In “Of Mice and Men,” Slim is the moral compass within the ranch where the story unfolds.
He’s called the “prince of the ranch.”
Slim is a respected mule driver and holds an authoritative role over other ranch workers, including the main characters, George and Lennie, of whom he takes charge.
Slim displays exceptional leadership skills, with empathy at its core.
His unwavering sense of justice and understanding extends to Lennie and George’s unique friendship, and he shows compassion and support for George in the story’s poignant final stages.
Of Mice and Men Quotes With Page Numbers
Slim Character Description
In John Steinbeck’s novel, “Of Mice and Men,” Slim is a figure of authority, respect, and wisdom highly regarded by his peers.
He is tall, with a majestic aura likened to royalty and master craftsmen. He’s clad in a uniform of blue jeans and a short denim jacket, with long, straight, black, damp hair that he meticulously combs back.
Slim’s role as a “jerkline skinner” places him at the apex of the ranch hierarchy. So adept is he that he is capable of, metaphorically, ‘killing a fly on the wheeler’s butt with a bull whip without touching the mule,’ highlighting his precision and skill.
The gravity of his manner and the profound quietness of his speech never fail to garner the attention of others, rendering silence as he speaks. His authority is undeniable, and his words carry weight, overriding any topic, whether politics or love.
The narrator’s portrayal of Slim imbues him with profound wisdom and a keen sense of perception.
He is the jerkline skinner with an ageless face, where age ambiguity suggests his vast experience and timelessness. His large, lean hands, despite their size, are as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer — a testament to his finesse and artistry.
Notable, too, is his exceptional perception, described metaphorically as his “ear heard more than what was said to him.” His speech is measured and deliberate, replete with understanding that transcends thought.
With his sagacious demeanor and wisdom, Slim invites confidence without demanding it. He is respectful of others, as seen when he looks approvingly at George for complimenting him.
His friendly tone when asking George if they “travel around together” further underscores his approachable persona.
Ultimately, Steinbeck positions Slim as a social commentator.
Slim’s statement, “Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other,” provides a perspective on the human condition and societal fears, suggesting a collective fear of each other underneath conflicts and disputes.
Through Steinbeck’s meticulous character sketch, Slim emerges as a beacon of influence and moral center in the narrative of “Of Mice and Men.”
Slim Of Mice and Men Quotes
“I seen her give Slim the eye. Slim’s a jerkline skinner. Hell of a nice fella. Slim don’t need to wear no high-heeled boots on a grain team. I seen her give Slim the eye. Curley never seen it.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, George Milton about Slim and Curley’s Wife, Chapter 2, Page 28
“She smiled archly and twitched her body. “Nobody can’t blame a person for lookin’,” she said. There were footsteps behind her, going by. She turned her head. “Hi, Slim,” she said.
Slim’s voice came through the door. “Hi, Goodlookin’.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Curley’s Wife and Slim, Chapter 2, Page 31
“A tall man stood in the doorway. He held a crushed Stetson hat under his arm while he combed his long, black, damp hair straight back. Like the others he wore blue jeans and a short denim jacket. When he had finished combing his hair he moved into the room, and he moved with a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The narrator about Slim Chapter 2, Page 33
“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.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The narrator about Slim, Chapter 2, Pages 33, 34
“His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The narrator about Slim, Chapter 2, Page 33
“This was Slim, the jerkline skinner. His hatchet face was ageless. He might have been thirty-five or fifty. His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought. His hands, large and lean, were as delicate in their action as those of a temple dancer.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The narrator about Slim, Chapter 2, Pages 33, 34
“Slim looked through George and beyond him. “Ain’t many guys travel around together,” he mused. “I don’t know why. Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim to George, Chapter 2, Pages 33, 34
“His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The narrator about Slim, Chapter 2, Page 34
“Slim looked approvingly at George for having given the compliment. He leaned over the table and snapped the corner of a loose card. “You guys travel around together?” His tone was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The narrator about Slim, Chapter 2, Page 34
“His tone was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The narrator about Slim, Chapter 2, Page 34
“Slim sat down on a box across the table from George. He studied the solitaire hand that was upside down to him. “Hope you get on my team,” he said. His voice was very gentle. “I gotta pair of punks on my team that don’t know a barley bag from a blue ball. You guys ever bucked any barley?”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 2, Page 34
“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 2, Page 35
“These guys jus’ come,” said Slim by way of introduction.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 2, Page 35
“She slang her pups last night,” said Slim. “Nine of ’em. I drowned four of ’em right off. She couldn’t feed that many.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 2, Page 35
“Carlson stepped back to let Slim precede him, an then the two of them went out the door.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The Narrator about Slim and Carlson, Chapter 2, Page 36
“Slim stood up slowly and with dignity. “You guys better come on while they’s still something to eat. Won’t be nothing left in a couple of minutes.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 2, Page 36
“Slim and George came into the darkening bunk house together. Slim reached up over the card table and turned on the tin-shaded electric light. Instantly the table was brilliant with light, and the cone of the shade threw its brightness straight downward, leaving the corners of the bunk house still in dusk. Slim sat down on a box and George took his place opposite.
“It wasn’t nothing,” said Slim. “I would of had to drowned most of ’em anyways. No need to thank me about that.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 3, Page 38
“Say, you sure was right about him. Maybe he ain’t bright, but I never seen such a worker. He damn near killed his partner buckin’ barley. There ain’t nobody can keep up with him. God awmighty I never seen such a strong guy.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim about Lennie, Chapter 3, Page 40
“George looked over at Slim and saw the calm, Godlike eyes fastened on him.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, The Narrator about Slim, Chapter 3, Page 40
“Guy don’t need no sense to be a nice fella. Seems to me sometimes it jus’ works the other way around. Take a real smart guy and he ain’t hardly ever a nice fella.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 3, Page 40
“Slim sat in silence for a moment. “Didn’t hurt the girl none, huh?” he asked finally.
“Hell no. He just scared her. I’d be scared too, if he grabbed me. But he never hurt her. He jus’ wanted to touch that red dress, like he wants to pet them pups all the time.”
“He ain’t mean,” said Slim. “I can tell a mean guy from a mile off.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim and George about Lennie, Chapter 3, Page 42
“Carl’s right, Candy. That dog ain’t no good to himself. I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got old an’ a cripple.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 3, Page 45
” Slim had not moved. His calm eyes followed Lennie out the door.
…”He’s jes’ like kid, ain’t he.”“Sure he’s jes’ like a kid. There ain’t no more harm in him than a kid neither, except he’s so strong. I bet he won’t come in here to sleep tonight. He’d sleep right alongside that box in the barn. Well-let ‘im. He ain’t doin’ no harm out there.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim about Lennie Small, Chapter 3, Page 43
“I wisht somebody’d shoot me if I got old an’ a cripple.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 3, Page 45
“Candy looked helplessly at him, for Slim’s opinions were law.
“Maybe it’d hurt him,” he suggested. “I don’t mind takin’ care of him.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Candy about Slim, Chapter 3, Page 45
“Slim said, “Carlson.”
“Yeah?”
“You know what to do.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Carlson and Slim, Chapter 3, Page 48
“But you jus’ tell an’ try to get this guy canned and we’ll tell ever’body, an’ then will you get the laugh.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 3, Page 64
“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.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 3, Page 64
“Couldn’ we maybe bring him in an’ they’ll lock him up? He’s nuts, Slim. He never done this to be mean.”
Slim nodded. “We might,” he said. “If we could keep Curley in, we might, But Curley’s gonna want to shoot ‘im. Curley’s still mad about his hand. An’ s’pose they lock him up an’ strap him down and put him in a cage. That ain’t no good, George.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, George and Slim, Chapter 5, Page 97
“But George sat stiffly on the bank and looked at his right hand that had thrown the gun away.
The group burst into the clearing, and Curley was ahead. He saw Lennie lying on the sand.
“Got him, by God.” He went over and looked down at Lennie, and then he looked back at George. “Right
in the back of the head,” he said softly.
Slim came directly to George and sat down beside him, sat very close to him. “Never you mind,” said Slim. “A guy got to sometimes.”
But Carlson was standing over George.
“How’d you do it?” he asked.
“I just done it,” George said tiredly.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Carlson, and George, Chapter 6, Page 107
“Slim said, “You hadda, George. I swear you had-da. Come on with me.” He led George into the entrance of the trail and up toward the highway.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Carlson, and George, Chapter 6, Page 107
What is an important quote from Slim?
“Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other.”
~John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Slim, Chapter 2, Page 35
What quotes show Slim is respected?
Slim is depicted as a highly respected character with major authority. As a leader, he often exudes an aura of confidence and wisdom that commands admiration amongst his peers. This is strongly conveyed in several quotes from the novel.
- The narrator uses vivid descriptors in Chapter 2, Page 33, calling Slim’s motions “a majesty only achieved by royalty and master craftsmen,” suggesting a distinguished nature that others respect.
- In the same chapter, Slim’s authority is referenced by saying, “His authority was so great that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love.” This shows that Slim’s insights were so valued that his words could influence opinion in any sphere – evidence of profound respect.
- His understanding of situations, as implied by “His ear heard more than was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought,” in Chapter 2, Page 34, exemplifies a wisdom that naturally earns respect.
- Slim’s fairness and congeniality are portrayed in the same chapter: “His tone was friendly. It invited confidence without demanding it.”, suggesting an egalitarian mindset that encourages trust and respect from his peers.
- One of the other characters in the book, George, also exhibits his respect for Slim when he confides in him – a sign of Slim’s trustworthiness and understanding nature.
- In addition, Slim’s superior skills as a mule driver are recognised, further boosting his stature and respect amongst his peers.
From the quotes, Slim’s presence is evident. His wisdom, understanding, and authoritative disposition establish him as a figure of great esteem in “Of Mice and Men.”
Why is Slim important in mice and men?
Slim is an important character in “Of Mice and Men” because he represents the novel’s moral compass and is seen as a figure of natural authority among the ranch workers.
Despite being a ranch hand, his presence commands respect and acts with dignity and wisdom, setting him apart.
Furthermore, Steinbeck uses Slim to portray the complexities of human nature, including kindness, respect for privacy, and, at times, necessary ruthlessness, making him a multidimensional character vital to the narrative.
What does Slim symbolize In Of Mice and Men?
Slim represents the story’s moral compass, often dictating the consequences of actions in many scenarios, symbolizing justice in this uniquely self-contained ranch world.
Slim’s character embodies fairness, wisdom, and understanding, acting as the voice of authority and the standard of ethical behavior.
His character also represents the idealized male figure of toughness, skill, and judgment, contrasting with other characters’ flaws and weaknesses.