Character Choices by Robert

Character Choices by Robert - June 2022 Scholarship Essay

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the cornerstones of the American Dream. George Milton and Lennie Small were searching for their dream of being able to settle and live on their own land in the classic novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. George seemed to be Lennie’s best companion and protector, but in the end he was faced with a difficult decision that shattered the dream and took the life of Lennie. George made the painful decision to shoot his companion instead of having to go on the run from town to town in order to try to protect Lennie.
George and Lennie began searching for their dream and looking for a new ranch job because Lennie had been accused of a crime. They landed a new job at a ranch in the Salinas Valley in California. Immediately, they fell on the bad side of Curley, the boss’ son. One tragedy led to another. Lennie broke Curley’s hand in a fight. Later, Lennie was in the barn with puppies and accidentally killed one. Curley’s wife entered the barn and found him with the dead puppy. She tried to comfort Lennie by letting him touch her soft hair. He grabbed her hair and she panicked at his strength. He reacted and unintentionally broke her neck, leading to another death and tragedy in the story. When her body was found, a search party was sent out to find Lennie. George found Lennie in the brush which was their pre-arranged hiding spot. George then made the decision to kill Lennie and end the possibility of achieving the dream.
I do not agree with George’s choice to kill Lennie. At first, George and Lennie’s friendship seemed inseparable. Lennie was mentally handicapped and depended on George for protection and security. George exemplified the trait of responsibility by caring for Lennie. The decision to kill Lennie revealed that George had finally given up all hope on his best friend and their dream. George had lost all hope and felt that killing Lennie would make sure he did not have to live with the fact they may have never achieved their dream.
In my eyes, a person’s character is a complex web of decisions, actions, and responses to every situation in life. Our character has a large weight on whether we succeed or fail. I will continue to learn and build my character as I continue my education. It is my goal to be utilized as a leader in classrooms and student groups. I feel that one of my strongest traits is the ability to get along and bring out the best in others. I strive to succeed and help others around me do the same. Strong character traits will lead to success in my future career. Martin Luther King Jr., a great leader, once stated that “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.” Strong character combined with strong education can lead to the achievement of the American Dream.