In Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”, the last sentence illustrates the sentiment of difficult times when he characterizes Carlson as incapable of understanding the subtle interchange between Slim and George. When Carlson utters, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two?” it is clear that he is not able to notice George’s grief at having killed Lennie, his only companion. It seems Slim is the only workmate that understand the intrinsic bond between George and Lennie. Carlson, on the other hand, reacts with what was considered a more natural behavior at those times, in which personal interaction was limited and individuality was the norm.