Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife as nameless throughout the novella this presents her as Curley’s possession. By presenting us with one female character Steinbeck is indicating there is no real place for a woman on the ranch. Also, I think he reflects the history of women in the Great Depression onto Curley’s wife, how woman were considered inferior to men. Before George has met Curley’s wife Candy begins to tell George about her: “only been two weeks and she’s already got the eye.” ‘Eye’ signifies to us that she is unfaithful to her husband as she finds other men attractive, this makes the reader disapprove of her. Steinbeck makes us feel dislike by manipulating us into think she’s seeking attention inappropriately.
In the John Steinbeck’s novel “of Mice and Men” he introduces us to the character of Curley’s wife. She could be interpreted as a mis-fitting character in the novel as no one relates to her. Steinbeck relates her to how women were powerless during 1930’s and makes her seem desperately lonely and isolated from the others on the ranch. She has sexual power which she uses to get to the men on the ranch and she just needs someone to talk to. She dislikes her husband and had a desire to become a movie star.
Curley’s wife is also a strong adumbration of the death of the American Dream. The reader holds their opinion of Curley’s wife with a certain bitterness most of the way through the novel, and often disregards everything she says as we sympathise with George and agree with his opinion that Curley’s wife is nothing but “Jail-bait” and “no good”. Curley’s wife tells a story to Lennie in the barn about how she could have been somebody. She says; “He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural.
Before Curley's wife makes her first appearance, she is introduced to the reader through gossip on the ranch. Curley is said, to have his “glove fulla vaseline” to keep soft for his wife, who is shown as his trophy. Candy, the old swamper tells George that, although she has only been married to Curley for two weeks, she has already "got the eye." He describes her as "a tart" that has been flirting with both Slim and Carlson. Steinbeck presents her in a crude manner.
Paragraph 1 We get our first description of Curly’s wife from the old ranch hand Candy, who is also a huge gossip. Candy perceives her a ‘purty’ but also as a ‘tart. He then goes on to mention the fact that after only 2 weeks of being married to Curly she has already ‘got the eye’ for many other men on the ranch. This description gives the readers the impression that Curley’s wife is a flirtatious ‘tart’ and this is how we continue to think of Curley’s wife until later on in the book when we see her develop further into a more complex character. Paragraph 2 Candy’s first description of Curley’s wife is reinforced by Steinbeck’s description of her on page 53.
What is also similar is that when the other ranch hands have a problem with either of the two they complain to their ‘owners’. When Carlson feels Candy’s dog is of no use he questions “why’n’t you just shoot him Candy?” And when controversy sparks over Curley and his wife Carlson again questions “why’n’t you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs?” This cruel comparison again shows how women were thought of In the 1930s America, the effect it has on the reader is also a cruel and sharp one. It makes the reader belittle Curley’s wife and not think much of her but however on the other hand it may make some readers sympathise with her and actually feel sorry for
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.
Section B: Exploring Cultures John Steinbeck: Of Mice and Men Question 21- In this passage, what methods does Steinbeck use to present Curley’s wife and the attitudes of others to her? John Steinbeck uses many ways to represent the newly introduced character of Curley’s Wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’. In this passage, George and Lennie have just moved into the ranch and are at the bunkhouse. They have met Candy, the boss, Curley and now, his wife. Having already heard of Curley’s wife from Candy, they are given an impression of girl that seems to be a “tramp”.
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.
Curley’s Wife Essay Loneliness paragraph quotes: “Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?” –p.99 “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while” –p.88 “Sullenness” used to describe her face when talking about her husband suggests that that is irritated and gloomy that the only person in the world she can talk to is a horrible husband. Shows her underlying irritation and gloom. –p.88 “Wire” is used to describe Curley’s hair by his wife. The fact that his hair is like wire as a posed to Curley’s Wife’s hair which is soft makes us feel that the two are polar opposites as in that Curley’s wife’s hair is an example of her warm welcoming presence where as curley’s hair is like wire as a metaphor of being a closed off place. Death Paragraph quotes: “Writhed” gives the reader the image that she is helplessly struggling like a small animal and compares her to the mouse and dog that Lennie has killed.