How Is Curley's Wife Presented In Of Mice And Men

In the novel “Of Mice and Men”, John Steinbeck present the character of Curley’s wife as person who is frustrated with her life and lost all her wishes to become movie star. Curley’s wife is one of the characters in the novel who signifies the loneliness of people in America in 1930s at the time of depression.

Curley’s wife is the only female character on the ranch. The level of sexism was very high at the time when the novel was written compare to the modern life that we are living now. Steinbeck never gives Curley’s wife a real name which this suggests that Curley’s wife is a possession of someone else. This means that Curley’s wife has no identify, power and position on the ranch. This also reflects on women’s life in the 1930s that women

had now power and position in society.
Every time she appears in the novel Steinbeck uses different themes in different parts of the novel to introduce her to the readers.

Although the character, Curley’s wife, doesn’t appears continuously in the novel, but still her character is very important.

We first hear about Curley’s wife in section 2 when Candy, the swamper , warns George and Lennie warns from her. In this section the character, Candy, clearly expresses his opinion of Curley’s wife. From Candy’s word we know that he has no respect for her, indeed nobody on the ranch has, male gender, has any respect for her. First, Lennie says that she’s “purty” which this suggests that she is attractive and good looking young girl. However, Candy says that she is very dangerous and flirtatious woman, “she got the eye”.

After that Candy gives his very negative comment about Curley’s wife when he calls her “a tart”. Curley’s wife is very isolated and lonely, she always seems to look after her husband, but indeed I think she tries to make conversation with other people on the ranch. She uses her sexuality to attract other rancher to herself. She doesn’t know the impact of her behaviour, I think when Candy call her “a tart” that is the impact of her behaviour on the people on the ranch. Curley’s wife doesn’t know how life is like on the ranch and she also doesn’t know the impact of her

behaviour.
Some men on the ranch sees Curley’s wife only as an object, because the way she dresses and acts. We first meet her in section 2 when she comes to the bunk house. Her face was “heavily made up” and her fingernails were “red”, she had “cotton house dress” and “red mules”… “Red ostrich feathers”. The description Steinbeck gives when he introduces her to the reader conveys the idea that she is an object. Steinbeck also shows that she is dangerous to men, because her fingernails were “red” and she had “cotton house dress” and “red mules” which the colour red sometimes signifies danger.