How Does Curley's Wife Treat Women In Of Mice And Men

Women used to be, and still commonly are, judged, underestimated, and struggling to gain the equal rights that men have. Sexism is the act of discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex or gender, as in restricted job opportunities, especially such discrimination directed against women. Sexism was very popular in the 1930s; women were unemployed and expected to clean the house and cook dinners. In Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife is a victim of sexism and it is shown many times in the story. There are many reasons to show how Curley’s wife is treated unfairly such as how the ranchers do not talk to her, she is treated as an object, and Curley does not want her out of the house.

To begin with, the rancher’s do not want to talk to her, not only because they do not think she belongs on the ranch but, they are also afraid of Curley. Curley acts tough and says he will beat up anyone that gets in his way because he feels small; this is known as the Napoleon complex. “Napoleon complex" is a term describing a theorized condition occurring in people of short stature. It is characterized by overly-aggressive or domineering social behavior, and carries the

She is known as Curley’s wife; Steinbeck did not name her and that symbolizes how she is Curley’s property. She is only seen as a sexual object, the ranchers call her ‘bitch’ and ‘tart’ or other flirtatious gestures. Slim expressed "Well, I will tell ya what—Curley says he's keepin' that hand soft for his wife" (Steinbeck np). Curley tells many ranchers this; he makes sure they know what he does with his wife. As a wife, you would not want anyone knowing about your personal life and Curley does not care he tells everyone so they know he controls her. She is described to the readers by how she looks and how the other ranchers see her not her actions and emotions. This shows she is only seen by her beauty and flirtatious