What do we learn about Slim and his personality?

A tall, strong, quiet, and craggy-faced laborer on the ranch who works as a mule driver. Slim has an ageless, inscrutable face and a reserved disposition, and his physical power and commanding nature make him something of an authority figure to the other ranch hands. In spite of his intimidating appearance, Slim has a sensitive side, and is the only one to comfort George after the death of Lennie.

Slim is an interesting character in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’. Steinbeck presents him as a god-like figure who has natural authority and contrasts dramatically with Curley, for instance.

Slim is introduced slowly, which is different from the other characters; who the reader is mainly acquainted with very quickly. The fact that Steinbeck has done this suggests that there is a lot to take in about Slim, so he immediately in our minds as a complex character.

You gradually learn more and more about him rather than just having the first description like with many of the other characters. The diversity between him and Curley or Curley’s wife is clear with Steinbeck introducing him as a positive person; ‘moved with majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen’

Steinbeck presents him as a cut above the rest of the ranch workers the fact that royalty is mentioned is particularly significant because they are the most important humans so if a ranch worker can act like them he must be very special. Steinbeck portrays him as having natural authority and prestige.

Steinbeck shows Slim as a very respected character in the novel, ‘all talk stopped when he spoke’ the other characters are so keen to listen to whatever Slim might say that they simply stop so they can hear because he is the most important ranch worker. ‘Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him’ is also a key sentence about Slim’s jurisdiction over the others. The fact that he is being allowed to precede the others is a clever way in which Steinbeck has used language to show sovereignty and that he is presenting Slim as powerful over the others.

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The way Steinbeck represents Slim does show him as never being domineering. ‘His tone was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it’ as he is not insisting upon confidence it suggests that Steinbeck is insinuating that Slim respects other people’s privacy and other people just as they respect him. This contrasts him fiercely with the other figures of authority in the book because he has not asked for it, he does not wear ‘high heeled boots’ he works but works so well and is so kind that the characters naturally respect him.

However, Slim can be ruthless, ‘I drowned four of ‘em right off.’ Steinbeck has added this into Slim’s character to try and make it shown that he is not always lovely and kind ‘drowned’ is especially notable because he has killed four puppies and ‘right off’ shows that he did not even hesitate to do it. Steinbeck is adding some color and showing that Slim can be brutal.

Later on, Steinbeck again suggests this with, ‘that dog ain’t no good’ because he is yet again supporting the death of a dog. Slim does act on good intentions though; he drowned the puppies because ‘She couldn’t feed that many’ and they would probably have died anyway. Steinbeck does this to make sure that Slim is still seen in a positive light by the reader.

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John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men: Summary

It has to be noted that it is not just the characters who look up to Slim and show his good character, it is also the narrator of the novel. The narrator is omniscient and ‘talks’ in the third person and it is still supporting the positive view of Slim. ‘Prince of the ranch’ is ‘spoken’ by the narrator and is consistent with the overall image of Slim which Steinbeck offers us. Prince is a particularly interesting word choice because it shows that Slim is seen as, on par with Curley and the boss authority-wise.

But Slim has the power because he has been given while they have given it to themselves. In some ways being called Prince is more flattering than a king would be because Kings are seen with disfavor if they make bad choices. They are the ones who are blamed if something goes wrong. They can also be manipulative and dictators, whereas Princes are not seen in the same light.

This is particularly relevant in the context because if someone disobeyed the Boss of the ranch then they would be ‘canned’ or fired. It is ironic that the narrator, who is all-seeing, describes Slim like this because it is a God-like figure itself and is then showing Slim as one.

Slim, the “jerkline skinner,” is a figure of natural authority. He commands the respect of the other men through his professional skill and his strength of character, “a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke.” Slim is contrasted with Curley, who has authority over the other workers due to his status as the boss’s son but struggles to earn their respect. For instance, while Curley wears “high-heeled boots” to make up for his short stature and remind the workers of his wealth and status, Candy explains pointedly that Slim “don’t need to wear no high-heeled boots on a grain team.” Unlike aggressive and cruel Curley, Slim is a source of moral authority in the novella. He correctly sees that Lennie “ain’t mean,” and later the reader learns that he is one of the only men to ignore the racist prohibition against entering Crooks’s room. Slim is also the only one to rightly understand that George kills Lennie out of mercy, and comforts George in his resulting misery. The contrast between Slim and Curley serves to suggest that the economic power of Curley and his father is artificial, a violation of the natural order in which Slim ought to rank highest.

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Slim is the "prince of the ranch." He's the consummate Western man: masterful, strong, fair-minded, practical, non-talkative, and exceptionally good at what he does. He is a god among men, and his word on any subject is law. Do you want it in Steinbeck's own words?

…he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsman. He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders. He was capable of killing a fly on the wheeler's butt with a bull whip without touching the mule. There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke, His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. (2.170)

Simmer down, Steinbeck. We're pretty sure the feeling isn't mutual.

Naughty or Nice?

Slim's "authority" means that he gets to decide who deserves justice, and who deserves a little leniency. He's good at reading character, saying "I can tell a mean guy from a mile off" (3.28)—and, unlike some other people in the novel, he's not saying that out of ego. It's just true.

When Slim does lie, he lies for the good of the group or to protect the weak. After Lennie crushes Curley's hand, Slim tells Curley what to do: "I think you got your han' caught in a machine. If you don't tell nobody what happened, we ain't going to. But you jus' tell an' try to get this guy canned and we'll tell ever'body, an' then will you get the laugh" (3.259-260).

This is the kind of lie where you tell your friend that you like her new haircut because you don't want to hurt her feelings: the damage has been done, and now you just have to try to smooth it over until the bangs grow back. As unofficial judge and jury of the ranch, Slim gets to decide who's in the right (Lennie) and what the punishment is (not being able to retaliate).

Manly Man

In the end, Slim is the only one who understand what George has done—and why. As the novel's moral center (and possible author avatar), he okays the mercy killing: Never you mind," he says to George: "A guy got to sometimes" (6.96). According to Slim's Man Code, if someone has to die, it's better to do it yourself. You can't let a stranger kill your friends.

If that's not love, we don't know what is.