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.
But, we also come to an understanding of the tragedy of life. Regardless of the sufferings of those who live it, life goes on. One of the most significant characters in John Steinbeck's novel "Of mice and men," is Curley’s wife, as she is known to the audience. The only women on the ranch she is the wife of the boss's son. She does not have a name because she does not have her own identity.
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.
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.
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.
Oskar Dudkiewicz English Essay ; I'm going to compare the 2 protagonists named Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare and Curleys wife from Of mice and men . The social and historical context is important to establish because it affects both characters . They share some similarities ; but they also have some big differences such as , Lady Macbeth loves her husband where as Curleys wife hates her husband because he treats her like a comodity . Of mice and men is set in 1930s America after the Wall Street Crash which lead to the great depression . This caused mass unemployment and lots of people lost their jobs , they travelled to the countryside to find work on ranches .
The relationship between Curley and his wife is another element that fuels his hostility throughout the novel. “He spends half the time looking for her and the rest of the time she’s looking for him.” This tells us that their relationship isn’t very stable. It also hints at the fact that because Curley’s wife gives some workers on the ranch ‘the eye’ he is quite paranoid that she’ll cheat, thus one of the reasons he’s always asking Slim about her whereabouts. The other reason being that because in those days women were meant to stay at home to cook, clean and look after the house in general; Curley didn’t like it that his wife didn’t do any that and instead hung around the ranch all the time and his American dream was coming crashing down. The American dream was the hope to have a housewife, a piece of land and your own home something that just wasn’t working out for
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
She is the only female character who appears in the novel and it is her death that ultimately leads to the events of the tragic ending. - Curley’s wife is shown as an important character as she plays a lot of main parts in the book, and the things she says plays an important part in the book ‘I don’t like Curley, he ain’t a nice fella’ this shows that maybe she has regrets about marrying him, and that because she didn’t carry on with her dreams and ambitions, which is one of the themes in the book, that’s why she ended up on the ranch feeling ‘lonely’ she says which is also another theme in the
When Lennie is in the barn because he killed the puppy Curley’s wife walks in and starts talking to Lennie. “…Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.”(86) In doing this Curley’s wife is coming right out and telling Lennie that she is lonely and just wants someone to talk to. Curley’s wife is always looking for someone just to talk to because she doesn’t have anything better to do.