Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ subtly but effectively explores the theme of gender, the challenges faced by women, and the toxic masculinity of society within the harsh landscape of America’s Great Depression. The objectification of women, misogyny, and the cruel societal expectations towards women are embedded throughout the novella, allowing the readers to explore Steinbeck’s craft, through a feminist critical lens, with several women characters. Steinbeck also shows and criticises society's toxic masculinity through the men on the ranch, acting as a microcosm of the wider society in 1930s America. Throughout the novella, Steinbeck intentionally exposes the challenges women faced and the toxic masculinity of men in a male-dominated society, …show more content…
This speaks to the ingrained misogyny within the society, portraying how men can easily spread rumours and downgrade women, but that women cannot defend their own reputation easily. From her entrance, Steinbeck presents her as a seductive figure: “heavily made up”. Her fingernails were red.red mules.red ostrich feathers”. The extended metaphor of ‘red’ suggests that women are primarily viewed through a sexual lens by men. This reinforces the stereotypical notions of women as objects of desire, emphasising physical attributes over other qualities and highlighting the societal expectations and limitations women in the 1930s had to face regarding their appearances and behaviours. Also, Curley’s wife being ‘heavily made up’ serves as a mask to hide her weaknesses: youth and loneliness. This spotlights the effort of her trying to gain attention from men, displaying the fact that she is utterly alone on the ranch. Steinbeck therefore links to the theme of loneliness, reiterating the isolating effects of societal norms and gender roles, particularly for women in a patriarchal society. Additionally, Curley’s wife is portrayed as a “Jail Bait all set on the trigger” by a few men on the ranch. This underscores that she is often objectified and subjected to misogynistic attitudes by …show more content…
The boss’s son, Curley says, “Come on, ya big bastard. I’ll show ya who’s yella” during a conflict with Lennie. Curley’s need to assert dominance and prove his toughness through physical aggression is evident in this quote. His language and actions are driven by a desire to maintain his status and intimidate others. Although Curley is born at the top of the hierarchy on the ranch, because of his insecurities and the hyper-masculine culture on the ranch, he has to prove his superiority to maintain his status endlessly. This emphasises the toxic masculinity of the ranch, criticising men’s behaviours of superiority and inferiority in the 1930s society. Moreover, the lexical choice of ‘yella’ refers to a coward, working as a strong irony. Despite Curley’s aggressive facade, his behaviour is driven by his own insecurities and fear of being perceived as weak, which is ironic given that he is the one trying to prove his bravery. Additionally, the theme of gender is further explored by a brutal ranch worker called Carlson, saying, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?” at the very end of the novella. This reaction, after George shoots Lennie, shows his complete lack of understanding or concern for the emotional turmoil experienced by George. It further emphasises and reflects the broader toxic
Curley’s Wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’ is used cleverly by Steinbeck to create sympathy amid the reader but also to represent the position of women in 1930s America. Through an intelligently designed pattern of events in the book, we feel varying amounts of sympathy for Curley’s Wife and thus unconsciously acquire information regarding the issues women had to face in the 1930s. In this essay I will evaluate the extent that Steinbeck presents Curley’s Wife as a sympathetic character and its relation to 1930s America.
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 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that during the Great Depression era, “...the federal government did prohibit a married couple from both holding government jobs, and as late as 1939, legislatures in 26 states considered laws limiting married women's work. Both men and women believed that married women should give up their jobs if their husbands wanted them to. In the Depression decade, those wives who worked outside the home were viewed as selfish, greedy women who took jobs away from male breadwinners.” (Grice) Historians have documented that the role of women as a minority in 1930s America was largely to remain as a man’s inferior and serve as a servant in the household as they were shamed if they chose to get a job. Strict gender roles, portrayal as flirtatious “temptresses”, and being forced to give up any dreams of a successful future were just a few of the inequalities women face in this era. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a novella set during this time period in Salinas, California, following the lives of migrant farmers and one woman in particular known simply as Curley’s wife. Steinbeck is aware of this disenfranchisement of women in 1930s America and he uses Of Mice and Men as a vehicle to comment on the struggles that women, like his character Curley’s wife, face as victims of a prejudiced time.
Several characters in the novel Of Mice and Men are presented with additional obstacles throughout the book. Whether because of color, sex, or disabilities, John Steinbeck purposefully did this to illustrate oppression. Of Mice and Men explores the
"Jesus, what a tramp!" George of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men exclaims after meeting Curley's wife (Steinbeck 32). Steinbeck’s humor is distinct in the famous novel, but does the text have a deeper meaning? As a female, it is unfathomable to comprehend such acrimony towards women. Yet while reading this world-renowned text, I became infuriated with every word typed. John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel “Of Mice and Men” clearly shows an utter disregard for women through the use of derogatory language, objectification, and stereotyping.
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.
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.
The title of the novel Of Mice and Men has a unique meaning behind it. The saying “Are you a man or are you a mouse?” has a connection to novel itself but more importantly the characters. Each main character in this novel can be classified as either a “man” or a “mouse”. The “men” seen in the novel are George Milton, and Curley. The “mice” can be classified as Lennie Small and Curley’s wife. The “mice” are represented by the weak or the socially unacceptable characters; the “men” are represented by the strong, independent characters.
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.
Despite the perception that women are inferior and incompetent, seldom do women withstand this consistent discrimination upon their sex. Under the jurisdiction of men in their families, women are oftentimes restrained from opportunity and development. Curley, a man with an intimidating complexion, forces many, including his flirtatious wife, to succumb to his power. However, he fails to recognize his wife’s rising empowerment as she manipulates men around him into becoming her pawns. John Steinbeck’s usage of Curley’s wife in the novel Of Mice and Men delineates the desire of women to eliminate the over dominance of men through deceit in exchange for their own power.
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.
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.
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
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men explores the ranch social climate during the peak of the Great Depression, and how the country’s economic tragedy combines with other factors and creates a short yet impactful work of literature. The novella follows two traveling farm hands, Lennie and George, striving to achieve independence and self-reliance. Weaving through Soledad, they encounter jealous farm residents who have grown bitter in their stagnance. While many seemingly accept their fate, Lennie and George constantly plan for greater things. The two dream of one day living on their ranch, free from the orders of others and separated from the rest of society.
Throughout Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck displays how isolation through sexism and racism causes one to crave attention, and he helps the reader to understand the problems in society about racism and sexism through portraying Curley’s Wife and Crooks both craving attention in their own ways and experiencing various setbacks. Curley’s Wife, who persistently talked with every man on the ranch besides her husband, displays how sexism is portrayed on the ranch. Steinbeck proves this by showing a differing view towards women in the time period that the book was written, because, as Carleson states, “Why’n’t you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs?” (Steinbeck, 62).