At the end of "Of Mice and Men", George shoots Lennie in the back of the head to spare him from Curley’s wrath. This decision was made to protect Lennie, who had accidentally killed Curley’s wife. Before shooting Lennie, George recites their shared dream of owning a farm together one final time. The ending of the book demonstrates one of its central ideas: according to the rules of the American economy, the weak and vulnerable cannot survive.