“In the 1960s and ’70s he worked as a staff pathologist at hospitals in Michigan and southern California; then in 1982 he retired from practice and began to devote full time to his mission: helping patients end their lives.” Jack Kevorkian was an American physician who performed a medical practice called euthanasia on his patients. Euthanasia can be defined as “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or irreversible coma”, and the practice also happens to be illegal in most countries. Euthanasia takes on an important role in the novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, as it displays why the character, George, was justified in shooting Lennie. Lennie, if he had lived, would have gone through a life
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Restating the definition, euthanasia is known as “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or irreversible coma”. Although Lennie’s death was not an act identifying as medical practice, George killed Lennie when he was in a state of agony and it’s definite that Lennie would live a life in pain if he lived. Once Curley discovers that Lennie had killed his wife, he states that he was going to make Lennie suffer, and the possibilities of what would’ve happened to Lennie if George had not shot him would range from being shot in the stomach (by Curley), being reported to police which would lead to lynching, and being imprisoned for life. No matter what, if Lennie had not been shot by George, he would have lived a life of agony and there is a little to no chance that Lennie could have escaped from this dreadful outcome. Lennie before his death can be compared to a patient with a terminal disease who would also live their life in extreme pain, and when George kills Lennie it is related to euthanasia practiced by doctors. When Carlson puts Candy’s dog down, he states " I'll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with". Euthanasia is practiced on both animals and humans, and therefore this quote appropriately symbolizes Lennie’s situation and George’s reasoning for shooting
Restating the definition, euthanasia is known as “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or irreversible coma”. Although Lennie’s death was not an act identifying as medical practice, George killed Lennie when he was in a state of agony and it’s definite that Lennie would live a life in pain if he lived. Once Curley discovers that Lennie had killed his wife, he states that he was going to make Lennie suffer, and the possibilities of what would’ve happened to Lennie if George had not shot him would range from being shot in the stomach (by Curley), being reported to police which would lead to lynching, and being imprisoned for life. No matter what, if Lennie had not been shot by George, he would have lived a life of agony and there is a little to no chance that Lennie could have escaped from this dreadful outcome. Lennie before his death can be compared to a patient with a terminal disease who would also live their life in extreme pain, and when George kills Lennie it is related to euthanasia practiced by doctors. When Carlson puts Candy’s dog down, he states " I'll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with". Euthanasia is practiced on both animals and humans, and therefore this quote appropriately symbolizes Lennie’s situation and George’s reasoning for shooting