Why is Slim at the top of the bunkhouse hierarchy? After reading the second chapter Of Mice and Men, Slim is noticed as a man who is thoughtful, a hard worker, and a really good fellow. Throughout these two chapters the reader notices that Slim is not like the other guys. The other guys are not nice to anyone and they do not care about anyone but themselves. Slim is different. He cares for his fellow worker which makes him the “one in a million” fellow in the bunkhouse. Slim is seen by others as being at the top. First of all, Slim is thoughtful to everyone he meets.
He makes everyone feel comfortable by greeting all who came to the farm. “It’s brighter’n a bitch outside,” he said gently. “Can’t hardly see nothing in here. You the new guys? ” “Just come,” said George. “Gonna buck barley? ”“That’s what the boss says. ” 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. You can infer that Slim is willing to let work hard with his new workers. Everyone addresses Slim as a 100 year old man with a dog that is as old as him and he has had the dog since kindergarten.
Slim’s thinks of all creatures not just those that walk on two legs. Second, Slim is a hard worker. He does what he is told to do when he is told. For example, “I gotta pair of punks on my team that don’t know abarley bag from a blue ball. You guys ever bucked any barley? ” “Hell, yes,” said George. “I ain’t nothing to scream about, but that big bastard there can put up more grain alone than most pairs can. ” You can tell that Slim doesn’t want to get in trouble because his team doesn’t know how to buck barley so he wants people on his team that know how to so that he doesn’t get fired or get in trouble.
Lastly, Slim is a really good fellow. He will be willing to do anything for anyone and he will be willing to help anyone when they need it.. “Meant to ask you, Slim— how’s your bitch? I seen she wasn’t under your wagon this morning. “She slang her pups last night,” said Slim. “Nine of ‘em. I drowned four on ‘em right off. She couldn’t feed that many. ” “Got five left, huh? ” “Yeah, five. I kept the biggest. ” “What kinda dogs you think they’re gonna be? ” “I dunno,” said Slim. “Some kinda shepherds, I guess. That’s the most kind I seen around here when she was in heat. Carlson went on, “Got five pups, huh. Gonna keep all of ‘em? ” “I dunno. Have to keep ‘em a while so they can drink Lulu’s milk. ” Carlson said thoughtfully, “Well, looka here, Slim. I been thinkin’. That dog of Candy’s is so God damn old he can’t hardly walk. Stinks like hell, too. Ever’ time he comes into the bunk house I can smell him for two, three days. Why’n’t you get Candy to shoot his old dog and give him one of the pups to raise up? I can smell that dog a mile away. Got no teeth, damn near blind, can’t eat. Candy feeds him milk. He can’t chew nothing else. You can tell that Slim is thinking about giving on of his pups to Candy because his dog is so old that it will die soon and Slim doesn’t want Candy to feel depressed when the dog does die. In conclusion, Slim is a thoughtful guy, he is a hard worker, and he is a really good fellow. Slim doesn’t want anyone to be left out or doesn’t want them to feel depressed. Slim is the kind of guy that is a one in a million because he is nice, thoughtful, a hard worker, etc. Slim loves being with new people because he feels that it makes him feel better as a person within.
