All throughout history, women are categorized as the inferior gender. Women are lower than men, even though they may be as equally strong. In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrays women as seductresses that are weak. Steinbeck does not necessarily believe that women are weaker than men. The idea of women being weak is surrounded by the patriarchal society that Of Mice and Men is set in. Curley’s Wife reveals how strong women are considered weak in a patriarchal society through diction, the American dream, and a her hidden strength. Steinbeck’s expression of women in a patriarchal society depicts Curley’s wife as a frail character, when in fact she is just as capable and sturdy as the men around her. For instance, on the night that George goes to town with the other …show more content…
When the weak ones are only at the ranch she says that she is “[standin’] here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs...an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else” (Steinbeck 78). Curley’s Wife likes talking to Lennie, Crooks, and Candy because she is lonely. On the day that Lennie first sees Curley’s Wife, his “eyes moved down over her body, and though she did not seem to be looking at Lennie she bridled a little” (Steinbeck 31). To bridle is to control or hold back something. The word “bridled” reveals how Curley’s Wife is controlling her feelings. The fact that she can control her feelings reveals her emotional strength. Curley’s Wife is strong because in public, she can prevent others from seeing how lonely she really is. Although it may not be physical strength, her emotional strength reveals that women can also be strong. Since Curley’s Wife is the only woman on the ranch, she has no chance to grow since men are always considered superior to her. Overall, Curley’s Wife has some strength in her, but the patriarchal society makes categorizes her as someone weak and prevents her from growing to her full strength or
“Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody.” (Steinbeck, 86). In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley’s wife is an outcast compared to the men. Being female, she cannot do what the men can. This novel was based in the 1920’s, a time where women weren’t allowed to do certain, almost all, things. She was not allowed to talk to anyone because she was seen as a threat. Her treatment was caused by how men viewed her. This all affected her responsibility, the views of her as a woman, and her loneliness.
“Women can change better’n a man,” …“Women got all her life in her arms. Man got it in his head”(423) and with these quotes, Steinbeck is suggesting that women are just as capable as men when the going gets tough. He suggests that families could work just as well with a female head of the household. The men of this story used to provide the necessities to live, but now, in time of great need, the women pull through and tip the power scale in their favor.
...r say anything. So she is stuck at a ranch where all the members there avoid her because she is trouble and can’t even run away because of her being a female in the early 1900’s made it almost impossible to survive on her own. She dresses a certain way to live out the American Dream the only way she can. She doesn’t dress that way to show off her body, she wants to feel like she is living her dream. She realizes that she is good looking and she uses that to her advantage to talk to some of the people at the ranch like Lennie. The only way she got to talk to Lennie was by letting him touch her hair. Steinbeck let Curley’s Wife die in such a peaceful way; I didn’t even realize she was dead until I read over the section multiple times. He left her there in the barn describing her beauty, showing the reader through Curley’s Wife that even the worst of us have humanity.
“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.
Curley’s wife’s femininity may be seen as her greatest weakness or flaw to most, but she rapidly discovers that it is also her only weapon on the ranch and learns to use it to her advantage. Therefore, she puts up an alluring and sultry front in an attempt to receive attention, because she is aware that none of the men on the farm respect her because of her position as a woman. The men's blatant lack of respect for her belittles the miniscule amount of power she has acquired
In the Steinbeck novel ‘Of Mice and Men’, he introduces us to the character of Curley’s wife. She could be interpreted as a mis-fitting character in the novel, as no one relaters to her. This essay will go on to examine the character of Curley’s wife and how characters perceive her and how this influences the readers interpretation of her.
Curley’s wife expresses her suffering of loneliness and boredom to the men by asking for compassion. To Curley’s wife, loneliness means the lack of social interactions and conversations. Boredom means the repetitiveness of her daily life. She tries to explain her situation to the men by asking rhetorical questions about certain aspects of her life. Curly’s wife had just walked into the stable room to figure out where her husband is. She encounters Crooks, Candy, and Lennie who give her a difficult time when she tries to have a conversation with them. She is asking for compassion when she says, “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house all the time?” (77) The tone and wording of this suggests that she is asking a rhetorical question in an attempt to get the men to feel for her.
“Curley slashed at Lennie with his left, and then smashed down his nose with a right. Lennie gave a cry of terror. Blood welled from his nose” (pg 63). In Of Mice and Men, Curley is at once an unpleasant, nasty character and fighter. Right away in the book his “glance was pugnacious and calculating” (pg 25), judging George and Lennie and making them feel very uncomfortable to the point where they want to leave. Through the character of Curley, Steinbeck, the author, shows readers evilness and the want to be a tough guy. Back then and now, people who get everything they want are cruel and evil when, like a little spoiled kid, they do not get what they want. That wannabe guy will also always try to prove himself to others and will want to show how tough he really is.
One character who faces discrimination is Curley’s wife. As she is the only woman on the ranch, she is left alone, and mostly ignored. Being married to Curley doesn’t help; it only gives the men more reason to keep their distance. “‘Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?’”(87). Being lonely, she tries to attract the men on the ranch. This leads to her spending time with Lennie. As she entices him to pet her hair, her fate is sealed. Her attempt to avoid loneliness costs her something she holds dear: her life.
Symbols are put in this novella to convey a deeper meaning throughout the story. The symbols also help display different meanings. In the novel Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck has several themes throughout his novel. There are many symbols in Of Mice and Men such as Lennie, Curley’s Wife, and George.
51) In this scene, George and Whit gossips on the topic of Curley’s wife on how she is going to cause trouble for several reasons, including the fact that she is a female. This suggests sexism as George is hinting that women are not capable of being in a ranch, especially because it is filled with men. He is also saying that ladies like her who are sleeping around will cause trouble no matter what. The men in the ranch treat Curley’s wife with a disgusting approach because she is flirting with them. This situation is relevant to our generation’s time. In some work companies, women are not accepted for a job that requires great physical strength as they think that females are not capable of this type of occupations. Men were born with a greater muscle mass and stronger bones which makes them physically stronger than the ladies. However, this does not automatically mean that women cannot cope with jobs that demands the area of physical strength. In our time, females who enjoy sexual pleasure are slut shamed by both genders, even if she is not in a committed relationship. Discrimination against women is an issue that countries around the world has been working on. In Of Mice and Men, only a few issues on sexism were presented. Today, it has gotten better and there is slightly more equality on how women and men are treated and
Comment on how the character of Curley’s wife is portrayed in Sinise’s. 1992 television film version of "The Thriller" How is this characterization different? to that of the original novel by Steinbeck? Introduction The “Of mice and men” by Steinbeck was written in the 1930’s during the period. great depression Era which came about as a result of the Wall Street crash.
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.
From her first appearance in the story, Curley’s wife is described as a different kind of threat, one who is all artifice and manipulation from her red lips and fingernails to her red mules, “on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers” (Steinbeck 31). The imagery Steinbeck uses, paints her as a woman who is quite bold, but fragile with a passionate essence.
Steinbeck has indicated the thought of women having no business in a working lifestyle. The reason I suggest this is because Curley wife does nothing but wonder around, looking for someone to vent to. She is always turned away by Curley and told to stay at the house, which can be very difficult and depressing for her character as she is one that likes to