Symbolism In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

First, Curley’s wife is lonely because she could actually be something if she did not marry Curley. “I could’ve been in the movies I could’ve been a star”(88-89) she said this regretfully. While talking to Lennie she told him that she did not really like Curley she only married him to prove something to her mother. Curley’s wife is always so lonely because Curley is never around. Most people on the ranch think that she is tart, but I think she is just looking for someone to have a good conversation with and wants A friend because she is the woman on the ranch.

Someone once said, “A villain is just a victim whose story hasn’t been told.” The character known as Curley’s Wife in Of Mice and Men is portrayed in John Steinbeck’s writing as an antagonist. Multiple time throughout the book she is insulted by the men, who call her things such as a tramp, or a tart. As the story continues, there are many hidden indications that she could be seen as a much simpler, innocent presence, rather than an evil. When looked at more in depth, Curley’s Wife can be seen as a victimized character.

Being forced to kill someone would be really emotional, but imagine if that person was your best

To begin, Curley’s Wife has hard times and is misunderstood because she takes her emotions out on innocent people. One example of when Curley’s wife took her anger out on an innocent person is when she yelled at Crooks. She had yelled, “Well, you keep your place then, nigger. I could have you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” This proves that Curley’s wife is misunderstood because she takes her anger out on Crooks. She isn’t actually mad at him she is just angry because she gets treated with so much disrespect and she can’t even do anything about so she takes her anger out on other people when she gets really fed up. Not only does she yell at Crooks but she also yells at Candy, she says, “Sure I gotta husban’. You all seen him. Swell guy ain’t he? Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do to guys he don’t like, and he

Flirting is like a game of chess, one wrong move and it is all over. Just like Curley’s wife who does not really think through what she is getting into. In this novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck; Curley’s wife has really beautiful looks and wears makeup and at the ranch she is always causing trouble. She is an outcast in the ranch, and she is desperate to get attention. Curley’s wife is flirty, powerful, and lonely which leads her life to be self-destructive.

“And her eyes traveled from one face to another. ‘They left all the weak ones here’” (77). This quote appears late in the novel when Slim, George, and a few others from the ranch left to go into town. This means they left the others that were considered ‘the outcasts’ behind. In Of Mice and Men, these outcasts, Candy, Crooks, Curley’s Wife, and Lennie, are discriminated for their physical capabilities, race, gender, and mental abilities.

Upon first picking up the book Of Mice and Men it doesn’t seem like a literary classic, but after finishing the book Steinbeck’s use of foreshadowing makes the book much more complex than it seems. The book has four main examples of foreshadowing: The title or even the whole book, The death of Curley’s wife, the loss of the farm dream, and Lennie's death. The title and the book is foreshadowing of the poem “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns. This poem’s use foreshadowing is that mice and men can share the same struggles. The death of Curley’s wife is foreshadowed by Lennie's roughness, what happened in weed and that he killed both his puppy and Curley’s wife the same way. Another example is the loss of their dream

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

Whenever she can’t be found, questions arise about what she is up to. In events such as these Curley doesn’t even trust his own wife. ‘“Thinks Slim’s with his wife don’t he?”’ (54). Curley’s wife’s actions play a role in the reputation of the ranch hands and in the relationship with her husband. How can they be expected to live a long, happy life together if she is out playing around with other men? Can the ranch hands be expected to work efficiently if she is always acting suspicious around with them? Should her wrong actions be excused on account of loneliness? Curley’s wife’s behavior demands explanation and the source of which could be the emptiness she feels

Innocent till proven guilty or Guilty till proven innocent? Curley’s wife, I feel is an innocent victim because she just wanted to talk to someone, only female on the ranch, Curley and his wife don’t get along that well.

In the 1930’s having mental problems was seen as being unbright. People back then did not understand what being mentally challenged was they would treat them like any other person which would make it hard on the person who had the challenges.

In the book, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the character Lennis is a big, tall man who is described as a "big baby" because he has a mental condition that makes him act childish. The character referred to as Curley 's wife, is a petite and pretty lady. She is known to be a troublemaker and does not act the way a "normal" wife would. Although the two characters are very different, they share the feeling of being left out and alone.

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.”

Steinbeck uses an abundance of figurative language throughout his novella one of these being symbolism; his use of symbols throughout the story advances themes and establishes the author's style. George and Lennie discuss saving up to buy a piece of land to farm for themselves. During a conversation in the woods near the ranch, George tells Lennie, “Someday- we're gonna get the jack together and we're gonna have a little house and a couple acres an’ a cow and some pigs… An’ live the fatta the lan’,” (14). George and Lennie’s farm is a symbol of hope and freedom. They continued to work hard in pursuit of this dream, in hopes that they would have their own farm where they would not have to worry about what was next. Furthermore, both George and

Curley's wife is rejected for many reasons, but the main source of her rejection is that she is a woman. She is married to Curly, the boss’s son, without a choice. She doesn't like being married to him, as proven when she says “I don’ like Curly. He ain't a nice fella.” (89) Another struggle she has is she still wants to be friends with other men. When she looks them in the eye to talk to them, they call her a tart and that she has the ‘eye’ for others, as proven by the sentences “Well- She's got the eye.” (28) and “Well, I think Curley's married . . . . a tart.”