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What kind act does Slim perform for Lennie in Of Mice and Men?

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Slim performs several kind acts for Lennie. He protects Lennie on the ranch by using his influence to prevent him from being fired after Lennie injures Curley. Slim also gives Lennie a puppy, knowing Lennie's fondness for small animals. Despite later realizing Lennie's potential danger, Slim supports George's difficult decision to kill Lennie, reassuring him it was the right choice to save Lennie from a worse fate.

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Slim is Lennie’s protector on the ranch. Because Slim is well liked and respected by the other men on the ranch, he is able to keep Lennie from harm.  Slim originally thinks that Lennie isn’t mean but is just childlike and harmless.  When Lennie smashes Curley’s hand, Slim refuses to fire George and Lennie thus saving their jobs.  Slim even gives Lennie one of his puppies because he knows Lennie loves small animals like mice and rabbits.  However, Slim starts to learn more about how dangerous Lennie can be when he finds out that Lennie killed Curley’s wife.  At the end of the novel and after George kills Lennie, Slim reassures George that it was the right thing to do.  He tells George that he saved Lennie from being chained up and thrown away in a jail cell. 

Slim’s intentions towards Lennie were good, and he tried to help Lennie as much as he could.  However, Slim never fully understood Lennie’s dangerous side and the violent acts Lennie’s mental disabilities made him do.

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In the beginning sections of the novel, Lennie suggests quite a few times his fondness for little animals – mice, rabbits, and dogs.  Although all of the men on the ranch do not seem very open and welcoming, Slim actually comments on how nice it is to see that two men who work together (George and Lennie) have a genuine friendship and that they can rely on one another and this creates a soft spot for Lennie in Slim’s eyes.  Upon suggestion from Carlson, Slim decides to give Lennie one of the puppies that his dog just gave birth to.   This is the kind act that Slim does for Lennie.

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