Curley's Wife Loneliness Quotes

While Crooks, a victim of racial prejudice, expresses his isolation openly, he also socializes with other workers on the job and while playing horseshoes with them. Curley’s wife, on the other hand, cannot talk to anyone without suffering the consequences of a jealous husband: “ I get so lonely,’ she said. “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?” (87) More specifically, the other men on the ranch refuse to talk to her because Curley’s position of power on the ranch portrays him as having the ability to have any man on the ranch lose their job. Furthermore, when Curley’s wife was conversing with Lennie in the barn and confided in him, she said: “Well, I ain’t

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? Seems like they ain’t none of them cares about how I gotta live. I tell you I ain’t used to livin’ like this. I coulda made something of myself” (88). Furthermore, Curley’s wife dreams of doing things in life and by marrying Curley those dreams were put on hold. So, as of right now she is not happy with what her life has become. Before we even meet Curley’s wife Candy criticizes her for flirting with men other than her husband , leaving readers with a negative impression of her. With no real companionship on the ranch, however we later learn that she simply yearned for attention, using the only weapon she had: her sexual

Hungry for attention, Curley’s wife pays the men in the barn a visit, only to be pushed away by their cruel comments and harsh words. Offended and unwanted, Curley’s wife turns the tables against Crooks and insults him by saying: “well, you keep your place then, n*****. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” (80). Although she does not intend to hurt anyone, the men do not want to take chances retaliating at her resulting at them having to leave the ranch.When Candy found Curley’s wife half-hidden among the straw, lying still, he came to found out his dreams were taken from him. In the midst of things after Curley’s wife had died Candy had stayed behind and scolded at her “You done it, di’n’t you? I s’pose you’re glad. Ever’body knowed you’d mess things up. You wasn’t no good. You ain’t no good now, you lousy tart”(95) Candy then goes on about how he “…could of hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys” (96) In this scene, Steinbeck exposes that Curley’s wife actually possessed more power in death rather than in life. In other words, her death revoked the dreams of many characters , including herself. Now candy, Lennie, and George will never have their ideal piece of farm land and Curley’s wife will pursue her dreams of becoming an actress. Unfortunately, Curley’s wife