Marya Mannes once said, “Euthanasia… is simply to be able to die with dignity at a moment when life is devoid of it.” Euthanasia, which can be defined as induced death free of pain and anxiety has often been used in medical procedures to allow patients to die a peaceful death. There are various forms of euthanasia that have been used, one being non-voluntary euthanasia in which someone connected to the patient makes the final decision due to their lack of ability to answer for themselves. This highly debatable topic was portrayed in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, where George shoots his disabled friend, Lennie, towards the end of the book using this method. Because of his close relationship with Lennie, George was justified in shooting
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They make a little stake an’ then they blow it in. They ain’t got nobody in the worl’ that gives a hoot in hell about ‘em--... But not us… Because I got you an’--... An’ I got you. We got each other, that’s what, that gives a hoot in hell about us’” (Steinbeck 104). Evidently, George’s final encounter with Lennie proves how he genuinely treated Lennie as a close person in his life. This justifies his action of shooting Lennie as he considered their friendship, memories, and his right to let his best friend die without suffering. George’s statement that they are the only ones who are worried about each other comes to show how he feels towards Lennie. In addition, as someone related to an incapable patient, that person can get the right to carry out the patient’s final request, known as an advance directive. In the pamphlet Questions and Answers: Advance Directive and End-Of-Life Decisions, individuals have the option of using advance directives to determine their future medical wishes and the chance to appoint close ones to follow through with those decisions (The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization). Important to note, advance …show more content…
Upon discovering his wife’s dead body in the barn, Curley immediately began to search for Lennie as he wanted to shoot him in an extremely brutal manner. He states, “‘I’ll shoot ‘im [Lennie] in the guts,’” followed by Slim saying, “‘But Curley’s gonna want to shoot ‘im. Curley’s still made about his hand. An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage’” (Steinbeck 96-97). Notably, Slim’s statement verifies that Lennie would have been punished strictly, most likely through a mental institution for his wrongdoings. This demonstrates that at the time, Lennie would have died painfully as there was no tolerance for any abnormal behavior. Therefore, his demise through euthanasia prevented him from the torture that he would have experienced. Most times, a painless death is what the majority of people prefer as they reach their end. Through euthanasia, one does not have to die in agony. Based on the article Voluntary Active Euthanasia, a director at the University Program in Ethics and Health at the Harvard Medical School declared, “One last good consequence of legalizing euthanasia is that once death has been accepted, it is often more humane to end life quickly and peacefully, when that is what the patient wants” (Brock). Undoubtedly, a large number of people yearn for a death that does not cause them
They make a little stake an’ then they blow it in. They ain’t got nobody in the worl’ that gives a hoot in hell about ‘em--... But not us… Because I got you an’--... An’ I got you. We got each other, that’s what, that gives a hoot in hell about us’” (Steinbeck 104). Evidently, George’s final encounter with Lennie proves how he genuinely treated Lennie as a close person in his life. This justifies his action of shooting Lennie as he considered their friendship, memories, and his right to let his best friend die without suffering. George’s statement that they are the only ones who are worried about each other comes to show how he feels towards Lennie. In addition, as someone related to an incapable patient, that person can get the right to carry out the patient’s final request, known as an advance directive. In the pamphlet Questions and Answers: Advance Directive and End-Of-Life Decisions, individuals have the option of using advance directives to determine their future medical wishes and the chance to appoint close ones to follow through with those decisions (The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization). Important to note, advance …show more content…
Upon discovering his wife’s dead body in the barn, Curley immediately began to search for Lennie as he wanted to shoot him in an extremely brutal manner. He states, “‘I’ll shoot ‘im [Lennie] in the guts,’” followed by Slim saying, “‘But Curley’s gonna want to shoot ‘im. Curley’s still made about his hand. An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage’” (Steinbeck 96-97). Notably, Slim’s statement verifies that Lennie would have been punished strictly, most likely through a mental institution for his wrongdoings. This demonstrates that at the time, Lennie would have died painfully as there was no tolerance for any abnormal behavior. Therefore, his demise through euthanasia prevented him from the torture that he would have experienced. Most times, a painless death is what the majority of people prefer as they reach their end. Through euthanasia, one does not have to die in agony. Based on the article Voluntary Active Euthanasia, a director at the University Program in Ethics and Health at the Harvard Medical School declared, “One last good consequence of legalizing euthanasia is that once death has been accepted, it is often more humane to end life quickly and peacefully, when that is what the patient wants” (Brock). Undoubtedly, a large number of people yearn for a death that does not cause them