George Milton and Slim of Of Mice and
Men both possess innate qualities which enable them to attain dignity; George
is perceptive and intelligent and Slim has "god-like eyes" and ears that hear more than
is said to him; he has an expertise that endows him "with a majesty only achieved by
royalty and master craftsmen." He is "the prince of the farm" because he can handle
twenty mules with only one rein. His manner is such that his authority is "so great that
his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or
love."
While George, being new, must earn his dignity, Slim
has already attained recognition. From their arrival at the bunkhouse, there is no one
who ridicules George and Lennie. George insists on cleanliness from the moment that he
arrives in the bunkhouse. After Curley threatens to fight Lennie, Lennie begs George,
"Don't let him sock me, George." So, George explains that they will be fired if
anything happens, but later tells Lennie,
"Don't let him pull you in--but--if the son-of-a-
___socks you--let 'im have
it."
In this way, Lennie and
he will not be humiliated, George reasons.
In response to
Slim's "calm invitation to confidence," George talks with him about how other men are
lonely, but he has Lennie as a friend. While they converse, Slim neither encourages nor
discourages him. "He just sat back quiet and receptive," treating George with respect.
Always dignified, Slim's eyes are "level and unwinking" and
calm.
In the final scene of the novel, Slim consoles
George, dignifying George's act by telling him, "You hadda George, I swear you
hadda." Then, he offers to take George to have a drink, walking with his arm around
George's back.
No comments:
Post a Comment