The Character Of Slim In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Many people strive to be kindhearted people, but everyone has their flaws. Steinbeck, author of the novella, Of Mice and Men, illustrates surprisingly real characters. Although he creates particularly authentic characters, he also creates one who seems to do no wrong. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, Slim is presented to the audience as a flat and static character.

Steinbeck best represents Slim’s character where George decides to tell Slim what actually happened in Weed, where Slim is repeatedly shown and treated as a trusted adult-like figure to the men, therefore flat. Within the first few pages of the book, Slim is viewed as a trustworthy person. More specifically, when George reveals how Lennie gets “mixed up, and holds

on ‘cause that’s the only thing he think he can do…”(Steinbeck 40) Slim listens without judgement. Being aware that Slim is a trustworthy person, George trusts Slim with one of their biggest secrets. George and Lennie have only just met Slim, and despite it being their biggest secret, which could very well get them fired, they share Lennie’s mental disability with Slim. Not only does the audience this trustworthy behavior here, but again when Curley assaults Lennie. When George and Lennie begin to worry, they will be fired and will be forced to find new work, Slim proceeds to tell Curley “If you don’t tell nobody what happened, then we ain’t going to... [Curley responds] I won’t tell”(Steinbeck 65-66). Curley, the greedy and selfish land owner’s son, succumbs to Slim’s idea to not tell anyone. Needles to say, even though Curley is higher on the totem pole, he listens to Slim as though he has a higher position. Steinbeck uses indirect characterization to show what a benevolent person Slim is, and can persuade anyone to agree with him as George and even Curley feel they can trust him with secrets they would rather not tell. Since Steinbeck only shows us Slim as an admirable person who can do no wrong who doesn’t show any depth he is ultimately viewed as a simple flat character.
Steinbeck best portrays Slim as a static character in the beginning when we encounter Slim sympathizing and showing Candy he care’s when his dog is killed.

Not too far from the scene where George decides to reveal Lennie’s mental disability, we see Slim showing empathy for Candy, as he offers him “any one of them pups you[he] want[s]”(Steinbeck 48). Since Slim is aware of what Candy is going through and how he’s feeling, he offers Candy any puppy he wants. Slim is a caring person , and we see through a great deal of indirect characterization, mostly the way he acts towards people. Slim takes consideration of Candy’s feeling’s, offers him something that will get him into better spirt’s, and reassures Candy that it is the right decision. These same behaviors are seen again, at the end. In the aftermath of the chaos caused by Lennie, George kills Lennie. After George has killed Lennie automatically he seems to regret his decision, and questions himself. Within seconds, Slim shows up and offers to buy George a drink and reassures George, saying that it was the only way, and “You hadda, George”(Steinbeck 107). Slim knows that George doubts himself, so he attempts to put George’s mind at ease. Slim is using the same caring ways and attitude with George that he used with Candy. As a result, we see no change whatsoever in Slim. Since Slim is seen showing no change, he is without a doubt static.

From the word go the audience sees Slim as a responsible, caring, parent-like figure whose

character has no diversity, and can do no wrong. Although it could be questioned why Steinbeck wrote Slim as such a perfect person, it can also be said that he created an incredibly gracious character who cares for George and Candy in their times of need.