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 first described as an unimportant, insignificant and isolated character and I also agreed with this at first. This changes in the novella as we uncover the truth about her life. In Chapter two, Curley’s Wife is presented in a rude and displeasing way. For this particular reason we have sympathy towards Curley’s Wife throughout chapter two. She is first presented by the swamper, Candy.
Another character is Curley's wife who is very lonely. Steinbeck shows lonliness by showing her only women on the ranch. She is lonely because at that time author is writing ,women were used to stay at home and not allowed to go out. She always flirts with the male workers of the ranch to seek attention.She always try to talk to somebody but no one is ready to talk to her. For evidence she said to Lennie,"I never get to talk to nobody.
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.
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.
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 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.
The women in the novel of mice and men Aunt Clara - Lennie’s aunt, who cared for him until her death, does not actually appear in the work except at the end, as a vision chastising Lennie for causing trouble for George. By all accounts, she was a kind, patient woman who took good care of Lennie and gave him plenty of mice to pet Curley’s wife - The only female character in the story, Curley’s wife is never given a name and is only mentioned in reference to her husband. The men on the farm refer to her as a “tramp,” a “tart,” and a “looloo.” Dressed in fancy, feathered red shoes, she represents the temptation of female sexuality in a male-dominated world. Steinbeck depicts Curley’s wife not as a villain, but rather as a victim. Like the ranch-hands, she is desperately lonely and has broken dreams of a better life.
Of Mice and Men Character study Curley’s wife In this character study I will examine the portrayal of Curley’s wife in the novella Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. This character is the only woman in the plot (apart from the dead Aunt Clara and prostitutes) and is given no name. This tells us that she is of little significance and merely a possession or rather just Curley’s wife. We are first introduced to the nameless character in chapter two where Candy describes her as a ‘tart’ in spite of the fact that she has recently got married. He insinuates that she gives all the guys ‘the eye’ and is a loose woman.
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.