has george finally followed through on the threat to abandon lennie? why does george shoot lennie in the middle of their imagining the farm one last time?
This can be seen as nothing more thane pure compassion for Lennie. George has no other option. The men, including the sadist Curley, are hunting Lennie down. Lennie's best case scenario is to be locked up in a cage and as Slim points out, "that ain't no way to live". George does what had to be done. The pain George feels is palpable. He turns Lennie around and asks him to look at the horizon. George recites their dream so they can both imagine being there one last time. With the flickering thoughts of the happy farm floating through Lennie's brain, George shoots him in the head. It is an act of love that is much harder on George as it is to Lennie.
