Curley’s wife begins to regret living on the ranch with Curley. She starts to regret living there because of the way they treat her. And also because she could be doing better in her life instead of sitting around being bored and only being able to associate with Curley. Curley’s wife states “ I tell you I aint used to livin’ like this, I coulda made somethin’ of myself.” (Steinbeck 88).
Someone you don’t necessarily want to associate yourself with. Steinbeck shows Curley’s Wife as an example of a misfit, someone who really has no one else to talk to, and someone who really just wants to let out all of her feelings. She is the only woman mentioned on the ranch, and this can cause some issues. She has no desire to be Curley’s Wife, and she has no desire to live on this ranch with these misfits. Steinbeck uses many different characters to play out his theme of dreams through the novel.
Curley's wife is talking to Lennie about her dreams and her true feelings about Curley. Steinbeck claims, “I married Curley… I don't like
Curley's wife is stereotyped as a woman who gets around a lot, with other gentlemen. Therefore, Curley’s wife is a woman’s man and likes to get around. She flirts with any guy she can see with her own two eyes. “I never seen no body like her. She got the eye going, all the time on everybody” (Steinbeck 5.1.1).
Curley’s wife is one of the most alienated characters in the novel Of Mice and Men, if not the most alienated and isolated character as it is displayed through her being nameless, being very flirtatious, and the perception of her by the men on the ranch. Indeed, the author constantly is showing that how regardless if you are amongst people or have company, but however there is no sensation of love what so ever, it is just as equal to living a life through despair and desolation. Whenever Curley’s wife appears in the book she is either looking for her husband or other company to converse with, however it has a reverse notation and it pours out of her in resentment and disillusion as she states, “Why can’t I talk to you?I never get to talk to
Finally, Steinbeck dehumanizes Curley by the negative criticism that always pursues her and her loss of identity when accompanying someone or something. This is why she is always commonly known as “Curley’s Wife”, proving that she is an unimportant and insignificant character in this book. Plus, everybody in the book says that Curley’s wife causes trouble for everyone; as George says, “She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger,” (Steinbeck, 49) and is constantly getting blame for all that goes wrong in Soledad; as Candy says, You God damn tramp. You done it, di’n’t you? I s’pose you’re glad.
Curley’s wife describes her childhood, “I never got that letter. I always thought my ol’ lady stole it. Well, I wasn’t gonna stay no place where I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself, an’ she says no. So I married Curley…” (Steinbeck 88).
(Steinbeck 87). She was the only woman on the farm with a bunch of men. Including her very jealous and rude husband. A key to being cheerful is social interaction and that was something Curley’s wife did not have. However, it allows the person to feel like they have someone they trust and can count on.
On the other hand Curley’s wife is always desiring attention due to her isolation: “I get lonely… How’d you like not to talk to anybody”(Steinbeck 87). This is one of the many times Curley’s wife has tried to talk to someone. She has tried to have a conversation with Lennie before but George tells him not to talk to her. Lennie could not resist and talked to her. Her constant desire for attention ultimately leads to her death.
The death of Curley’s wife is a very shocking event which is what triggers George’s decision to shoot Lennie. She does nothing wrong and without noticing Lennie kills her; just how he killed the mouse and the puppy killed the puppy. Curley’s wife’s death is a tragedy and symbolizes Lennie’s untroubled life coming to an end. Even though Lennie is not a bad person after the death of Curley’s wife, we can no longer think of him as an innocent child-like person. George and Lennie’s life was about survival, but centred on the innocent dream of the rabbits.
Curley’s wife was subjected to the power of her husband. He was an overly jealous man who loved to be in control. “Curley maybe ain’t gonna like his wife out in the barn with us. ”(Steinbeck 78). Curley tried to control her every move.
Curley’s wife is perhaps the least mentioned and regarded as a minor character but she is perhaps the most essential in the message of attachment. All she has is Curley, whose abusive nature is causing her to despise him more and more every day. She craves talking to others and forming an attachment to the boys on the farm (39). This causes her to try and make conversation with everyone around her. "Nobody can't blame a person for lookin', (40)", She says this as she reached a point where all she wants people to acknowledge her.
Curley’s wife is described as an attention seeking woman who is desperate and yearns for recognition because of her loneliness and her unsuccessful dream of being an actress. In section 6, Curley’s wife desperately tells Lennie her story of when she was young, she was promised fame and a chance to be on a show, “but my (Curley’s wife) ol’ lady wouldn’ let me (Curley’s wife)”. This expresses that there are always obstacles that prevent people from succeeding just like how her mother refuses to let her be in the show and be an actress to get the attention she always yearns for. People start off with great potential, viewing their dream as obtainable and as their biggest motivation, but in this cruel world, they are only reaching for a tragic aim. Moreover, Curley’s wife expresses that she will never stay in a place where she “couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself (herself)”, but what she does contradicts what she says, instead of having a better life or gaining recognition, she marries Curley and is back into a similar or even worse situation she started from.
With issues such as gaining money and trying to live a life, women and Africans Americans had it tougher during the Great the Depression. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, we read about two men, George and Lennie. As both of them go to a ranch to get a job, Lennie gets in trouble with the boss’ son. After that Lennie went to the barn to go pet the puppies and on doing so he kills Curley’s wife by accident. With Lennie on the run George finally catches up to Lennis on their meeting spot, as Lennis was sitting down on a log George comes from the back and kills Lennie for his own safety against the rest of the men that were after him.
Curley’s wife is portrayed to be a “tart”, someone who is always flirting with other people. When she is first introduced, Steinbeck writes “ The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off”, which gives the impression that Curley’s wife is ominous and perilous for Lennie and George. The imagery implies that Curley’s wife is the darkness in their lives and that she is the obstacle in the journey of accomplishing the American Dream. During the climax of Steinbeck’s novella, he writes “ The light was growing soft now” represents the slow release of her soul and that darkness slowly filling the barn and their lives. It also indicates the gradual discharge of hope and belief from the minds of Lennie, George and Candy.
