Slim In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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Slim Slim is the "prince of the ranch." He’s the consummate Western male: 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. He decides who is wrong and right, who’s been naughty, and who’s been nice. The other men recognize his superiority and never question his actions or decisions. Slim is also sensitive, but not overly so. He is the only one who understands George’s affinity for Lennie, and also the only one to comprehend the gravity of George’s final act for Lennie. As a ranch-man archetype, Slim represents the cool justice of the ranch world. While life isn’t always going to be pleasant, men like Slim can assure it will be fair, even if that means…show more content…
Curley’s wife’s running around is a source of constant concern for him, and he forever seems to be flitting around the ranch trying to track her down. While he boasts about his sexual prowess to the others, Curley’s constant concern over his wife (and his wife’s constant absence) indicate that for Curley, sexual power is a way to show masculinity, especially if he feels his small size compromises his manliness. Sadly, it’s clear that Curley lacks sexual power, and will seek some other way to show his strength, which mostly entails picking on the mentally slow Lennie. Curley doesn’t develop much (or at all, actually) over the course of the book, but he stands out as a character with whom the author simply does not sympathize. While everyone else is struggling, Curley’s busy picking fights and trying to throw his weight around his dad’s ranch. He seems outside of the economic struggle and even the personal struggle of the Depression. Curley’s the kind of jerk you need in contrast to the other characters. Also, we need someone to be the source of trouble among these men who mostly want to get along.
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