Of Mice and Men Forum

             The strory was great!!!!!!!

Interesting question! 

I think George is a decent, honest, moral man.  He is also not selfish.  I view suicide as an act of selfishness, because of the pain that the loved ones feel. 

In moving on, George becomes what he had predicted for himself every time he talked about his and Lennie's dream: a guy alone, going from ranch to ranch and spending his money on booze and women, with no friends and nothing to look forward to.

well he doesnt have any family so how is it selfish if his lonley int tha his own choice

Thalia, you talk as if you WISH George would kill himself.  That's disturbing . . .

What point would there be in George's death?

Steinbeck has a purpose to everything in the novel.  If George were to commit suicide, the point would be lost.  Having Lennie and the dream made life better for George.  The friend and the ranch to look forward to sets George and Lennie apart from the other men.  At the end of the novel, George is no longer different.  He is just like all the other men.  Many of them have no family either, but they don't go and kill themselves.  They make the best life they can.  Even though Lennie is a pain to have around and George doubts that the ranch dream will ever happen, these two things are special to him. 

"The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry" is the point of the novel.  All George and Lennie's (and Candy's) plans are ruined at the end of the novel.  THAT is Steinbeck's point.  Having George kill himself accomplishes nothing.

Why would George kill himself? He has no reason to, Lennie wouldnt want anything to happen to George. George can now live knowing Lennie isn't out getting into trouble and he can enjoy the rest of his life and remember Lennie as a good friend.

maybe he thought that if he did thsat then they wou;d be remembered as the man who was killed by his "owner" who then killed himself and he didt want lennies name smudged like that

Pixie, surely not matter how much George would want to know Lennie isnt out getting in trouble, i doubt he would be able to just enjoy the rest of his life and just remember Lennie as a friend. They were life long partners. Lennie's child like posture and mannor would maybe have annoyed George as some stages, but he obviously deeply loved him, thats why he protected him all of the time. Ray C, thats is a good point, George would never have wanted Lennie's name smudged like that, if George had killed himself, what would that have solved ? nothing really.

no kris
that answer fails

i agree with lionel, george wont enjoy his life, he will grieve for lennie, then become angry, and turn into a cynical and pessimistic person like the other guys on the ranch. Lennie kept george from becoming that person by always staying hopeful and optimistic and never forgetting about the dream. That is the most important thing to Lennie, that is one of the few things Lennie remembers. so no, i don't think he will have a good life. Before they go to work on the ranch, when they sleep outside George has a go at Lennie, so he says he will leave but George won't let him.