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

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In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck depicts the theme of loneliness throughout the novel. Loneliness affects Curley’s wife’s actions and choices throughout the novel. Curley’s wife is treated as less powerful because of her gender, her dreams got crushed and her actions and choices lead back to her unhappy marriage. 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.

Curley’s wife is treated as less powerful and objectified because she is the only woman at the ranch. Curley restricts his wife from doing certain things. All the men at the ranch call her names just because she flirts with other men and isn’t happy with Curley. “Jesus, what a tramp.” George said. This quote demonstrates how Curley’s wife get’s called names because of her actions. She flirts with other men thinking that it’s okay, but actually Curley restricts from talking to any men. She just wants to have friends and she acts like that because of how Curley treats her. Curley’s wife acts like a tart for attention because nobody talks to her. She isn’t allowed to talk to anybody and nobody at the ranch is allowed to talk to her, that’s what Curley said.

Curley’s wife doesn’t like Curley that much because he only likes to talk about himself and how he likes to beat up people bigger than him. Curley doesn’t like anybody and is very arrogant and carless about others. “Sure I gotta husban'. You all seen him. Swell guy, ain't he? Spends all his time saying' what he's gonna do to guys he don't like, and he don't like nobody.” This quote illustrates how Curley’s wife is married to Curley but says that he doesn’t like ...

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...came the way she is because of Curley and his actions. This all goes back to how she is treated based on her gender and how that causes adversities in her life that shape her character.

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.

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