A Dog Named Lennie

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is pushed to side and responded to with ignorance and a lack of understanding. George knew Lennie would not be able to survive, and Candy knew his dog’s health was declining rapidly. He saw how his dog was getting weaker and more frail as time went on. George and Candy knew the pain that Lennie and the dog were going through. Both acts were done out of love and sympathy for the other.

The loss of a close companion is never an easy occasion. When a loved one dies, many people become more occupied with their death rather than focussing on life. Mourning is a process that can ingulf a person’s day to day life. The first dog I ever owned was a golden retriever by the name of Dillon. Dillon was an explorer, he would always run out and wander whenever he got the chance. The weekend of the fourth of July, my father and I had gone to New York City and had left Dillon in the house. When we returned, he was gone. I do not know what happened to him, but he was a great loss. He dreaded wearing his collar when he was in the house, so he was not wearing it for the two days that we were gone. His tag became a prized item to me. I had no say in whether or not my dog was taken out of my life. The amount of effort it took for George to be the one to kill Lennie must have been tremendous.

How did George’s life continue without having Lennie in it? As stated previously, mourning follows the loss of a loved one. Does George sulk over the death of Lennie or does he move on and eventually get to own the little piece of land that he and Lennie always dreamt about? Would the events in the novel unfolded the way they did if Candy’s dog were never part of the narrative? Maybe the scenario in which Candy’s dog is shot is the turning point for George. At that moment, he saw that it was best to put the dog out of its misery rather than let it live a life in pain. Does George regret his decision?

In conclusion, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men metaphorically compares Lennie and Candy’s dog by making them both dependent on someone, continuously referring to Lennie as an animal, and ultimately, making both of their deaths almost identical. The outcome of George’s life after Lennie’s death is going to remain a mystery to the reader. The death of Lennie could very well be the end of all of George’s dreaming. Once Lennie died, so did the dream. George could have easily spent the rest of his days regretting his choice to kill Lennie. But there is still the possibility that George went on with his life and continued to work for the dream that he and Lennie strived for. The way George and Candy decide to cope with their loss could either mirror each other perfectly or differ immensely. The companions that they lost impacted their lives indefinitely, the way they chose to handle the experiences that their partners gave them could ultimately determine what kind of life they lead from that point on.