Of Mice And Men Curley's Wife Analysis

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“Lyin', cheatin', hurtin, that's all you seem to do. Messin' around with every guy in town, always the same, playin' your game. Drive me insane, trouble is gonna come to you, One of these days and it won't be long,” -Your Time Is Gonna Come, Led Zeppelin. These lyrics conjure up images of a most sinful woman, the epitome of immorality; a liar, cheater, a maleficent wrench. When one applies these lyrics to the cast of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, they resonate clearly with only one character- Curley's wife. Thanks to her toxic conversation and self absorbed personality, Curley’s wife is easily the most despicable out of all the characters in Of Mice and Men. Curley’s wife is unlikeable, for the way she carries herself is disreputable. …show more content…

In chapter four, she berates the men left behind from the work saying “They left all the weak ones here.” (77) In her conversation with the men, she reveals her strange dilemma – while she berates these ranch men, they are the only people she can converse with. She states how lonely she is, but subsequently trashes their dreams and self worth. “If you had two bits in the worl’, why you’d be in gettin’ two shots of corn with it and suckin’ the bottom of the glass. I know you guys.” (79) How much of a hypocrite is she? First she wants to have conversations with genuine people, but does not give the other party the respect required to carry a conversation. Still, in order feed her ego, she has to seek out those who have less power than she does. Curley's wife casts a cavalcade of catty cracks composing of cruel chastising. She cruelly cuts down Candy for his old age and meekness “A lousy ‘ol sheep” , Lennie for being "a dum dum," and most harshly, she threatens Crooks with a lynching: .”...you keep your place then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” (81). If there was any inclination of sympathy for Curley's wife, these quotes all but destroy them. Curley’s wife is lonely, but vile filled dialogue such as this cause the men then distance themselves from her so they can not be vexed by her, therefore causing her even more loneliness. She does nothing to correct her own problems which …show more content…

She fancies she could have been a traveling actor since one actor once told her she could join their show. Everyone in that time is full of unattainable hopes and dreams. Everyone thinks “If I only had that one shot, my life would be changed…” which Crooks briefly touches chapter four. “Nobody ever gets to their heaven.” (74) In this same vein, Curley's wife convinces herself that it is not her fault that she didn’t reach “her heaven”. She instead passes the blame onto her mother and says she stole the letter, rather than realize that it could have been her talent or charisma that held her back. “‘Nother time I met a guy, an’ he was in pitchers… He says he was gonna put me in the movies. Says I was a natural.” She looked closely at Lennie to see whether she was impressing him. “I never got that letter… I always thought my ol’ lady stole it.” (88) It is this same self obsession that drives her to her death. She is a little scared of Lennie, but she also wants his adoration. It is hardly surprising that that she ends up dying because she wanted Lennie’s adulation. “When I’m doin my hair sometimes I jus’ set an’ stroke it ‘cause it’s so soft… Feel right roun’ there an’ see how soft it is.” (90) .She knows Lennie is supposed to stay away from her, but wants his praise for her soft hair. It is not coincidental that she ends up losing her life because she

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