More handpicked essays just for you.
Of mice of men curley's wife
How is Curleys wife presented in of mice and men
How is gender represented in literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
John Steinbeck was an American author of twenty-seven books and was a noble prize winner in 1962 for his realist and imaginative writings. John Steinbeck was against racism as he tried to expose the racist and offensive language of people outside of an integrated school in New Orleans. He wanted to show people how unnecessary and offensive these comments are. He writes about the topics of racism and sexism in one of his most famous novellas Of Mice and Men. Critics have argued and tried to gain a deeper meaning of this novella. One such critic is Richard E. Hart. Hart is a professor in Penn State University. His article is titled Moral Experience in “Of Mice and Men”: Challenges and reflection was published in the fall of 2004. Richard E. …show more content…
Richard Hart discusses the moral and ethical issue of sexism in the book Of Mice and Men. Curley’s Wife is at the center of this sexism. She doesn’t have a name and apparently isn’t worthy of one. The lack of a name for her may represent disconnect from the rest of the workers and the lack of respect they have for her. Even a crippled African American who may be at a lower social status then her is at least named. The fact that she doesn’t have a name emphasizes the fact that Curley’s Wife is property of Curley. Sexism is shown on the ranch as there is only one woman on the ranch and the rest are men which causes her to be lonely as most of the men avoid her. When George says, “ ‘Ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her’ ” (Steinbeck 78) When he says this it shows sexism as George suggests that women couldn’t handle being on the ranch. He is also saying the ranch is for men only and women shouldn’t be allowed in it which is a stereotypical thinking of men during this …show more content…
Racism in Of Mice and Men is centered on Crooks who is African American. He is physically and physiologically separated from the people he works with every day. He lives in separate living quarters with a manure pile right under the window. Crooks has the worst job on the ranch which is the stable boy in this job he must tend to the animals. He is alone in the stable with nobody to talk to. He has to live with these animals. By putting Crooks with the animals, the other people on the ranch believe Crooks is as respectable as the animals on the ranch. Crooks can play horseshoes outdoors with the men but is not allowed to step into their living quarters. He is denied a basic right of a bed and has to sleep on the hay. Crooks says, “ ‘I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you ain’t wanted in my room.’ ” (Steinbeck 68) His bitterness and resentment against white people is because of the way they have treated him is shown when he says this. He is so bitter that he would rather be lonely and sad than have a white friend. Even when Crooks has an injury no one cares for him and he has to be self-sufficient and put rubbing liniment on his lower back. Crooks causes no trouble but is viewed to be so inferior that he is battered purely for amusement. Crooks is threatened to be lynched by Curley’s wife just because he tells her to stay out of his house. This comment by Crooks isn’t offensive and shows how easily
Imagine being discriminated against because of your ethnicity; or being the only woman on a ranch, stuck in a loveless marriage, when all you really want is someone to talk to. What about having to kill that friend, and bury all chances of breaking free from the life of the average migrant worker? How would you feel? These scenarios in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men illustrate the need and desire for companionship in life. There's Crooks, the negro stable buck; Curley's wife, whose marriage to Curley hasn't exactly been lively; and George and Lennie, whose friendship is strong enough to get them to a better life and out of the negetive cycle that the average migrant worker became trapped in during the Great Depression.
“People are always going to stereotype others… it may be without conscious thought, but it still has the same negative effects.”- Author Unknown. In the book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, he includes many stereotypes; for example, Lennie was mean and dumb and Curley had small man syndrome. Other characters were stereotyped as hot headed, a tart, and a leader.
In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is only one woman and one African American male announced in the reading. The women is Curley’s wife, her name is not stated in the novel, who is the only woman that lives on the farm. While Crooks, the African American male, lives on the farm in a little cottage away from the rest of the men that live there. As we keep reading, we soon get the idea that Steinbeck’s purpose of women and African Americans is to present: discrimination towards race, gender stereotyping, and the double standards in the predominantly male workplace.
John Steinbeck’s creative and carefully planned writing expressed the difficulties of oppression in this Era. Of Mice and Men explored the effects of systemic oppression on women,
When asked about John Steinbeck’s career, people often refer to Steinbeck as a playwright, journalist, and a well-known novelist. The book Of Mice and Men is a popular novel by John Steinbeck and a required read for most high school students. Most of Steinbeck 's novels have a central theme focusing on the relationship between man and his environment. The American dream for George and Lennie, two of the main characters in Of Mice and Men, is to have a place of their own, to be respected, and to work hard for everything they earn and deserve. In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, the land and a hope of a better life becomes the talisman of an American dream for Lennie and George that is left unfulfilled.
Curley's wife, comparable to most other characters in the novel, is a type of character with little discrepancy, moreover being the only woman in novel. Curley’s wife is demonstrated by her position and part. This part is however, being a possession of Curley or a wife. She is heavily insulted and looked upon as inferior: George and Candy call her "jailbait" and "tart", which supports the fact that he has no voice and as a matter of fact, no name – simply being referred to as Curley’s wife. Due to her lack of power, she attempts to gain it by leeching off those with power. This leeching is portrayed as her seducing the other men on the ranch who have large presence like Slim: “Hi Slim” supports a casual and somewhat flirtatious approach to the other men. She seduces other by wearing far too much makeup and dressing like a "whore" with “red fingernails” and red shoes with ostrich feathers.
In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, published in 1937, many characters are depicted as having a turbulent and continuously changing relationship with power. In the case of Curley’s wife, her power, or lack thereof, derives from her status of being the only woman on the ranch during a time when females were viewed as being inferior and subordinate to men. In some instances, Curley’s wife uses her femininity to her advantage to flirt with the various men on the ranch and obtain information from them. She is aware of her beauty and the control over men this gives her and she realizes that a seductive attitude can be used to manipulate others. Although, ultimately, being a woman is her downfall. The men on the ranch ridicule her and dismiss
Sexism is a type of discrimination due to gender. The character that faces this type of discrimination is Curley’s Wife. She is the only female at the ranch and is discriminated against frequently by the other men. An example of sexism in the story is when we are told that Curley’s wife is constantly ignored and is treated poorly by the other men. When George and Lennie meet Curley’s wife for the first time, George tells Lennie to stay away from her because he thinks that she will cause trouble for the two of them. “‘Don’t you even take a look at that b**ch… You leave her be,’” (Steinbeck 32). This quote shows that men can be prejudice towards women. They can discriminate them before they actually meet or talk to them. This relates back to the theme of discrimination because Curley’s wife was discriminated against before some of the men actually met her. Another example of sexism in the story is when the men talk about her behind her back. “She ain’t concealin’ nothing. I never seen nobody like her.. I don’t know what the hell she wants,” (Steinbeck 51). This shows sexism because they are judging her behind her back and continue to do it throughout most of the story. This relates back to the idea of sexism because men were constantly judged by men. One of the less obvious examples of sexism is the fact that Curley’s wife’s name isn’t actually said in the book. The author of the story may be telling the
Written in 1937, Of Mice and Men, by John Adolf Steinbeck Jr., American author and Pulitzer Prize winner, follows the lives of downtrodden farmhands, George and Lennie. As with many of Steinbeck's books, the themes in Of Mice and Men include his favored themes of class warfare and oppression of the working class. Steinbeck also focuses his literature on the power of friendship and the corrupt nature of mankind. In 1993, Professor Thomas Scarseth wrote a critical analysis of the novella analyzing many aspects of Steinbeck’s work including the presentation, themes, and writing style. In his essay, Scarseth explains the key themes of the Novella. He noted that the corrupted nature of man, the injustice of life, and the power of friendship were three important themes of the book. Much of Scarseth’s analysis contained numerous thoughtful insights. Were his insights and opinions valid, or were his, and Steinbeck’s, perspectives on these issues flawed?
Novels that exhibit what the life is like for the people at ranch can help readers reflect on how they might react in comparable situation. George and Lennie who struggle to transcend the plight of inerrant farmworkers are followed by the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. Readers are positioned to respond to themes through Steinbeck’s use of conventions that are dispirit. Themes such as Freedom and confinement, loneliness, and racism are pivotal in the novel and draw out a range of responses from the readers.
The issue of sexism was still very present in 1930’s America compared to our present day now. Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife as the only female character in the novel because the ranch was no place for a women. He uses many different methods to portray the attitudes towards Curley’s wife and to belittle the importance of her.
Although racism is slowly diminishing, there is still much work to be done to completely end racism. All throughout Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck explores how isolation through sexism and racism can cause a person to crave attention. He helps the reader to understand this by depicting both Curley’s Wife and Crooks, who were minorities on the farm, as extremely needy for attention
Discrimination was one of the issues that caused conflict in the novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. One example of discrimination in the novel comes in the form of racial discrimination against Crooks, as he is an African American. Another example of discrimination is gender discrimination against Curley’s wife. Finally, there is discrimination against mentally disabled people, which is evident in Lennie’s character. The ranch hands' actions and conversations demonstrated the racial discrimination against Crooks for his skin colour, gender discrimination against Curley’s wife for her gender, and prejudice against Lennie, who was a mentally disabled individual.
Racial discrimination has been around for a long time, judging people for the color of their skin. Crooks is affected by this because he is black. Blacks in that time were thought as lesser than the white people. The racial discrimination affects Crooks' life in only negative ways. He is plagued by loneliness because of the color of his skin. His lack of company drives him crazy. Only when Lennie comes in to his room does he feel less lonely. He talked of his loneliness using a hypothetical scenario of George leaving Lennie. Crooks' responds to this discrimination by staying in his barn and being secluded. He doesn't want anyone to be in there but deep down he does so he can have some company. He isn't wanted in the bunk house or to play cards with the others because he is black. This effected the story by letting people walk all over him, letting them think they can do whatever they want, and ultimately making the people think they have a lot of power when really they do not.
Curley’s wife is a complex, main character in John Steinbeck’s novella, “Of Mice and Men”. She is introduced as an insignificant secondary character, but evidently posses the importance of causing the end of the novella. Despite the weight of her role, her value is hindered because of the culture towards women in the 1930s. Steinbeck uses imagery, foreshadowing, and metaphors to show loneliness analyzed through a Feminist Lens.