As the only really heroic character in John Steinbeck's Of
Mice and Men, it is only fitting that Slim, with his "god-like eyes" that are extremely
perceptive, should be the one to talk with George and rescue him from guilt for his
act:
You
hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with
me.
It is also fitting that
Slim should be the one to console George since earlier in the novella Slim is described
as having
ears
that heard more than was said to him,and his slow speech had overtones, not of thought,
but of understanding beyond
thought.
Therefore, Slim
understands why George gives Lennie a mercy killing. He knows that Lennie could never
survive in prison; having a jail sentence would be worse than death for the innocent man
who so loved nature. He would be all alone with no friends since the other inmates
would most likely reject him because of his mental disability.
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