George Shoots Lennie

As the voices of the pursuing men grow closer, George raises the Luger, his hand shaking violently. He steadies it, brings the muzzle close to the back of Lennie's head, and pulls the trigger. The shot echoes through the hills, and Lennie jars and settles forward onto the sand, dead without quivering. George shivers, looks at the gun, and throws it away onto the bank. This is the novel's climax: George's mercy killing of his friend to spare him from a more brutal death at Curley's hands. It is an act of profound love and tragedy, ending the dream forever.