Curley’s wife is a prime example of the mistreatment of women in the late 1930s. The women of the time were treated as pieces of property rather than equal human beings to men. None of these men considered Curley's wife’s views or feelings as anything of significance.
Full Answer
How is Curley's wife treated in the late 1930s?
Curley’s wife is a prime example of the mistreatment of women in the late 1930s. The women of the time were treated as pieces of property rather than equal human beings to men. None of these men considered Curley's wife’s views or feelings as anything of significance.
What does Curley's wife symbolize in the Great Depression?
He shows how back then, the American dream was extremely hard to accomplish because of The Great Depression, and unequal rights towards women and the mentally different. Curley’s wife symbolizes how women were treated in the 1930’s. In the 1930’s women were treated as objects.
What is Curley's analysis of gender in the 1930s?
One of the most fascinating analyses he performs is gender in society, depicted through Curley's wife. In the 1930s, women still lacked many basic rights and privileges afforded to their male counterparts; this invariably applied across racial and socioeconomic lines.
How do we develop a perception of Curley’s wife?
We develop an opening perception of Curley’s wife as being flirtatious. This is shown at the introduction, of Curley’s wife’s way in. Steinbeck first introduces us to her appearance, “full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes…” Curley’s life has been suggested to us as someone who is trying to be displayed as a sexual object.
How does Curley's wife represent women in the 1930s?
Curley's wife perfectly represents the “average woman” in America in the 1930s. She would like to depend less on her husband, she has a fantasy of becoming a renowned actress and she feels secluded and miserable.
What symbolizes Curley's wife?
In this passage, Steinbeck uses two main techniques to present Curley's Wife: the symbolism of colour and his description of her. The symbolism of the colour red cannot escape us: she has 'rouged' lips and 'red' fingernails; her mules are red and they are covered with 'red' ostrich feathers.
How is curleys wife treated as an object?
Curley's wife is depicted as a manipulator and a temptress throughout Of Mice and Men. She is usually described as Curley's possession and is frequently objectified by the ranch hands. However, right before and after her death, we see a softer woman who was a dreamer, and still retained her innocence.
How Curley's wife is presented?
George and Candy call her by other names such as "jailbait" or "tart." She wears too much makeup and dresses like a "whore" with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Lennie is fascinated by her and cannot take his eyes off her.
How does Curley's wife represent the American dream?
Curley's wife also has a dream – to be a film star – and although she no longer has any real hope that this could come true, it gives her a distraction from the unhappiness of her life, which is also true of dreams for the other characters. The United States Declaration of Independence was signed on 4th July 1776.
Why is Curley's wife nameless?
Steinbeck didn't want the reader to hate her as much as Curley. By dehumanizing her without naming her, she doesn't come off as detestable as her antagonist husband. Another literary explanation for Curley's wife being without a name is that Steinbeck wanted her to be a simple, objective foil in the story.
How is Curley's wife presented as a victim?
Besides being treated poorly by her husband, Curley's wife can also be seen as a victim due to the way she is scorned and objectified by the other ranch workers. She is marginalized by the men on the ranch on the basis that 'A ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain't no place for a girl, specially like her'.
What is Curley's wife's purpose?
In conclusion the role of Curley's wife is to be a catalyst meaning that the scene immediately changes whenever she shows up. She changes the scenes by interrupting the ranch workers while they are having a conversation, which annoys them.
How is Curley's wife discriminated?
Curley's Wife was not allowed to talk to other men on the ranch not only because she was married, but also because she was married to the boss' son. “She often tried to talk to other men on the ranch and it came out as her being a tart.” (28).
How does Curley's wife represent loneliness?
Curley's wife is also lonely; she is the only female on the ranch, and her husband has forbidden anyone to talk with her. She combats her loneliness by flirting with the ranch hands. Crooks is isolated because of his skin color.
What are the issues Steinbeck suggested working towards?
Similarly to Kennedy in his American University commencement speech, Steinbeck suggests working towards improving humanity’s issues by bringing them to light in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech, declaring that writers are “charged with exposing our many grievous faults and failures, with dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement”. In his novella Of Mice and Men, the characterization of Crooks, Curley’s wife
What is the inequality in Mice and Men?
They do not know any other way to express themselves, so they target those with less power than them and make them feel what they are feeling, even those who they get along with. When people are treated so unfairly, they target those who have less power than them so that they can feel powerful .
What is the name of the character in the book of Mice and Men?
In the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is a character named Curley’s Wife. Curley’s Wife is first shown in the novella as a character who is thought as provocative and represented as darkness. This does not change throughout the story, and she is dehumanized, objectified, and sexualized. Therefore, Steinbeck crafts the character, Curley’s Wife, in order to convey how the american dream is unattainable through him showing sexism and discrimination towards women. Throughout the novella Curley’s Wife is objectified and treated like she is a possession. In this part of the story, Curley’s wife just entered Crooks living quarters, “looking in was Curley’s Wife . Her face was heavily made up. Her lips slightly parted,” (Pg. 77).…show more content…
What is discrimination in the novella?
Ageism against senior citizens can be seen in a character named Candy and his dog, who are discriminated against for their appearance. Sexism against women can be seen in Curley’s wife, who is neglected countless times by her husband. There’s even a character named Crooks who experiences racism for being an African American, the most devastating example of judging people by appearances. Steinbeck and his creation
What is the theme of the book "Of Mice and Men"?
In the novella, “Of Mice and Men”, Steinbeck explores how the lives of many characters are affected by different types of prejudice, including racism, disability, and sexism. Racial inequality is a topic that is explored in “Of Mice and Men”. As there is only one black male who works on the ranch, Crooks, the prejudiced acts against him throughout the novella are an example of how those of colour were treated in the
What is the significance of Curley's wife?
Curley's wife is also of great importance for developing the themes of dreaming as well as their downfall, the desire to be free and independent or essentially the American Dream. Finally, she also develops the theme of loneliness in the novel, as well as the theme
What does John Steinbeck say about Curley's wife?
John Steinbeck once said of Curley’s wife, ‘She’s a nice girl, not a floozy’. How does Steinbeck present Curley’s wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’? In this essay I will show how Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife in a number of ways throughout the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, showing both how she is portrayed as a ‘nice girl’ as well as a ‘floozy’. This novel was set during the great depression and is written around two key themes of the American dream, which every ‘ranch hand’ owned their own patch of land
What is the dream of George and Lennie Small?
In the beginning of the story, George and Lennie Small share their dream of owning a farm and set out to find more work to achieve their dream. They also have to find work as they were driven away because Lennie has a fond liking of soft things and ended up grabbing hold of their boss’ daughter’s dress, leading Lennie into trouble. This dream and the “exile” of George and Lennie bring them to a farm where they meet their new boss,
Where did the title of the poem "Of Mice and Men" come from?
Significance of Title: The title, “Of Mice and Men” comes from a phrase in the poem To a Mouse On Turning up in Her Nest with the Plough by Robert Burns. The second to last stanza contains the line, “the best schemes o’ Mice an’ Men/ Gang aft agley” contains the phrase John Steinbeck based the title for the novel. The poem is similar to the book in that George, Lennie, and the mouse all have a goal that involves months of dedicated work. However, the plough and sudden
What were the most common forms of discrimination in the 1930s?
In the period of the 1930s in America there were lots of forms of discrimination: one of them was sexism. Women were not seen as equal to men: they had fewer rights than men, were paid less and most of them were only allowed to take care of domestic chores. In that period of time, women started realizing how submitted they were to men, so they began having ideas on how they could improve their lives and gain more independence. They had their own American Dream.
What is the theme of "Of Mice and Men"?
`Of mice and men` is written by John Steinbeck, published in 1937. The novella is a reference to the great depression in California and is set in the 1930’s and portrays the way in which despite the consequences of depressed circumstances, human spirit still survives. During the aftermath of the great depression, which was a very bad period, men hoped to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. The author, John Steinbeck, illustrates how people, with the help of friendship of dreams, can prevail
What does Curley's wife do?
Curley's wife knows her beauty is her power, and she uses it to flirt with the ranch hands and make her husband jealous. She is utterly alone on the ranch, and her husband has seen to it that no one will talk to her without fearing a beating. Steinbeck 's initial portrayal of Curley's wife shows her to be a mean and seductive temptress.
How does Steinbeck soften the reader's reaction to Curley's wife?
In the barn scene, however, Steinbeck softens the reader's reaction to Curley's wife by exploring her dreams. Her "best laid plans" involved a stint in the movies with all the benefits, money, and pleasure that would provide. Her beauty is such that perhaps that dream might have come true. Her dreams make her more human and vulnerable.
What do George and Candy call her?
George and Candy call her by other names such as "jailbait" or "tart.". She wears too much makeup and dresses like a "whore" with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Lennie is fascinated by her and cannot take his eyes off her. He keeps repeating "she's purty.".
Who is responsible for Curley's wife's death?
Candy and George stare in horror at Curley’s wife ’s dead body. Both of them realize that Lennie is responsible for her death, though neither... (full context) Alone with Curley’s wife ’s corpse, Candy curses the “lousy tart” for messing everything up for him. After lamenting aloud... (full context)
What does Curley's wife regret?
Curley’s wife regrets the path her life has taken, and laments having missed her chance to move to Hollywood and become a movie star. To make up for her misery and loneliness, she tries to connect with other people, but finds herself thwarted at every turn.
What does Curley ask Whit about his wife?
Curley bursts in, asking for his wife. Whit says she hasn’t come by. Curley looks around the room and asks where Slim... (full context) ...that petting the puppies too much wouldn’t be good for them. George asks if Curley’s wife went by the barn, and Lennie says she didn’t.
What does Whit say to George after Slim and Crooks leave?
After Slim and Crooks leave, Whit makes small talk with George about Curley’s wife, remarking on how “she got the eye goin’ all the time.”. Whit admits that though... (full context) ...gets into bed, and Carlson begins cleaning his pistol. Curley bursts in, asking for his wife. Whit says she hasn’t come by.
What does George call Curley's wife?
After she’s gone, George calls Curley’s wife a tramp, but Lennie insists she’s “purty.”. George warns Lennie never to say anything like... (full context) ...enters the bunk house again and demands to know whether the men have seen his wife. George says she was just at the bunk house, looking for Curley.
What happens when Lennie strokes Curley's hair?
But when she lets Lennie stroke her hair, she becomes frightened by his strength and starts screaming, prompting Lennie to suffocate and shake her until she dies. Curley’s wife, like Lennie and Crooks, lives an existence defined by solitude and marginalization.
Who does Slim tell Curley to stay with?
(full context) Slim tells Candy to stay with Curley’s wife, and Candy agrees to do so. All the other men, including George, follow Curley out... (full context) Tanner, Alexandra.
What is the character of Curley's wife?
Steinbeck’s portrayal of Curley’s wife allows the reader to sympathize with her. At first she is presented as a provocative woman whom the men dislike. However, by the end of the story, Steinbeck has her talk about her true feelings, and this allows the reader to have a better understanding of her character.
How does Steinbeck show sympathy for Curley's wife?
Although she is seen by the other men as flirtatious and provocative, Steinbeck generates sympathy for Curley’s wife by presenting the men’s opinions on her, then revealing her true self through dialogue at the end of the novel, ultimately suggesting that the way others see her may not be how she truly is.
What does George tell Lennie about Candy?
Upon hearing what Candy has to say, George tells Lennie: “You keep away from her, ‘cause she’s a rat-trap if I ever seen one,” George has only heard a few things about her , yet uses those few thoughts and his preconceptions against women to assume that she is what everyone says she is.
What is the story of mice and men about?
One poignant example of the misperceptions that women face in a male-dominated society is presented in the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The story takes place in the Dust Bowl era, when rough economic times made it hard to find work; two farmhands, George and Lennie, manage to take a job at a ranch.
Does Steinbeck give her a name?
Steinbeck doesn’t even give her a name, choosing to allude to her as a mere possession of Curley’s. This shows how she is trapped under Curley’s power, as well as how insignificant women were to men in that time period.
Get professional help and free up your time for more important courses
Curley’s Wife Of Mice and Men. (2016, Sep 01). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/character-analysis-curleys-wife-of-mice-and-men/
Cite this page
Curley’s Wife Of Mice and Men. (2016, Sep 01). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/character-analysis-curleys-wife-of-mice-and-men/
Why is Curley's wife called "jailbait"?
The perceptions we make of Curley's wife are corrupted from the views of the ranch hands. Because sexuality is her only weapon she is referred to by George as 'jailbait' and ' a tart' 'Jesus what a tramp. ' George has reason to be weary of her presence especially with Lenny around and the incident in Weed.
What does Steinbeck say about her crying?
Steinbeck declares how she “writhed to be free” this could really mean how she ached to be free of the ranch and of Curley. Then when he adds how “her hoarse cry came out” it creates a major contrast to when she wasn’t heard by the men and when her voice is needed the most she is being stifled.
What does Steinbeck show Lennie in Death?
Lennie was keeping her company and she needed this so much that she was willing to let him harm her, and in this case kill her. Steinbeck also shows her differently in death as well. He gives Curleys wife respect and describes her as being beautiful and majorly contrasts the provocative way he did beforehand.
Why is Steinbeck concerned about Lennie safety?
Don't you even look at that bitch. He is concerned about Lennie safety because he knows he won’t be able to resist her. The next time Steinbeck presents Curleys wife is in her conversation with Lennie, Candy and Crooks.
Does Steinbeck remember his Aunt Clara?
Steinbeck does give us a moment of hope when he remembers his Aunt Clara who he has occasionally forgotten, this gives us hope that he will remember Georges warnings on Curleys wife but this isn’t the case.
What does Curley's wife represent?
She is lonely – there are no other women to talk to and Curley is not really interested in her. The role of Curley’s wife represents the loneliness of all the characters on the ranch.
What is Curley's wife's relationship with Curley?
Curley’s wife’s relationship with Curley is terrible – Curley controls her. For example Curley’s wife is shown to say: “I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella. ” This shows that Curley is oppressive and controlling of her suggesting a possibly violent nature to their relationship.
What does Steinbeck want us to realise?
Steinbeck wants us to realise that she is not the part of the workers on the ranch and is an outside “looking in? ” this makes the reader think she dislike, unpopular and wants to be friendly with them. Additionally the writer explained that “appearance” is important to Curley’s wife and she wants to look pretty.
What does the color red mean in Steinbeck's book?
The colour red is often considered for portraying a sign of danger or sex. Steinbeck portrays these signs frequently, “red mules…red ostrich feathers. ” In doing this, it is suggesting to the reader that Curley’s wife is “jailbait”. She refers crooks, Lennie and candy a ‘nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep.
What does Curley's wife say in the story of mice and men?
In the story ‘of mice and men’ Curley’s wife has a very distrusting relationship with Curley. This is shown she says “swell guy, ain’t he” this shows us that she knows what Curley really is and that she knows that he isn’t really that interested in her.
What does Sympathy for Curley's wife say about her death?
Sympathy for Curley’s wife Steinbeck wants us to feel sorry for her at the end of the book when she dies. “She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. This shows us that she is seen as being sweet and innocent in death –her natural beauty is allowed to shine through.
What does Candy talk about before we are presented to Curley's wife?
Before we are presented to Curley’s wife, Candy talks about her, to George and Lennie. “I think Curley’s married a … tart. ” Steinbeck is preparing us before we meet Curley’s wife. He does this, so that we have an influenced opening impression of Curley’s wife and the way she acts.