It is human nature for someone to want to be around other people, and everyone has the common need to be loved, no matter who they are. However, isolation and loneliness are two circumstances that can prevent this ordinary desire. The reality of being apart from society can cause a person to think and act in a different way than others would. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the character of Curley’s wife could frequently be described as promiscuous, but she really is longing for company and desperate for someone to talk to her. In the novel, Curley’s wife portrays being a“floozy” by the things she says to other characters, how she acts, and what other characters say about her. For example, when George and Lennie first meet Curley’s …show more content…
wife, she comes into their room and acts in a very provocative way. It says in the book, “She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward” (31). This quote shows us how Curley’s wife is truly lewd, for the action of throwing herself at all of the men backs up this statement. Her soul purpose is to get the men's attention by the way she presents herself. Curley’s wife does not meet George and Lennie in the usual manner, such as a handshake or an introduction. She instead flares up her dress and twirls her hair, making her personality understood clearly. how her personality is at this point, all because of this simple greeting. Another time this is illustrated is when Curley busts into the room looking for her early in the book when George and Lennie first arrive. Even though Curley’s wife isn’t there, Curley automatically assumes she is with Slim somewhere and asks the men how long he had been gone (53). Although we do not know for sure where Curley’s wife is, the fact that Curley, her husband, believes she is somewhere cheating on him proves to us her wanton personality, Slim is the ranch hand of this group, so he is well trusted. If Curley truly thought his wife was somewhere with his boss, then he must really believe that she would cheat on him. Lastly, when Curley’s wife comes into Crook’s room to talk to him, Candy, and Lennie, she voices her opinion and judges all of the men for being left behind. Candy does not like Curley’s wife, and he tells her to stop “foolin’ around” with other men when she has a husband. Curley’s wife then replies, “Sure I gotta husband’. You all seen him” (78). This is another prime reason of why Curley’s wife could be considered promiscuous. She practically admitted that she does indeed have a husband, but still messes with other men. Curley’s wife allows us to believe that Curley doesn’t mean anything to her, displaying her provocative attitude and alarming actions in this novel. In summary, Curley’s wife’s actions causes the reader to consider her character as being seductive, and even promiscuous. Her actions and other characters’ comments give us examples of why someone could easily give her these traits. Even though Curley’s wife may seem like a “floozy” at first glance, she actually is lonely and wants attention.
For example, when Curley’s wife comes into Crook’s room, she says, “‘Sat’day night. Everybody out doin’ som’pin’. Ever’body! An’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs’” (78). This shows us how Curley’s wife is truly longing for people just to talk to her. She feels like everyone's out doing something all the time but her, and she just wants to fit in with the crowd. The fact that Crooks, Lennie, and Candy are the only three left make her feel even more like an outsider. Curley’s wife is so desperate to talk to people that when her only options are an old man. a black man, and a mentally-ill man, she still engages and communicates. This proves how lonely she really is. Later on in the novel when Curley’s wife is talking with Lennie, she explains how “[she] get[s] lonely” and how “[she] can’t talk to nobody but Curley” (87). Curley’s wife flat out states that she gets lonely and feels abandoned all the time, because Curley is the only one who she is allowed to be around. Since they are married, all of the other men try to stay away from her on the ranch. She tells Lennie this because she feels rejected from all of the other guys but him, and Lennie is supposed to stay away from her too but he doesn’t know any better. Curley’s wife is truly desperate because the only one who would actually talk to her is Lennie, who is mentally impaired. When she and Lennie continue to talk in the barn she goes on to say how she “ain’t used to livin’ like this” and how “[she] coulda made somethin’ of [her]self” (88). Curley’s wife also asks why everyone treats her in a certain way. This explains how she once more is desperate and longing for friendship. She feels alone and even enraged that she has to live all by herself with only Curley. If she could, she would want to leave and have a new life with new opportunity. Asking Lennie what she has
done wrong is another example of her loneliness. She wants someone to accept her, and she feels that she hasn’t done anything to harm anyone while living on the ranch. All she wants is one person to interact with, so at the end of the book she turns to Lennie. At this point, it is truly apparent how Curley’s wife really just wants a simple person to be there for her. She isn’t as promiscuous as everyone thinks, but she just acts that way to get some company. At first glance, Curley’s wife may appear as seductive or flirtatious with the other men by the things she says to them and the way that she acts. However, she really is just lonely and in need of a friend to go through her life with. She is not the only one inclined to this feeling, for no one wants to feel abandoned. Just think of how a simple act of companionship can greatly affect one’s troubles and hardships. If someone goes out of their way to make another feel less alone, then that person’s life could be dramatically changed for the better. Imagine how Curley’s wife’s life would have been altered if she just had one simple person to support and befriend her.
All through the book Curley’s Wife is very “open” to everyone she meets. The reason for this can be interpreted by her and Curley’s “so-called” marriage. The relationship between Curley’s Wife and Curley seems to be somewhat unstable as he is always asking “Any you guys seen my wife?” (pg. ). This also shows how protective Curley seems to be as he is always checking up on where his wife is. Curley’s insecurity seems to cage in his wife from having any kind of a friendship with any other men. In turn, the wife gets so sick of being isolated like this and relieves her loneliness by conducting secret conversations with many other men on the ranch. As a result many of the ranch hands see her as a tramp but it can be viewed that all she really wants is a person to talk to.
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.
This book, or novel should I say, is about loneliness, which is why every character in it faces this; in some way or the other, in different and various circumstances. Loneliness is a sign or is handicap ness as well. Crook, the Negro stable buck, longs for justice and camaraderie. Candy was not lonely but was made when Carlson, the impassive freak, killed his dog because he was old and worth nothing. Lennie and George were lucky in this matter. These two were all ways there for each other. They would keep each other out of loneliness. Curley’s wife is very flirtatious. Wonder why? Her marriage to Curley, for her, was just a compromise that she had to do. Now it’s as if her life is not hers anymore. She is in search of friendship. We don’t get to know about her main reason behind flirting so much until late in the book. She is lonely and has been ditched by many men earlier. She has been used by them and now she wants to develop a serious relationship. Everyone in this book have different reasons and tribulations for their loneliness.
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...
Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Candy are three characters who are constantly alone and feeling worthless. “Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house and listen how Curley’s gonna lead” (78) Curley’s wife exclaims to Lennie, Crooks, and Candy. Constantly ignored by men, Curley’s wife acts overly nice and comes off as a flirty “rat-trap” (32). She
Curley’s Wife was probably one of the loneliest characters of all. She never talked to anyone and she never really liked Curley all too much. “Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” (p.86) Curley’s Wife seems to get a lot of the other guys in trouble. Curley always suspects that she’s fooling around with the other men, “Any you guys seen my wife?” (p.53) Curley’s Wife always gives an excuse to confront the guys saying, “Any you guys seen Curley?” Then she tries to hang around and make conversation. The guy’s see her as a tramp and a troublemaker but all she wants is someone to talk too.
Loneliness is the sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned. John Steinbeck brought up the theme of loneliness in many characters in Of Mice and Men. Crooks, Curley?s wife, and Candy expressed the theme of loneliness in many different forms throughout the story. Early in the novella George said, life working as ranch hands is about the loneliness of living, for these people finding friendship seems to be impossible. Crooks expressed feelings of loneliness throughout Of Mice and Men.
An’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs-a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep-an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else.” ” To sum it up, Curley’s wife feels like she’s hit rock-bottom because she is so lonesome to the point where she is willing to talk to the misfits of the ranch because she has absolutely no one else, besides Curley who neglects her, to talk to. This makes Curley’s wife come off as a mean person, but in reality she’s probably only acting like this because she’s in a constant state of solitude, thanks to Curley.
This aspect is reflected by use of the time period’s race standards, as revealed in the following quote. Crooks whined in sorrow, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody.” (Steinbeck 73). This quote suggests that Crooks’ exposure of discrimination has forced his isolation, preventing him from a healthy amount of human interaction and possibly driving mental illness. The indifference to women back then also donates to the effects of isolation and loneliness in the novel, as seen through Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife yells in exasperation, “Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?” (Steinbeck 87). This quote illustrates Curley’s wife’s frustration and anger of being shunned by the other people on the ranch, and the lack of her actual name, only being referred to as “Curley’s wife”, may also reveal her as being considered Curley’s property rather than spouse. In the novel, the characteristic of inevitability of age contributes to the effects of isolation and need for companionship. After Candy’s dog is shot, it’s revealed that Candy faces age discrimination. Candy comments in a monotone voice: “Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunkhouses they’ll put me on the county,” (Steinbeck 60). This example shows that Candy is aware of how useless he is in the eyes of the other men on the ranch due to his age, and will face adversity of being
When the reader first meets Curley’s wife, she gives off the wrong impression. She came into the bunk house “intentionally” and noticed the new boys, George and Lennie. The reader notices that she is just looking for attention, either because she is lonely or just a “tart.” Stated from the
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.
Curley’s wife suffers from loneliness also. Her only companion is very controlling. Curley makes sure his wife doesn’t talks to anyone. She is a victim of herself because she married a man that she hardly even knew. She married him though to have a companion. She killed herself and Lennie because of her need for companionship. She craves companionship because she is an attractive woman with need for interaction. Curley’s wife says,” Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? (Pg. 77)”.
Throughout the novel, Curley’s wife interacts with the characters in a flirtatious manner that is intended to grab attention, thus making the others distrustful of her. It’s fascinating to note that the way others treat her determines how she treats them back; for example, Lennie is the only man to regard her positively, calling her “purdy” (Steinbeck 32), so she behaves empathically towards him, whereas Candy refers to her as a “bitch” (Steinbeck 84) and she’s rather vile towards him. This point is further supported
Curley’s wife is given a reputation of causing trouble between other characters from different characters in the novel. There is no evidence of her living up to all of the reputation in the novel. Candy says “Well she got the eye” which could have many meanings and then he backs that up with “I seen her give Slim the eye” and finally he says “Well I think Curley’s married…a tart.” This explains his views on Curley’s wife. And when she dies he calls her a ...
She needed people to talk to, like the others do. “A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. Don't make no difference who the guy is, long's he's with you. I’ll tell ya a guy gets too lonely and he gets sick.” (Steinbeck, 72-73). Crooks has shown us that he truly needs someone however he can’t because he is different. This goes for Curley's wife as well. Those who are different are lonely because no one wants to get involved with them. When she is lonely, Curley's wife goes to talk to people but they never accept request. “I get lonely, you can talk to people but I can't talk to nobody but curly. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody?” (Steinbeck, 87). Curley's wife explains that she is lonely. However, no one really notices it. She knows that she is claimed by someone she does not love. She only wants someone else to talk to him. Have her being viewed the way she was, was unlikely to happen. Being the woman on the ranch was awfully hard to live happy. She knew that they won't talk to her, so depression became a factor.