Everyone on the ranch called Curleys Wife a ''tart'' because she flirts and the ranch men said ''Shes got the eyes''. Nobody on the ranch understood Curley's Wife and seen that Curley made her life very unpleasant, the only reason Curley's Wife flirted with other men was because Curley made her feel so isolated and alone. She had no friends or anyone to talk to on the ranch and Curley treated her as more of a possesion than his
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”. This is also subtly changing the readers view. We can see that all the men on the Ranch feel the same way about her. Steinbeck almost puts you in the position of Lennie and George, so whenever she insults them, so also insults you, further exaggerating what you feel about Curley’s wife. For example, when she says “They left all the weak ones here” all the men ignore her to let her know that she isn’t wanted, and Crooks tells her to get out.
And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck”(100). And so, she was dead. Well, this quote “I don't like curley. He ain't a nice fella” clearly means that Curley was rude and not nice to his wife. She did not have a lot of privileges like she couldn’t talk to anyone else but Curley because Curley would get mad.
In the beginning Katherina is known throughout Pauda as the town’s biggest shrew. She gained this reputation through her bitter behavior to others. To the people of Pauda it seemed she would never be submissive to a man. In fact, if she was not taken in by a man who loved her, “Her care should be to comb your noodle with a three legged stool and point your face and use you like a fool.” (I.I. 64-65) Every man in Pauda knew what a shrew she seemed to be and assumed she could never be loved,”You may go to the devil’s dam!
Like the ranch-hands, she is desperately lonely and has broken dreams of a better life. Curley’s wife: Of Mice and Menis not kind in its portrayal of women. In fact, women are treated with contempt throughout the course of the book. Steinbeck generally depicts women as troublemakers who bring ruin on men and drive them mad. Curley’s wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress, seems to be a prime example of this destructive tendency—Curley’s already bad temper has only worsened since their wedding.
She has no friends therefore has a lonely existence. Our first impression of Curley’s wife is by the men on the ranch and what they think about her. Some of the words the men use to describe her include ‘‘tart’’ ‘‘jail-bait’’ and ‘‘she got the eye.’’ These all describe her to be dangerous before we first see her. When we’re first introduced to Curley’s wife she is heavily made up with red lipstick and red ostrich feathers both of which symbolise sexuality as well as danger. She has a very flirtatious nature which makes her husband jealous.
For example George states she is a ‘tramp’. Her relations with Curley are troubled and extremely scarce as they are never once seen with one another. Steinbeck portrays many acts of Curley’s wife that significantly affect the reader’s relationship with her. Two prime examples would be when she enters Crook’s barn and shows a shear amount of prejudice to Crooks, Lennie and Candy. Secondly, towards the end of the novella, the readers see her as an innocent woman due to the way she ‘consoles’ Lennie.
The title "Of Mice and Men". Firstly Steinbeck portrays Curley's wife as a lonely character. Newly married and in a strange place, she is forbidden by Curley to talk to anyone but him. To counter this, she constantly approaches the ranch hands on the excuse of looking for Curley. The only result is that the men regard her as a "slut", and Curley becomes even more intensely jealous.
Because of her apparent sexuality, the men on the ranch ignore and never want anything to do with her. But because she is Curley's wife and Curley is an easily wound up former boxer, they see her as trouble. All of the men are sure that she would try to seduce them and then they would get in trouble and be fired by the boss. So, she's only ever allowed to talk to Curley and always feels lonely because of it. She doesn't like Curley in the least and doesn't enjoy being around him.
Mrs. Davis, Jared Davis’s wife submitted to her husband’s cruelty, drunkenness, lies, scandalous behavior and indolence. She went on about how she was not treated right by Mr. Davis. He had no compassion and no humanity towards her. He also degraded her because, he did something that all puritans thought was something dangerous, something you just don’t do, he tried and “insisted” that they have sex during her pregnancy. Mr. Davis to me had no heart and wanted his wife whenever he felt like it, to make her go through so much.