The novel is a microcosm, a cross section of society reflecting the prejudice. Blacks had no rights in America; they were seen as ‘nobody’s. Women too had very few rights. The itinerant workers ended to be loners. All these people were forced into loneliness and isolation; they each had a dream in hope of a better life often referred to at the time as ‘The American Dream’.
Central to Steinbeck’s novel is Curley’s Wife and her importance in the novel is of how she revolves around the novels main themes and events. Curley’s Wife is excluded for being female, she is often found in search for companionship on the ranch as her newly found marriage does not give her the affection she desires, as she states to Lennie “I don’t like Curley he aint a nice fella.” Because of this she often tries to interact with the other men although she is never allowed as they think a “ranch aint no place for a girl.” Carlson also states of how a “women should be at home where she belongs.” The fact that she is excluded from a place of physical work is indicative of how women were portrayed during the 1930’s. They were not expected to do work, but instead stay at home and raise a family. Curley’ wife feels insecure because of the loneliness she feels and it is made clear she is frustrated with this situation, “none of them care how I gotta live.”
Throughout the novel as similar to Crooks, Curley’s Wife is not named. This highlights her lack of identity on the ranch and how she is viewed as the property of her husband. As a result of her insecurities, she tries to combat her loneliness and isolation by resorting to violence. Her vicious attacks on Crooks to getting him “strung up on a tree” and the attacks on Lennie due to his mental disability show how loneliness can not only change a person, but destroy them. All of the emotions Curley’s Wife encounters come as a result of the loneliness she feels, and these clearly represent of what a terrifying character she is.
The Term Paper on Of Mice and Men: How does the author show sympathy for Curley’s wife
On the ranch there is a well known woman merely referred to as ‘Curley’s Wife’. As the characters develop we find that she is not in fact the unimportant, nameless character we first perceive her as, but rather she is a relatively complex one, with much more to her than we first gather, causing us to feel sympathy for her later in the novel. In this essay I will state how John Steinbeck influenced ...
One way in which Steinbeck presents Curley’s Wife is through the use of irony. Curley’s Wife demands her spot in the limelight however all she does is cast shadows and get negative attention “sunshine in the doorway was cut off.” Steinbeck does this to foreshadow and hint at the unhappy ending of her. She is unaware that she is causing so much pain and casting shadows so it is ironic that when she dies the light leaves her, “the sun streaks were high on the wall by now.”
Like many of the characters in the novel, Curley’s Wife also has a dream. Her dream is to be “in the movies.” Many women during the 1930’s had a similar dream similar to this as they thought about the excitement that would follow, although even in Steinbeck’s cruel world it is made clear dreams are only dreams and the shatter of hope is clearly inevitable even for a delicate person such as Curley’s Wife.
In all, Curley’s Wife is important throughout the novel as she increases the scope of many of the key events and themes which occur. Steinbeck uses her as a vehicle at time to portray the women during the 1930’s. It is made clear she is threat to George and Lennie’s dream however also a victim of sexism and loneliness. Steinbeck makes it clear that companionship is a vital part for human happiness.
