Of Mice and Men — After Chapter 5: Why George Must Act and How Slim Supports Him

Context (what happens in Chapter 5)
In Chapter 5 Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife in the barn. Once the body is found, Curley and the other men organize a vengeful pursuit. Lennie, terrified, remembers George’s instruction to go to the brush by the river if anything goes wrong and hides there.

What George must do
Because of what happens in Chapter 5, George is forced to make a terrible choice. His realistic options are: (a) let the men catch Lennie, which would almost certainly mean a brutal lynching or worse, (b) try to spirit Lennie away and live on the run (unrealistic given the search and Lennie’s condition), or (c) end Lennie’s life himself, quickly and mercifully, before the mob finds him. George chooses option (c). The reasoning behind that decision is: he wants to spare Lennie from fear, torture, and a painful public death; to protect Lennie from his own lack of control; and to take responsibility for Lennie himself rather than allow others to have savage revenge.

How Slim contributes to the decision
Although the final act of mercy takes place in Chapter 6, Slim’s role is established right after Chapter 5 and is crucial in two ways:

1. Emotional and moral support: Slim is the only other character who truly understands the burden George carries. He recognizes the harsh necessity of what must be done and gives George quiet, humane sympathy. That understanding helps George accept that the mercy killing is the least cruel option.
2. Practical and social help: After the act, Slim helps shield George from further ostracism. He offers to back George up and consoles him so George does not face the men’s condemnation alone. Slim’s authority and calm make it easier for the others to accept (or at least not utterly condemn) what George did.

Short summary
After Chapter 5, George must decide to prevent a worse fate for Lennie — he must put Lennie out of his misery himself rather than let a vengeful mob do it. Slim’s contribution is to understand and support George, both morally and practically, giving George the human sympathy and social cover he needs to carry out that painful choice.

Note: The killing itself happens in Chapter 6, but the events and consequences that force George into that decision are set up in Chapter 5.