Open Prompt

2002. Morally ambiguous characters—characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good—are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which the morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

Moral ambiguity is commonplace in literature, not just with minor characters, but with main characters as well. George Milton from Of Mice and Men is a morally ambiguous character that contributes significantly to the plotline of the novel when he does certain acts that can make readers question his motives. Through these many acts, George can be seen either as morally good or morally evil, and his questionable morality can ultimately be seen through the death of Lennie Smalls.

During the heart of the Great Depression, George and Lennie arrive on a ranch to find work. When they first arrive near the ranch, it is shown that George is a morally sound man, shown as a caretaker for Lennie, warning him against drinking dirty water. Even though it seems to be this way, there are points in the novel in which readers can question George’s true morality. Such a moment occurs when George prompts Lennie to punch Curly. Had George not prompted Lennie to do such a deed, many of their problems would not have occurred, which can make George a morally ambiguous character. George also forces readers to question his morality when he kills Lennie near the end of the novel. Although some may say that this is an act of love, like Slim believed, it is also arguable whether or not it actually was out of love. Although George loves Lennie very much, due to the moral ambiguity of his actions, it can be seen that at times, George is slightly annoyed and impatient, which can leads to the moral ambiguity in this novel.

Moral ambiguity is significant to many works of literature, and in George’s case, is no different. George, arguably one of the most important characters in Of Mice and Men, creates many problems due to his moral ambiguity, with the outcome being the death of Lennie. George’s moral ambiguity caused many questions to arise from the novel, such as his true affections for Lennie; sometimes, it seems that George is only taking care of Lennie due to his prior commitment to Lennie’s aunt, while at other times, it seems as if George genuinely cares about Lennie. This inner banter, shown through moral ambiguity, is essential, creating part of the conflict in this novel.

Although George and Lennie appear to be friends on the surface, many of George’s morally ambiguous actions make readers question the truth, causing part of the conflict. Had George not been so morally ambiguous, the novel would be missing an essential plotline, making George, the morally ambiguous character, all the more important to the plotline and to the novel as a whole.