English Literature
Of Mice and Men
Shoaib Safdar Q. Comment on Slims relationship with the other ranch workers. During the 1930’s, migrant workers had no friends and family. They lived miserable, disappointing lives searching for the American Dream. Peoples goals and dreams were not only unattainable but impossible to reach due to the events which occurred in the time, wall street crash and the great depression. Slim in the book is represented as an opposite. Steinbeck presents him as a kindly figure who everyone respected and listened to, “he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen.” He provides a contrast to all the discrimination and depression which goes on in the book. Steinbeck created the character to bring to life the feeling of hope in a time when despair was widespread among workers. He did this by making Slim defy the belief that no one could attain respect and friendship. Slim is placed into the book intentionally to show readers of how society should be and that people in the world should aspire to be like him. He is an important character and is placed at every crucial moment in the novel which allows us to see how he would react to and judge the situations. For example he is present when; Carlson tries to force Candy into shooting his dog, finding the body of Curley’s wife, Curley’s hand being crushed and after the shooting of
Lennie.

Slim embodies Steinbecks character in the novel, he sees him as a sort of hero and describes his eyes as, ‘God­like’. If there's one character that Steinbeck or the readers would choose to be, it would be Slim. He was kind. A skillful worker. Respected and always described as trustworthy. This is evident in his relationship with crooks, it was a time when racism was the norm. However Slim was the only one on the ranch who had respect for Crooks, the other workers often called Crooks, ‘nigger’, other than Slim. Crooks always calls Slim, ‘Mr Slim this shows respect and how grateful he is for Slim not seeing him as an opposite. Another relationship that highlights Slims favourable