Curley's Wife Sexism Essay

Curley’s Wife and Mayella Ewell are two characters from two different novels, To Kill a Mockingbird and of Mice and Men that have the same role of exposing the isolation of certain members in society and the effect isolation has on them. The social injustice is shown through the similarities and differences of the two characters. To begin with, Curley’s wife has distinct and powerful characteristics that make her stand out. Curley 's Wife is a pretty woman who wears a lot of make up, her physical appearance in the book as described, “She had full rouged lips and wide spread eyes, heavily made up.” (Steinbeck, 31).

Prillaman, Laine In the story, ‘Of Mice and Men’ Steinbeck uses archetypes To make the story have meaning. Steinbeck plays with the archetypes to show how people do change. To make them more like people and less like characters in a fairytale. Characters like Lennie, Curley’s wife, and George are perfect examples of how people change in either good or bad ways.

Curley’s Wife: A Women with No Name John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice And Men is about two men trying to seek the American Dream during the Great Depression. They travel to ranches in California to find new work and they end up on a ranch near Soledad. They meet many people but one in particular is Curley's Wife. She is the only woman on the ranch and is unable to attain her American Dream because she is undermined by all of men, especially her husband.

In several parts of the world there are problems that arise on a daily basis, but many can usually be traced back to one group of humans, women. In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, a man named Curley, the son of a ranch owner, gets married to what seems to be a nice, pretty, and naive woman. Although these two are married, they are rarely seen together around the ranch. This then leads to Curley’s wife being seen ‘flirting’ with the male workers on the ranch and disliked among several of the male characters in the novel. Nonetheless, Steinbeck expresses that Curley’s wife is actually the antagonist of the story through her characterization, actions, and dialogue.

Desmond Tutu, a South - African social activist and retired Anglican priest once said “ Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness”. Of Mice and Men is a novel which revolves around the lives of struggling farmers and how they still maintain hope despite their hardships. The symbolic representation of light embodies the hopes and the American Dream, whereas the dark epitomizes the harsh realities and truths of their lives. Steinbeck uses light and dark to foreshadow the upcoming events in the forlorn lives of the migrant workers. He also combines aspects such as the setting and characters with light and dark to paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind as to how the world of the migrant workers looks like.

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.

"Well, I never seen one guy take so much trouble for another guy. I just like to know what your interest is" (Steinbeck, 40). People often keep companions to escape isolation and loneliness. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck depicts loneliness through almost all of the characters. Steinbeck portrays loneliness and isolation, though many of the characters.

In today’s world, oppression of women, African Americans, and disabled people is still a problem, but since the era of the Great Depression society’s views of these people have greatly improved. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck it is shown how oppression among these types of people was commonplace. This novel begins with two men named Lennie and George; these men travel together and George takes care of Lennie who is mentally disabled. George and Lennie have to flee out of the town, Weed, after an incident happened. They travel to a different town and begin working on a ranch, and shortly later another fatal occurrence happens.

What characters say are often contradicted in most novels. An example would be such as in Of Mice and Men when George says “he never lifted a finger against me” (pg.40) therefore showing he is harmless but it is contradicted when he hurts others unintentionally. Lennie in the beginning is petting a dead mouse which he has killed “I pinched their heads a little and then they was dead-because they was so little”(pg.10). Nearing the end of the story Lennie kills his beloved puppy “Why do you got to get killed? You ain’t so little as mice”(pg.85).

How does Steinbeck create contrasting images of Curley’s wife in ‘Of mMice and mMen’? Intro: How could a character with no name be so deep and complex? The novella ‘Of mMice and mMen’ uses symbolism and hidden meanings to add depth to the characters, Curley’s wife being a prime example. The novella offers contradicting descriptions and presentations of Curley’s wife making us hate and disapprove of her while the next moment we feel guilty and mourn her.