n the book Of Mice and Men, there are two characters the author, John Steinbeck, portrays. One, Curley, is a selfish, arrogant, and boastful man; compared to Slim, a reliable, trustworthy, and modest man. Therefore, Slim and Curley are Steinbeck’s examples of the best kind of man and the worst kind of man. Curley is a character that is not looked up to.
“His eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George and Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists” (25).
Just by the way Curly stands towards George and Lennie, they know Curley will look for a way to get Lennie “canned.” Curley doesn’t like Lennie because Lennie is bigger than he. George tells Lennie to always be aware of Curley and to keep his distance. “‘Look, Lennie.
You try to keep away from him, will you? Don’t ever speak to him. If he comes in here you move clear to the other side of the room'” (29).
Even the first time George and Lennie saw Curley, they knew he would be trouble. George warned Lennie about Curley.
Lennie understood and trusted George. Curley is deceitful, jealous, pugnacious, and rude. Based on the above description, Slim seems like more of a well-liked man. Slim is a good friend, a good leader, and a very understanding man. “There was a gravity in his manner and had 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 is Slim, the jerk line skinner… His ear heard more than what was said to him, and his slow speech had overtones not of thought, but of understanding beyond thought” (33, 34).
The Essay on “Of Mice and Men”: George’s actions at the end of the novel
... their relationship was special. ( George tells Slim this). Killing Lennie wasn’t just the easy way out for George. Once again, an original ... also prevented a further painful and torturous death for Lennie, as Curley plans to ‘shoot that big bastard’s guts right ... was really no chance of the men actually getting the ranch. By killing Lennie, George puts an end to the unrealistic ...
Everyone could see that Slim wasn’t just an all-around good person outside, but even more so inside his heart, but if he needed to be strict, he was. “Curley said, ‘Well, I didn’t mean nothing, Slim. I just ast you.’ Slim said, ‘Well you been askin’ me too often.
I’m gettin’ God damn sick of it. If you can’t look after your own God damn wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay offa me'” (62).
Slim stood up for himself when Curley kept asking Slim about Curley’s wife. Slim wasn’t scared of Curley, and he wasn’t about to let Curley run his life. Slim has fine characteristics and a loving heart. Curley can be cruel, selfish, and down right mean.
Slim is a better man in comparison to Curley. In conclusion, Slim has positive characteristics, unlike Curley who has a bad attitude and a negative personality. In this book, Steinbeck writes descriptively the traits of each character. Slim is the example of the best kind of man, and Curley, on the other hand, is portrayed as the worst kind of man.
