Curley's Wife Sexualisation

453 Words1 Page

In this passage, Steinbeck’s carefully chosen description of Curley’s wife evokes the sexualisation of women and proves that women in most cases were not able to talk to other men without being seen as a tart or jailbait in the early 20th century. Steinbeck’s portrayal of Curley’s wife in such a sexualized way in Of Mice and Men is important to the readers as it highlights in history, women were often used as sex and house objects for men, and if a woman was nice and/ or smiled at another man that was not her husband, she was leading him on and was instantly classified as a whore or a tramp.
Primarily, the sexualisation of women is manifested when Curley’s wife first appears in the book and initiates a “playful” conversation with George Milton, claiming she is looking for Curley. After she leaves, George clearly not …show more content…

Classifying her a tramp is Georges point of view because it is an opinion based off of what he sees and processes from her personality, rather than a fact, and a way that he perceives by calling her a name that represents a promiscuous woman with diction, he is sexualizing her. Literal imagery furthermore helps us develop the idea of sexualisation towards women when the appearance of Curley’s wife is illustrated clearly and gives us a point of view on how men perceive women on first encounter. When Curley’s wife walked into the door, the image we receive is, “She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.” The use of

Show More
Related

  • Of Mice and Men – To what extent does Steinbeck present Curley’s Wife as a sympathetic character?

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    Also, the fact that Curley’s Wife does not have her own name and is simply a possession of Curley exemplifies the concept that women in the 1930s were treated as belongings of men and were stripped of their individuality, highlighting the social hierarchy in those times.

    Read More

  • Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • To What Extent Curley's Wife a Victim in Of Mice and Men

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Curley's Wife Weak Analysis

    219 Words  | 1 Pages

    Many people would argue Curley’s wife is the weakest character in Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men. Although, her interactions with the workers on the farm show how powerful she really is: “Well, you keep your place then, n*****. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” (81). Considering her brash tone with Crooks, Curley’s wife knows her boundaries, as well as what she is capable of. The ranchers are aware of her connections with The Boss and Curley and are careful not to push her limits, because of the trouble they could get themselves into. Additionally, The Boss’ daughter-in-law can be highly convincing and very persuasive when she is eager to achieve something. For example: “Tell an’ be damned,” she cried. “Nobody’d

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men Crooks Women

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    George, like all other men, see women as exchangeable objects that satisfy certain needs with the exchange of money. Women were either seen as this type of stereotype or as nothing more than a stay home wife. This is shows how so call “men” can be seen as cowards because they think they have all the power in the world. “George said,’She’s gonna make a mess. They’s gonna be a bad mess about her. She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger. That Curley got his work cut out for him. Ranch with a bunch of guys on it wint no place for a girl, specially like her’” (Steinbeck 93). George is setting an example of how women are seen as weak and have no mean to be in a man's work place. Curley’s wife soon becomes like an animal in Lennie’s hands, for women were considered as

    Read More

  • Representation of Women in Mice and Men by John Steinbach

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Comparison of Characters in “Story of an Hour” and “Chrysanthemums”

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    How does one compare the life of women to men in late nineteenth century to mid-twentieth century America? In this time the rights of women were progressing in the United States and there were two important authors, Kate Chopin and John Steinbeck. These authors may have shown the readers a glimpse of the inner sentiments of women in that time. They both wrote a fictitious story about women’s restraints by a masculine driven society that may have some realism to what women’s inequities may have been. The trials of the protagonists in both narratives are distinctive in many ways, only similar when it totals the macho goaded culture of that time. Even so, In Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing we hold two unlike fictional characters in two very different short stories similar to Elisa Allen in the “Chrysanthemums” and Mrs. Louise Mallard in “The Story of an Hour”, that have unusual struggles that came from the same sort of antagonist.

    Read More

  • Feminist Lens In John Steinbeck's Novel 'Of Mice And Men'

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Curley's Wife Feminist Analysis

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the novel, Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the feminist lens is represented in many different ways throughout the novel, including actions and comments different characters make. Most of these events are surrounded by the character Curley’s Wife. Curley’s wife is a character who is known for her not being trusted by any of the workers on the ranch, and for fooling around with other men besides her husband, Curley. For instance, when Curley’s Wife is talking to another character, Slim. “…’Hi Slim,’ she said. Slim’s voice came through the door. ‘Hi, good-looking.”(Steinbeck, 31) Curley’s Wife is not allowed to flirt or even communicate with other men at the ranch, but she likes to break the rules and have a conversation with other people because she feels that she has never had any freedom since she married Curley. Curley’s Wife is mistreated at the ranch because everyone is afraid to trust and contact her.

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men - Curley's Wife

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I never seen no piece of jail-bait worse than her” (George) what is the reader supposed to think about Curley’s wife?

    Read More

  • Of Mice And Men Women's Rights Essay

    673 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the modern error which is when the book Of Mice and Men was wrote women were treated like animals, heck they were treated even worse. Women had no rights, which is what John Steinbeck showed in the book. Women of thus error would not even allowed to vote. They were treated like slave. Steinbeck showed this in the book when Curley's wife was not given a name we just knew her as Curley's wife. Curley was the bosses son. They owned a farm and had many people working for them. Curley acted like he did not like his wife and treated her poorly, just like all women in the modern error. Women had no rights at all they were pushed and shoved around by anyone. Women were lonely, which is just what Curley's wife had told Lenny in the book Of Mice and Men. She told Lenny "I never get to talk to nobody. I get

    Read More

  • Discrimination In Of Mice And Men

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Who Is Curley's Wife

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    The way Curley’s wife was treated changed the responsibility she had, the views of her, and being alone all the time. In life, women and those who are different aren’t seen as equal. They all have harder lives than the typical man does. Unfortunately, one of the characters who were different was outnumbered and was seen on a lower

    Read More

  • Curley's Wife Misogynist Analysis

    705 Words  | 2 Pages

    Flawless skin, small waists, the unattainable idea of perfection. The idea that a woman should be the icon of feminine beauty, a brainless robot that is great at housework and pleasing their husband has lasts from generation to generation. This idea continues in the 1930s, when the Great Depression was wreaking havoc on everyday life. Instead of letting equally smart women work alongside of men to bring the stocks up, they were still told to stay home and be the mothers and wives that they should. This idea continues in Steinbeck’s famous book, Of Mice and Men. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck subtly reiterates his belief that white men are superior to every other race and gender. Therefore, the misogynistic portrayal of Curley’s wife is sympathetic,

    Read More

More about Curley's Wife Sexualisation

Open Document