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.
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.
Curley’s Wife is a complex character that is mentioned in the novella ‘Of Mice and Men’. In the beginning of the novella we feel sympathy and negativity towards Curley’s Wife. We feel sympathy because Curley’s Wife has no name. This shows that she is not of importance and that she is no more than an object. The characters in the novella refer to her as ‘Curley’s Wife’.
In John Steinbeck’s novella “Of nice and men”, John introduced us to a character called Curley’s wife, she plays a complex and misfit character in this novella as no one else in this novella relates to her. In this essay I will discuss her The first mention of Curley’s wife was when Candy describes her to George in the bunk house. Candy gives us a strong impression that Curley’s wife is flirtatious and even promiscuous female before we even meet her. As he says that “she’s get the eye” which means instead of being faithful to her husband. She tends to look for other male ranchers.
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.
Another piece of evidence ,to suggest that Curly,s wife is lonely is that she had no name ! She was unhappy with her married life because she told Lennie that she don't like Curly( her husband).
In the 1930s America, women were seen as inferior to women. They were deprived of many rights and their default position was thought to be at home. Married women were by law forbidden to work and those unmarried were reduced to the worst jobs of society. In Of Mice and Men which is essentially a poignant tale about the friendship between two men, Steinbeck presents to us an unvaried sample of women. One of which actually speaks and appears for herself in person and another who although appears to have some moral values is “dead” and only appears through Lennie as a figment of his imagination.
Steinbeck uses Curley's wife's character to depict the inferiority of women. He also uses her to inform the reader of the dire range of choices for women of that era. Steinbeck creates the character of Curley's wife to show the reader that life as a house wife is dull and repetitive. He does that by making Curley's wife not fit into the expected mould of a married house wife. She is a lonely character constantly searching for attention, even if it is from ranch workers, cripples and the coloured.
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.
This essay shall set out to discuss the recurring theme of loneliness evident in "Of Mice And Men" by John Steinbeck. I shall be writing about some very different characters, who all have this one trait in common. Loneliness affects many of the characters, and Steinbeck seems to show that it is a natural and inevitable result of the kind of life they are forced to lead. Every character in the story exhibits loneliness. Curley's wife seeks the attention of the farm hands as a substitute for the lack of attention from the abusive Curley.