“Nobody’d listen to us” (81) exclaims Crooks when talking about being ignored. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck illustrates the characters Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Candy experiencing loneliness and isolation while living on the ranch. These characters attempt to socialize, succeeding and failing. Loneliness and isolation of the characters results in yelling, bullying, and even a broken neck. Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Candy are three characters who are constantly alone and feeling worthless. “Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house and listen how Curley’s gonna lead” (78) Curley’s wife exclaims to Lennie, Crooks, and Candy. Constantly ignored by men, Curley’s wife acts overly nice and comes off as a flirty “rat-trap” (32). She …show more content…
For example, Curley’s wife attempts to interact with Lennie. She convinces Lennie to stay and converse with her after reasoning “what kinda harm am I doin’?” (88). Curley’s wife enjoys talking with Lennie and even lets him pet her prized hair. Additionally, Crooks finds companionship with Lennie. “I thought I could jus’ come in an’ set” (68) Lennie exclaims to Crooks the night the other men were out. He kept him company and both ultimately bonded after having a good time with each other. Also, Candy introduces himself to Lennie and George when they first arrive at the ranch. They develop a trust between each other, leading to the planning of “fixing up an’ little old house an’ go living there” (60). Trusting George, Candy generously donates funds to their future property, as a token for George appreciating him and making him feel important. Throughout the book, failure to interact between other characters happens often. For example, the men on the ranch consistently reject Curley’s wife, even her own husband, Curley. The men yell at her and question “why she doesn’t stay in her home where she belongs?” (62). Lennie tries conversing with her, but it only results with breaking her neck from strangling. Furthermore, Crooks tries talking to the other men, but results in exclusion and bullying. The other men discriminate Crooks from their activities, thinking “cause he’s black, he stinks” (68). Finally, Candy speaks to Carlson in the beginning in his bunker. Unfortunately, the conversation only ends with convincing Candy to have Carlson shoot his sheep dog, “to put the old devil out of his misery” (47). The shooting upsets Candy because his sheep dog was a son to him, followed him everywhere, and kept him company on the ranch. Through trial and error, Curley's wife, Crooks, and Candy interacts with other characters, resulting in successful and
In John Steinbeck’s book Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife as a flirtatious, mischievous, and over all isolated woman. Steinbeck doesn’t give this character a name, yet she is one of the most important characters in the story. Curley’s wife first comes off as flirtatious to the main characters, George and Lenny, when they first hear about her from the character Candy . Candy is talking about how she gives men “the eye”. He also displays his feelings about her by saying, “Well, I think Curley’s married… a tart”(28). This is setting George and Lenny up to expect she is a flirt.. Steinbeck describes Curley’s wife in her first introduction as a scantily dressed woman.. Steinbeck writes, “Both men [George and Lenny] glanced up, for the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off. A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, roughed lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled cluster, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers”(31). The color red is sometimes considered for portraying a sign of danger or sex. This passage supports Curley’s wife as being flirtatious and also how she’s dangerous and can cause trouble displaying herself while she is married. Also, when George and Lenny are talking to Curley’s wife she tries to flirtatiously talk to them too. After their first conversation she re-adjusts herself. Steinbeck displays her with “She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward”(31). Steinbeck is explaining to the reader in detail that Curley’s wife is trying to show herself to Lenny and George to get thei...
Is it possible to achieve the “American dream?” In the novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck the main characters Lennie and George to migrant workers dream of owning their own farm and not having to obey to anyone's orders except their own. They flee from Weed because of an incident with Lennie touching a girl's dress and accusing him of rape. They get a job at a ranch outside Weed buckin barley and meet an “old dog” named Candy. Candy and George get to talking and George tells Candy about their “Dream” and Candy says he can help them get the ranch if he gets to come with them. They decide to leave at the end of the mouth but Lennie kills Curley's wife by snapping her neck and George decides to kill Lennie so he doesn't die a slow and
This passage comes from the fourth chapter in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. George and the other workers are “gone into town” (69). Lennie, Crooks and Candy are the only men remaining on the ranch. This excerpt characterizes Crooks and promotes the themes of loneliness and dreams. In addition, this passage characterizes Lennie and reinforces the theme of companionship.
In the novel Of Mice and Men Steinbeck creates a character which is different from the rest of them, on which the reader might have a strong opinion about, differing from beginning to end. Curley´s wife switches from being classified as an antagonist of the novel, to just a fragile women with a hopeless dream.
In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, after Lennie’s death, there are many people to blame, but Curley and Curley’s Wife are to blame more than anyone else and there are strong reasons as to why.
“In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.” - John Steinbeck. Curley throughout the story, whenever he came in, there was always a negative vibe going on. Events he’s in, usually goes downhill for him or some other major character, he’s always bringing out bad events in the story, from when he wants to kill people, from when he wants to hurt people, Curley is someone who brings bad events to him, and the characters around him. Curley’s actions throughout the story has proved him to be a belligerent, unemotional, and cocky character.
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
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck describes the simple dream which enlightens hope for George and Lennie’s life. Especially Lennie, all he thinks about until the end is tending rabbits. And George wants to get their own ranch so they don’t need to work for others anymore. It seems as if they are going to achieve it. However, several characters complicate the dream and finally cause the tragedy. The character of Curley’s wife doesn’t mean to complicate the dream. while Curley intends on doing so. Therefore, in regards to the issue of complicating the dream, I believe that Curley and Curley’s wife are to blame.
“I never seen no piece of jail-bait worse than her” (George) what is the reader supposed to think about Curley’s wife?
Curley’s wife attitude towards Crooks and Candy shows her approach towards older men. She believes that since she is Curley’s wife, she has power to make the men instantly regret their decisions to talk back at her. This scene of intense arrogance foreshadows that her own words will be handed back to her.
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.
We are first introduced to Curley’s Wife through a description of her from Candy, and straight away, that in itself demonstrates her lack of individuality because she can’t speak for herself or even introduce herself just like a majority of women in the 1930s.
Life is full of choices: where to go to school, where to live, who to marry, and what jobs to apply for, and most of the time each of us control what happens with these choices. What if those choices brought someone to the point of being trapped and feeling helpless? In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the wife of Curley is in just that spot. She made the choice to marry a tyrant of a man and is now forced to live with the consequences of her decisions. Curley’s Wife is misunderstood due to the workers’ assumptions, Curley’s relationship with her, and her unclear background.
A name is part of a person’s identity and defines one’s personality. John Steinbeck does not give Curley’s wife a name in Of Mice and Men because of his unfavorable opinion about women. All the male characters are seen as hard, tough and strong, but most importantly (with the exception of Lennie) independent. The only well defined female character is Curley’s wife, who is seen as an unscrupulous and untrustworthy influence on those around her. Curley’s wife, the antagonist who destroys all hopes for George and Lennie, shows how women’s portrayal during the 1930’s was generally negative due to people’s sexist views. Female and male stereotypes of the era cause Steinbeck to deny Curley’s wife a name. The mere reference to someone by their name
In “Of Mice and Men”, Steinbeck presents Curley’s wife as a symbol of isolation due to her gender which isolates her from the men on the ranch. Steinbeck skilfully portrays her physical features and her personality through the depictions of her face and her body language. She is described as a “tart” by Candy, “tramp” and “jailbait” by George. Through implying her overuse of makeup and looking less moral, Steinbeck creates a link between why she’s not attractive to the men in the ranch and the level of her isolation. Curley’s wife is a major female character in “Of Mice and Men”, but she is not given a name, suggesting that she is not respected by anyone in the ranch. Steinbeck intends to illustrate Curley’s wife as a "whore" with full “rouged” lips, “heavy” make up and