Surly Curley In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Surly Curley

Surly is defined as being “bad-tempered and unfriendly.” This is the perfect definition for the curly-haired antagonist of Of Mice and Men. Most will say there is no justification behind Curley's hostility. He was rude to Lennie upon meeting him, was controlling over his wife, he attacked Lennie, didn't mourn his wife's death, and arranged for Lennie's murder. While you can sum up that Curley is a total jerk and deserves punishment, you can also analyze the text further. Upon further analysis, you can find some humanity, or reasoning behind Curley's actions. Remember, this text is extremely biblical, and as Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Curley is first introduced twenty-five pages into the book. Shortly afterward, the book mentions he is the boss' son. When Curley first meets Lennie, he goes into a fighting stance. It states, “He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists. He stiffened and went into a slight crouch.” (25) Reading this it's hard

She confesses to him her dislike for Curley. The reader can't know for sure if Curley realizes he is disliked by his spouse. Despite this, his controlling behavior towards his wife speaks volumes. If Curley feels the need to monitor his wife afraid she'll cheat, he may well know she despises him. This yet again, is another blow to his self-esteem. His wife also states,”So I married Curley. Met him out to the Riverside Dance Palace that same night.” (88) Curley's wife is saying this in reference to her mother being controlling. She decides to marry Curley to get away from her mom. Curley was basically used as an escape route, or alternative. They weren't in love. The reason Curley probably even wanted to marry her was for companionship. Sadly, no matter how much time the two spend together, it will always be resentment on her