Curley's Wife Loneliness Analysis

598 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Racism in the grapes of wrath

My introduction : Throughout the novel, many are lonely. Of the characters, Curley's wife, Crooks and Candy all show signs of desperate loneliness, though they respond quite differently. Each is isolated because of special mistreatment. Because Crooks is black, he is shunned and separated from the other men. He spends most of his time in his room, alone and bitter. Curley's wife also spends her days hounded by her mean, spirited husband; her attempts to reach out to the other men backfire and win the the undeserved reputation of a flirt. Candy has a disadvantage being handicap, and he has an unconditional love for an old and feeble and after his dog is shot he looks for new companionship. Throughout the characters of Curley's wife, Crooks and Candy, Steinbeck proves that one can be lonely, even if he's constantly surrounded by people. Curley’s Wife experiences extreme exclusion from society. However, in her case, it is her gender and her husband that are the …show more content…

Crooks is isolated because of his race, his disability and his deep mistrust of others. He is physically separated from the other men and has his own room in the barn. "It's cause I'm black" (68). Crooks has been alone for a so long, making him not care about having and making new friends any more. Crooks may constantly be surrounded by the other workers, but that doesn't make him feel less alone. "You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me" (67). Crooks is quiet and weak, meaning no one in the ranch listens to him, nothing he says matters. "This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?" (70). Crooks is someone a reader can easily feel sorry for, even though Crooks doesn't put much effort is making new friends. He is in a difficult situation, which he certainly doesn't what to

Show More
Related

  • Why are characters lonely in Of Mice and Men?

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to me, the definition of loneliness is a feeling that naturally occurs when there is no communication between you and someone else, or if you do not like to talk to anyone. This sometimes causes people to create rage (mentally, and physically). This can also sometimes cause death, for yourself or someone else. So in this book, what John Steinbeck is trying to say about loneliness is that, the people are lonely because of their physical features and this involves Candy, Curley’s Wife and Crooks. They all are lonely in their own ways, but have the same problem.

    Read More

  • John Stienbeck - Of Mice And Men

    367 Words  | 1 Pages

    In my essay I will discuss the theme of loneliness in the novel “Of Mice And Men.” The essay will consist of information based on the novel towards minor characters such as Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks. This essay will provide information about Curley’s Wife, Candy and Crooks’ loneliness. Curley’s Wife was probably one of the loneliest characters of all. She never talked to anyone and she never really liked Curley all that much.

    Read More

  • Effects Of Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    This aspect is reflected by use of the time period’s race standards, as revealed in the following quote. Crooks whined in sorrow, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.” (Steinbeck 73). This quote suggests that Crooks’ exposure of discrimination has forced his isolation, preventing him from a healthy amount of human interaction and possibly driving mental illness. The indifference to women back then also donates to the effects of isolation and loneliness in the novel, as seen through Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife yells in exasperation, “Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?” (Steinbeck 87). This quote illustrates Curley’s wife’s frustration and anger of being shunned by the other people on the ranch, and the lack of her actual name, only being referred to as “Curley’s wife”, may also reveal her as being considered Curley’s property rather than spouse. In the novel, the characteristic of inevitability of age contributes to the effects of isolation and need for companionship. After Candy’s dog is shot, it’s revealed that Candy faces age discrimination. Candy comments in a monotone voice: “Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses they’ll put me on the county,” (Steinbeck 60). This example shows that Candy is aware of how useless he is in the eyes of the other men on the ranch due to his age, and will face adversity of being

    Read More

  • Sympathy In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    783 Words  | 2 Pages

    Crooks created sympathy in the reader many ways. The description given to Crooks immediately creates sympathy in one. The author described Crooks in such a way that you knew he was left alone and he lived a sad life. The descriptions also told us that not only Crooks had a crooked back, but was a different color than the rest of them. After watching the movie, one could tell that Crooks had such a disability that created a dilemma in the way he was able to walk. Crooks not being agile, caused him not able to get his work done as efficiently and adequate as the other men did. Crooks being a different color than the other ranch hands, created a discrimination between the ranch hands. While the other workers slept in a bunkhouse, Crooks being different than the others had to sleep out in the barn with the horses. Crooks had his own room, but with very few

    Read More

  • Feminist Criticism Of Curley's Wife

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    The 1920’s, or the beginning of feminist expression, was a period that embodied a carefree and relaxed attitude, however, this period of relative prosperity changed after the stock market collapsed in the 1920’s. This horrid event initiated “The Great Depression” where millions became homeless and millions more lived without knowing where their next meal would be. The life of Curley’s wife contrasts this period of sorrow by offering some kind of vision back into the past. Curley’s wife is more than a victim of circumstance; she embodies pettiness, cruelty, and self-obsession. These apparent factors make Curley’s wife the sharpest contrast to norms at the time of typical female behavior.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men - Curley's Wife

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I never seen no piece of jail-bait worse than her” (George) what is the reader supposed to think about Curley’s wife?

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men Crooks Marginalized

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    His race is defiantly a key factor. When Lennie asked Crooks “Why ain’t you wanted?” (p.68) Crooks replied with “ ‘Cause I'm black.” (p.68) Crooks him self as realized that he is marginalized for this reason. The dialog also calls him a “nigger” showing how the rest of the people would have looked at him. In addition to being black he is also lonely. The loneliness generates from his race and is carried over to his farm life. “ ‘Long as you won't get out and leave me alone, you might as well set down.”(p.69) Crooks is emitting the sense that he hasn't had a friendship in so long that he is forgetting what it is like when someone is nice. The third reason is his crooked back. His crooked back holds him back because he is not able to do the physical work that the others are capable of

    Read More

  • Theme Of Discrimination In Of Mice And Men

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    All of the men were have a discussion when one of them said,“‘This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothin,’” (71). The ranchers call him derogatory names and neglect what he says. These men have again ranked themselves to be higher than someone because of their race. One of the ranchers spouts, “‘Where the hell is that God damn nigger?’” (29). Again, these ranchers have no tolerance. They don’t have enough respect to call Crooks by his name. When the men are in Crooks’ house for the first time Candy says, “‘I been here a long time, an’ Crooks been here a long time. This’s the first time I ever been in his room.’ Crooks said darkly, ‘Guys don’t come into a colored man’s room very much. Nobody 's been here but Slim. Slim an’ the boss,’” (75). This reveals that none of these men have ever put forth an effort to talk with Crooks except their boss and Slim. Crooks is therefore isolated and feels detached from the other men. They all have had plenty of time to get to know each other, but instead have chosen to disregard Crooks because of his race. These men should feel guilty for segregating Crooks from them because it is

    Read More

  • Of Mice and Men – To what extent does Steinbeck present Curley’s Wife as a sympathetic character?

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion I believe that Curley’s Wife is a very significant character in the novella because she represents the stereotypical woman and they way she acted, and was treated leads me to feel great sympathy for her despite her flirtatious demeanour. Steinbeck is very successful in creating sympathy throughout her character change and he presents her in this way to prove that the majority of women went through similar situations. This leads us to sympathise with all people society deem to be ‘inferior’ and we can even apply this lesson to today’s society.

    Read More

  • Of Mice and Men, 3 Characters with Loneliness

    406 Words  | 1 Pages

    Steinbeck expresses the theme of loneliness in the character of Candy. Candy is lonely because his is missing half an arm. Candy?s disability separates him from society, an example of Curley being set aside is when everybody else goes to town he is left in the barn with Crooks, Lennie, and Curley?s wife. Candy?s only friendship was with his old, smelly dog. Candy?s dog was a symbol of himself (old, and useless). When Carlson kills Candy?s dog he kills Candy on the inside as well.

    Read More

  • The Loneliness Of mice and Men

    401 Words  | 1 Pages

    “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you. ‘I tell ya’ he cried. ‘I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” (Page 72-73) As you can see, Crooks also spends most of his time alone because he is black. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house nor go to town with the guys. He is not allowed to enter the bunk house, he is not allowed to go to town with the guys and nobody likes him because he is black. This shows that he has no friendship and his whole life is filled with loneliness. His case is different from Lennie’s.

    Read More

  • Crooks In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

    336 Words  | 1 Pages

    Crooks is known as the stable buck by others at the ranch who is discriminated because of his skin color. Although he is a very productive worker who gets his name because of his crooked back from the hard labour, he is heavily discriminated. He represented what every black man had to face throughout that period of time; his dreams were put down just because of his skin color. Not only was that time of the Great Depression bad but the racial discrimination made achieving his dreams impossible just because of his skin color. He’s the only African American character in the novel and is not treated equally compared to others at the ranch but ironically, he has the most permanent working spot at the farm. As a result of constant discrimination by others, he is extremely lonely.

    Read More

  • To What Extent Curley's Wife a Victim in Of Mice and Men

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Of Mice & Men, the character Curley’s Wife is depicted as flirtatious, promiscuous, and insensitive. However, her husband Curley sees her as only a possession. Most of the workers at the ranch see her as a tart, whereas Slim, the peaceful and god-like figure out of all the men, see her as lonely. This answer will tell us to which extent, is Curley’s wife a victim, whether towards her flirtatious behaviour, or to everyone’s representation of her.

    Read More

  • The Loneliness of Curley's Wife in 'Of Mice and Men' by John Steinbeck

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Loneliness affects how Curley’s wife acts and the decisions she decides to make. She gets treated as less powerful and objectified, her dreams got crushed and all the actions and choices she makes leads back to her unhappy marriage. All her surroundings lead her to act in a flirtatious manner. How she is portrayed as a woman, Her broken dream that lead to her relationship with Curley and the choices and actions she make that were because of her surroundings are all reasons why she is lonely. John Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife to illustrate a unique type of loneliness. Curley’s wife’s adversities are caused because of her gender, which leads her to act in a flirtatious manner.

    Read More

  • The Implications of Lonliness in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Loneliness happens often in this book with almost all of the characters. Steinbeck created this book to show what was going on during the great depression. You couldn’t go where ever you wanted because money was in fact an issue. Lucky for the people on the ranch they were fed because of all the work they put in during the day. Specific characters that were lonely were Candy and Curley’s wif...

    Read More

More about Curley's Wife Loneliness Analysis

Open Document