The definition of humane, according to Google, is “having or showing compassion or benevolence”, however the definition does not say that something humane is necessarily “right”. Sometimes, the most humane or compassionate thing to do in a particular situation actually may not seem like the right thing to do. This is definitely true when the choice has to do with ending the life of someone or something, because the matter of life and death always seems like the most important decision that could ever be made. In the novel Of Mice and Men, this model is used a lot. In this novel, ending the life of a disadvantaged character was the most humane thing to do because it prevented future pain and suffering.
One example of a humane decision that a character makes is when Slim decides to drown almost half of his pups. Slim is one of the workers at the ranch. Early in the book, his dog has nine pups, and Slim decides to drown four of the nine pups because he thinks that it is the most …show more content…
Candy is another one of the workers at the ranch who has an old dog that is disabled and sick. Candy has raised this dog from when it was a pup, so he has trouble making the decision of whether to shoot the dog because of his strong emotional attachment. Carlson, another worker, tells Candy, “He’s no good to you, Candy. And he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him, Candy?” (44). This quote shows how the other workers are trying to persuade Candy to shoot the dog, especially Carlson. Candy eventually listens to the other workers and he shoots the dog. He does this to prevent the dog from suffering further and to put an end to his misery. This example shows that Candy decided to shoot the dog because it was the most humane thing to do. In this situation, killing this disadvantaged character was the most humane thing to do because it prevented future pain and
One example of a humane decision that a character makes is when Slim decides to drown almost half of his pups. Slim is one of the workers at the ranch. Early in the book, his dog has nine pups, and Slim decides to drown four of the nine pups because he thinks that it is the most …show more content…
Candy is another one of the workers at the ranch who has an old dog that is disabled and sick. Candy has raised this dog from when it was a pup, so he has trouble making the decision of whether to shoot the dog because of his strong emotional attachment. Carlson, another worker, tells Candy, “He’s no good to you, Candy. And he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him, Candy?” (44). This quote shows how the other workers are trying to persuade Candy to shoot the dog, especially Carlson. Candy eventually listens to the other workers and he shoots the dog. He does this to prevent the dog from suffering further and to put an end to his misery. This example shows that Candy decided to shoot the dog because it was the most humane thing to do. In this situation, killing this disadvantaged character was the most humane thing to do because it prevented future pain and