How Does Curley's Wife Treat Women In Of Mice And Men

Women used to be, and still commonly are, judged, underestimated, and struggling to gain the equal rights that men have. Sexism is the act of discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex or gender, as in restricted job opportunities, especially such discrimination directed against women. Sexism was very popular in the 1930s; women were unemployed and expected to clean the house and cook dinners. In Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife is a victim of sexism and it is shown many times in the story. There are many reasons to show how Curley’s wife is treated unfairly such as how the ranchers do not talk to her, she is treated as an object, and Curley does not want her out of the house.

To begin with, the rancher’s do not want to talk to her, not only because they do not think she belongs on the ranch but, they are also afraid of Curley. Curley acts tough and says he will beat up anyone that gets in his way because he feels small; this is known as the Napoleon complex. “Napoleon complex" is a term describing a theorized condition occurring in people of short stature. It is characterized by overly-aggressive or domineering social behavior, and carries the

implication that such behaviour is compensatory for the subject's stature. Therefore, most of the ranchers do not want to start trouble with him if seen with his wife. Curley acting this way makes his wife’s life on the ranch harder and affects her feelings.The ranchers do not think women are fit to be on the ranch, this is shown when 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 ain’t no place for a girl, specially like her”(Steinbeck np). She is looked down on for being a woman. As a result, Curley’s wife does not deserve to be looked down upon because she is a women or is outgoing.
Next, Curley’s wife is treated as an object and is labeled by many people in harsh ways.

She is known as Curley’s wife; Steinbeck did not name her and that symbolizes how she is Curley’s property. She is only seen as a sexual object, the ranchers call her ‘bitch’ and ‘tart’ or other flirtatious gestures. Slim expressed "Well, I will tell ya what—Curley says he's keepin' that hand soft for his wife" (Steinbeck np). Curley tells many ranchers this; he makes sure they know what he does with his wife. As a wife, you would not want anyone knowing about your personal life and Curley does not care he tells everyone so they know he controls her. She is described to the readers by how she looks and how the other ranchers see her not her actions and emotions. This shows she is only seen by her beauty and flirtatious

actions.
Also, Curley’s wife is not allowed out of their house. Women in the 1930s were expected to stay home and do housework, which she is expected by Curley to do. When she gets bored, she comes and visits the ranchers and says she is searching for Curley. Curley stresses “Why’n’t you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs?”(Steinbeck, np) He says this to another rancher where Curley found her. Since Curley only uses her, she feels the need to leave the house and find someone that pays attention to her. She is lonely and her attempts to seek adventure outside of their home only pushes them farther from her.
In conclusion, Curley's wife is a victim of sexism and it is continually presented in Of Mice and Men. The ranchers do not talk to her, she is treated as an object, and she is not allowed out of the house are only some of the reasons how she is treated unfairly. Sexism in the 1930s was a popular form of discrimination. The 1930s was filled with gender segregation, women were on a much lower status than men were. Curley’s wife symbolizes the way all women were treated during that time period. Women should not be stereotyped for something they can not control.