Of Mice and Men

The ending of mice and men

1. Why did Steinbeck decide to have this ending where George shoots lennie?

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Last updated by Aslan
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Steinbeck is not one for happy endings. The tone, themes, and texture of the narrative does not support an ending that is happy. The desperation and futility the migrants feel is always lurking in the background. George and Lennie's dream of the farm seems within reach but Steinbeck's sense of realism always dictates his narrative. The whole story foreshadows this ending.

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