be a lonely life on a ranch. Her death is therefore a tragedy, and symbolizes the end of Lennie's carefree life. There are a number of possible explanations for why Lennie killed Curley's wife. She asks him to feel her soft hair. What are two examples showing how Lennie is discriminated against because of his disability in the book Of Mice and Men? Sometimes it can end up there. However when Curley's wife was killed no one mourned, no one was sad. With all of George, He is gone. One could argue that Lennie is more responsible for the death of Curley's wife. This is what happened in John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men. When Lennie gets to the "brush" in chapter six, he has two hallucinations. When she started to complain, he panicked. He pets it in frustration. Aside from wearisome wives, Of Mice and Men offers limited, rather misogynistic, descriptions of women who are either dead maternal figures or prostitutes. What is Lennie's biggest concern, with regard to killing his puppy? So just because George was a bit smarter than Lennie didn 't mean he had to shoot him and continue being friends with the others. The rabbit says, Well, hes sick of you, said the rabbit. So when she wouldnt stop touching him, he reacted the only way he knew howby hitting her in self-defense. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? When someone dies 99.9% of the time you feel sad and mourn for that person. We can make the situation end differently, but George being his friend and knowing the conditions that Lennie is in I think it was a way of ending the story. How did Curley's wife die? He admits that he knew a tragedy like this might be a possibility: "I should of knew," George said hopelessly. All women (and men) have this potential when survival is at stake, the infamous Donner Party's cannibalism being an example. While the initial reaction to her death is a manhunt led by Curley, her death eventually leads to Lennie's death at the hands of George. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Lets take a closer look at each of these three possibilities. The dream is shattered in chapter 5 of Of Mice and Men. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. They are an unlikely pair: George is "small and quick and dark of face"; Lennie, a man of tremendous size, has the mind of a young child. After what happens between Lennie and Curley's wife in the barn, there's no turning back. This ties back into the idea that this is a universal story: a story relevant to the past, present, and future. Curley's wife can't represent all women except to the extent that insecurity and deprivation can drive one past the boundaries of social decorum and ethical behavior. Georges decision to kill Lennie was ultimately for his benefit. eNotes Editorial, 13 Mar. In Chapter 1, what does George tell Lennie to do if he gets in trouble at their new job site in Of Mice and Men? Of Mice and Men Essay In the fictional novella, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, George's decision to kill Lennie at the end of the novel was justified. George had to kill Lennie, unless he wanted Curley to get to Lennie. He was afraid that George would not let him be part of the dream anymore if Curley's wife got mad at him. The dream is over. He is unaware of how strong and powerful he is, and a theme of trouble and tragedy resulting from this uncontrollable strength emerges throughout the book. Consider this as you continue into the final chapter. She kept calling him nuts, and it upset him. The sad thing is is that he doesn't know how strong he really is, nor does he know what hes done wrong in the first place. Thats a thing I want ya to know (Steinbeck 106). His goals never to be achieved. Why does George kill Lennie in Of Mice and Men? There is a fine line between her loneliness and any flirting she does for affection or to get the men in trouble with Curley. Curley's wife is about to scream because she begins to panic. wright's silver cream dried out. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Curley's wife has no idea about Lennie's past history of unwitting violence and she certainly would not put herself in danger. on 50-99 accounts. interco interforce 30x10x14 weight. If Lennie killed her, they would be forced to flee, but at least they would be together. Throughout their journey, the author acquainted us with Lennie's tendency of stroking and petting soft things. Of Mice and Men Chapter 5 - Key Takeaways. The quote which states how Lennie dies also shows that George was nervous and hesitant in killing Lennie. Why did Curley's wife come to see Lennie? Le meilleur du shopping sur le net. She tries to. He's petting his dead puppy. Who does Candy blame for the death of Curley's wife? Unfortunately, because of Lennies childlike innocence, he doesnt always understand or remember these warnings. "In Of Mice and Men, how and why does Lennie kill Curley's wife?" Analyzes how george raised the gun and steadied it, and brought the muzzle close to the back of lennie's head. On the surface, Lennie crushes Curley's hand because George tells him to fight back. Was it an accident? Why Did Ty Leave Heartland Know The Exact Reason? What quotes show that Crooks is lonely in Of Mice and Menby John Steinbeck? This is the crux of the question posed in the story's final chapter. Immediately after accidentally killing Curley's wife, he thinks about George and he remembers his friend's instructions about going back to the . Of Mice and Men Chapter 5. When Lennie puts his hand over her mouth, Curley's wife starts to panic and struggle against Lennie's hold on her, likely believing his intentions to be violent or abusive. What happened that made George stop playing tricks on Lennie in Of Mice and Men? Curley's wife, who sashays in, has some advice: don't feel bad because the pup was just a mutt, and mutts are aplenty in the world. They share a good dream. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% George had to hit him over the head with a fence post to make him let go, and the woman accused Lennie of assaulting her. George kills him so he does not feel like Candy who felt very bad after letting a stranger kill his dog. He intends to lynch him or otherwise. In the previous chapters, there had always been the possibility that things would be okay. Getting Crooks's shotgun, he leads away the men in search of Lennie. A third possibility is that Lennie simply didnt understand his own strength. He says it's because he petted a long-haired one at a fair once. This is important, and it shows that Lennie is actually quite scary. Lenny then gets overwhelmed by the experience, grabs her hair too hard, and makes Curley's wife upset. In Of Mice and Men, how and why does Lennie kill Curley's wife? Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. He snaps her neck when attempting to silence her. Characters seem to find peace in death. Curleys wife had been coming on to him for days, despite his repeated attempts to rebuff her advances. She is purposefully flirtatious. Already a member? Curley knows Lennie did it. Not affiliated with Harvard College. What happened to Lennie's puppy. So when Curleys wife came into the bunkhouse and began flirting with Lennie, George may have seen it as an opportunity to finally be rid of his burden. In this frame, some of the responsibility lies in the unfortunate outcome of the social situation. In the first chapter of Of Mice and Men, what does George say to Lennie about how his life could be better without him? Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Historical Context Essay: The Great Depression, John Steinbeck and Of Mice and Men Background. Here is a chart of the characters and their dreams. Having married Curley, she resents the fact that she has to stay cooped in the house listening to Curley's bragging. Lennie panics when Curley's wife begins to scream and accidentally breaks her neck while attempting to silence her. I think there were several contributors to her death including Curley, George, Lennie, Slim, Crooks, and the world around her and herself. He thinks that Lennie had taken it to the meeting place. When Curley's wife attempts to console him, she discovers that he likes to pet soft things and allows him to feel her hair. Everything you need for your studies in one place. While some readers may see Lennie as nothing more than a brute, there is actually some motivation behind his actions in Of Mice and Men. Firstly, its important to understand that Lennie is not in full control of his mental faculties which leads him to act impulsively without understanding the consequences of his actions. The chapter opens with Lennie having accidentally killed his puppy. However, whether Lennie meant it or not, George was worried that Curley would find out and. Lennie made many troubles this might be because of his disability, but this is the reason that he deserves to live. He had small, Because she never received the letter promised. George misdirects the hunters, telling them to look for Lennie in the wrong direction. She is yelling because he is holding on to her hair and won't let go. This is very much in keeping with the novel's themes, though, because Lennie lacks control over his actions more than anyone else. More books than SparkNotes. One such situation occurs when he accidentally kills Curleys wife. Latest answer posted December 31, 2020 at 3:22:45 PM. Mostly the victims of Curley's cruelty were people he didn't like. Curley's wife is the only female character who is directly featured in the novel. This piece of evidence from the passage shows that Lennie did not mean to hurt Curleys wife. First and foremost, its important to understand that Lennie is not in full control of his mental faculties. Latest answer posted August 09, 2017 at 8:49:59 AM. He never realizes the serious nature of his actions and what the consequences will be. He should kill Lennie because Lennie cannot control his mind because of his mental problem even he did not mean to do the thing that he have done but George might have the better life If he did not have to take care of Lennie and at last if George did not kill Lennie, Curley will shoot Lennie. To save Lennie from Curleys wrath, possible imprisonment, and perhaps years of suffering, George takes Lennies. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. why does crooks relent in his taunting of lennie? Curley takes a shotgun and leads the hunt to kill Lennie. I tol you, Min George because hes such a nice fella an good to you. But you dont never take no care. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Question 6 30 seconds Q. Then Lennie grew angry. He does, but his big, clumsy fingers start to mess it up, and she angrily tells him to let go. Leaving her near his dead puppy, he runs away. What Led the Bella Twins to Leave WWE After 17 Years. Explains that after lennie killed curley's wife he fled from the ranch to his and george's safe spot. It just adds to the flames when Curley finds his wife dead in the barn. When George found Curley's Wife dead, he knew it was Lennie who ACCIDENTALLY killed her. She screams, and he covers her mouth. Lennie kills Curley's wife because of his inability to control his own strength and emotions. Interestingly, Steinbeck never gives Curley's wife a name, and no one asks. Yet they have formed a "family," clinging together in the face of loneliness and alienation. He likes animals and any small, soft thing that he can pet. That too is what Of Mice and Men is all about. Curley's wife lay with a half-covering of yellow hay. Unfortunately, in her panic, Curley's wife does not stop struggling against Lennie's hold, prompting Lennie to shake her. When she came into the barn, she was brandishing a deadly weapona broken bottleand she was clearly intent on doing him harm. Candy finds the body and alerts the others. The main reason George killed Lennie is because Lennie would have killed somebody again. George does not want to pull the trigger, but he knows that the further consequences of Lennies actions will only worsen. When Curleys wife visits Crookss stable, she admits in a moment of loneliness that she once dreamed of starring in movies, then quickly attacks each man with derogatory remarks. "I don't want you to yell. The others are playing horseshoes. The following quotes are all from Of Mice and Men chapter 5.
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