Steinbeck presents her as a negative married woman. She has been presented first through the dialogue of ranch-hand Candy when he describes her to George. His opinion is very sexist towards Curley’s wife as he says “Curley married...a tart”. This shows Steinbeck presents her in a very crude manner. The word “tart” shows the immediate impression and effect Curley’s wife has on the other men on the ranch.
Paragraph 2 Candy’s first description of Curley’s wife is reinforced by Steinbeck’s description of her on page 53. She is presented by Steinbeck as having ‘full, rouged lips’ and ‘eyes heavily made up’ with ‘red fingernails’. She is also described as wearing a ‘cotton house dress’ with ‘red mules’ with bouquets of red ostrich feathers on the insteps. The amount of red incorporated into her outfit is very symbolic of her passionate and dangerous persona. When Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife as having hair hung in little rolled clusters; this is similar to her husband’s style of hair which is very Curly.
Curley’s wife is first introduced in the book when Candy, one of the ranch hands, describes her to George. Candy says that “she’s got the eye” particularly for another character, Slim. This immediately gives the reader the idea that Curley’s wife is a flirtatious Curley’s wife is portrayed as being a very imposing figure who demands the attention and respect of everybody whom she comes into contact with. This is shown through the use of Manichaean imagery, when Steinbeck says, “The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off.” This also plays on the idea that Curley’s wife casts a shadow on all those that she talks to, she is therefore shown as an evil character and the lack of light foreshadows a darkness that is going to fall over the ranch and all those who inhabit it in the near future. Curley’s wife is also a strong adumbration of the death of the American Dream.
Steinbeck presents the character of Curley’s wife to be attractive, flirtatious and vulnerable and she is a very complex character. On the one hand, Steinbeck is making the reader feel sympathy for her, however, on the other hand she is shown to be provocative and enticing to the men on the ranch. She represents the women back in the 1930s who weren’t seen as independent women but were seen as an extension of their husbands rather than being independent and the loneliness that came from the jealousy and distrust towards young women at the time. The first time you hear about Curley’s wife is when candy describes her to George. Candy uses expression such as “she got the eye” and goes on to describe her as looking at other men because of this they call her a “tart”.
Whereas she seems to belong more in glitzy and glamorous world, in an easy and out going life. The ranch hands, as seen from the fact that she is given no identity of her own as she is dubbed “Curley’s wife”, objectify her. She is the only woman in the ranch, which isolates her even further since she has no one of similar views and interest to talk to. She is vain, flirtatious and very gullible, which is easily picked up on since she believed out of her own delusions that her mother hid the letter, which told her if she was going to become an actress. This causes her to enter a loveless marriage with Curley, which she believed in self-delusion, was going to provide her a glamorous lifestyle.
Another link is how she was “heavily made up”, and she had “full, rouged lips”. They was she acts around the other men on the ranch was disgusting for a married woman. She was constantly flirting with them, for example she said to Lennie “Nobody can’t blame a person for lookin’” implying that it’s okay for Lennie to look if he wants. She was also always running away from Curley at the same time. Curley’s wife would always try to show more of herself, and of course the reaction of the men was to call her a “tramp” and a “rat trap”.
He uses symbolism when she is first introduced; “Both men glanced up, for the rectangle of light was cut off.” The reference to the light can suggest that she cuts off the light because she is a negative character, and/or she takes away anything, which is good. The description of Curley’s wife starts with “a girl” that suggests that she appears looking sweet and innocent, childlike even. During the description, the colour red is repeated several times, “rouged lips”, ”her fingernails were red”, “red mules” and “red ostrich feathers”. This is a key thing because usually the colour red means; love, danger, blood, prostitutes – red light district, and passion. Red is also a primary colour in which young children are attracted to, this could explain why Lennie likes her so much; he has a childlike manner.
Curley’s Wife’s appearance and actions around the ranch workers portrays her to be trampy. She is “heavily made up”, has a red cotton house dress on, “full rouged lips”, red slippers with ostrich feathers, and “her hair hung in little rolled clusters”. This means she is making an effort to impress the ranch workers in the barn. She needs to be heavily made up to look attractive to get the attention of the ranch workers. Even Slim refers to here as "good lookin’” and he’s one of the nicer guys on the ranch.
Candy mentions that she, "got the eye" explaining that she is flirtatious and immoral in that wea re hit with the fact that she flirts with other men immediately after it is stated thatshe is married to Curley. Already, the reader is introduced to the idea that Curley's wife is an immoral "tart" which is strengthened upon her first appearance, which follows shortly after. She is first seen in the doorway of the bunkhouse , asking about the location of her husband, which is soon revealed as being a weak excuse to interact with the ranchers. She is wearing a "red cotton house dress" and a pair of mules decorated with "bouquets of red ostrich feathers." emphasisinig her sexual presence as the colour red, which is expressed repeatedly when Curley's wife's clothes are described, is often reffered to as the colour of love and passion.
She had bigger dreams than just being a housewife and I think being the only woman on the farm stifles her. She looks to the men on the farm for friendship and companionship, but obviously they take it as flirting and in order to stay out of trouble with Curley, they stay away from her. This increases Curley’s wife’s loneliness. Curley’s wife represents women in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. Women in the 1930’s were seen by men as scheming and devious.