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Women portrayed in literature
Critical analysis of curley's wife
Critical analysis of curley's wife
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Women portrayed in literature
Critical analysis of curley's wife
Critical analysis of curley's wife
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Women portrayed in literature
After leaving home and basically forcing herself into a loveless marriage, she states that she isn’t in love with her husband. ” I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella”. (89) Throughout the course of the book, Curley’s wife spends most of her time “looking for Curley” when in reality she’s just looking for someone to talk to.
As the only women on the ranch, this causes Curley's wife to be the minority to all of the men on the farm. This causes her to become very lonely and isolated since she is the only women. In the texts Curley's wife says, “‘I get lonely,’... ‘You can talk to people, but I can't talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad, ‘How’d you like not to talk to anybody?’”
Albert Schweitzer once said, “We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.” Undoubtedly, Albert Schweitzer’s quote can be referred to Curley’s wife in the novel Of Mice and Men, and John Steinbeck’s message about loneliness. Without a doubt, Curley’s wife, from Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is a lonely character who fails to find companionship, and depicts Steinbeck’s message about loneliness. Certainly, Curley’s wife was in search of a companion throughout the novel.
“Why can’t I talk to you” shows that Curley’s wife is characterized as someone manipulative by trying to talk to Lennie even though George told Lennie not to. On the other hand, it also characterizes Curley’s wife as someone who just longs for a companion and because no one talks to her, she becomes manipulative. Characterization of Curley’s wife is used to create sympathy for her and to lead her to Lennie which ends up badly when Lennie kills her forcing George to kill Lennie. George and Lennie’s friendship is ended because of the loneliness of Curley’s wife because it leads her to talk to Lennie. John Steinbeck creates sympathy for the manipulative Curley’s wife in chapter 6, however, the more known side to her is when she talks to Crooks.
Because Curley’s wife is closely connected to the boss, her engagements towards the men on the ranch will only push her further away from them. Also, when Curley’s wife appears, her loneliness pours out of her with resentment. She describes her isolation at the ranch by stating, “I get lonely...you can talk to people, but I can't talk to nobody but Curley” (87). This shows that shes just a lonely young and naive girl, who uses her sexuality to get noticed on the
Curley’s wife has many unrealized dreams. Before her death, Curley’s wife confesses her desire to become a movie star, “Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes-all them nice clothes like they wear... An’ all them nice clothes like they wear. Because this guy says I was a natural.” p.89
The definition of a sympathetic character is one whom the writer expects the reader to identify with and care about, though not necessarily admire. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife, a main character in the book is blatantly portrayed as an unsympathetic character. This is because they only see her through the men's eyes, who only see her as a tiresome object, owned by her husband. Steinbeck’s portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair and misogynistic because he only displays her as unintelligent and promiscuous, never has a character have a turning point where they realize she’s more than an object, and he never reveals her true name. The first reason that Steinbeck's portrayal of Curley’s wife is unfair is that he never gives Curley any redeeming personality traits, he only depicts her as unintelligent and promiscuous.
This scene shows that Curley’s wife never wanted to be on the farm, she wanted to go be a star and get out of her small town. This dream ended when she married Curley, who moved her to an even smaller town. In addition, during this time period it was practically impossible for women to divorce their husbands. This meant she couldn’t leave Curley, even in the name of the law.
Thus she talks to the guys in the bunkhouse. “I couldn’t get nowhere or make something of myself... So, I married Curley”(88). Curley’s wife didn’t marry Curley out of love, she only married him because it was the best her life was going to get.
The Death of The Unborn Female American Dream Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, takes place during the time of The Great Depression; an era extremely difficult for women. The novella contains many iconic characters that serve as a metaphor to our societal standards. Curley’s wife is introduced just like any other; however, the emphasis on her feminine features are metaphoric to where women stand in society. In order to prove that society makes it impossible for certain people to attain The American Dream, Steinbeck objectifies, sexualizes, and kills Curley’s wife to show that women cannot reach The American Dream. Steinbeck uses specific vocabulary to objectify Curley’s wife; alienating her from The American Dream.
(pg. 88) Curley’s wife thought marrying Curley would be an escape from her controlling mother and an opportunity to get into the acting career. She soon later realized that marrying Curley was just a mistake and doesn’t benefit her in anyway. Just like Candy, she was let down when her dreams were not
The characters in Of Mice and Men all have original and unique characteristics inside of them, but no matter how different, they all have the same reactions of giving up when thinking about dreams. The main characters George and Lennie, recently unemployed migrant workers, move to a new ranch for work. Thrown into a cruel, misshapen life that doesn’t end well for the majority of characters, George and Lennie find themselves in a dilemma that seems all too familiar. John Steinbeck uses the characters in Of Mice and Men to show that dreams are fragile and they need friends to support them.
He ain’t a nice fella” (89). Previously, we learned that she impulsively marries Curley - after knowing him for just one night- to spite her mother. In other words, Curley’s wife is responsible for her own isolation because she chose to marry a man she didn’t even like. Additionally while talking to Lennie she exclaims: “Aw, nuts! What kind of harm am I doin’ to you?
Scott Hamilton once stated, “The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” Disability is only an obstacle in a person's life, but it does not set the identity of that person. John Steinbeck's novel shows how disabled people are treated differently by writing about their heartbreak and sorrow. Many individuals with disabilities feel that a disability is a wall blocking them from achieving their goals. In our society, people are told what to be and what to do with their disability, but one should have the choice to carve their pathway to success.
The couple fails to admit to each other that they are not in love for fear of losing their power and status as individuals. Curley’s marriage is revealed to be a sham through his wife’s conversation with Lennie, “Well, I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I oughtn 't to. I don’ like Curley.” (pg. 89 Steinbeck)