Of Mice And Men Curley's Wife

As a man with intelligence equivalent to that of a child and a tremendous, intimidating presence, Lennie is viewed by characters in Of Mice and Men in a variety of perspectives.
Steinbeck reveals parts of these characters’ personalities to the reader using straightforward descriptions, but he also leaves room for inferences to be made based on their reactions to events and other characters’ actions. The aforementioned perspectives that the characters have of Lennie can be interpreted for a deeper understanding of each of their natures. Certain traits of Curley’s wife, Curley, and George can be inferred from their individual views and interactions with Lennie and connected to the events that led to Lennie’s death.
Curley’s wife is a complex

character who is burdened by the emotions that she tends not to show and is excessively trusting of others. She is familiar with being able to converse comfortably with men on the ranch, so when Lennie cautiously raises his guard against her while they are talking about his dead puppy, she takes offense and throws a fit, tempestuously crying, “Wha’s the matter with me? … Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am, anyways?” (87). Her explosive exclamation implies that she feels oppressed by other people’s degrading opinions of her, revealing the insecurity and vulnerability bottled up inside of her. These negative feelings are a clear contrast to the pride that she typically displays in her actions, including exhibiting her body provocatively in doorways and faking nonchalance by observing her own fingernails. Soon after her exasperation dies down, Curley’s wife concludes that “[Lennie is] nuts, … but [he is] a kinda nice fella” (90). The context of the quote suggests that she recognizes Lennie’s irregularity, yet she is reassured by his innocent remarks about petting soft things. She bases her quick trust in Lennie solely on his purity and does not try to completely figure out what was unusual about him. This aspect of her personality is critical to her role in the events that determined Lennie’s fate because it ultimately led to her death, which triggered her husband’s rage against Lennie.
Curley’s furious reaction to his wife’s death was also proven to be a large factor in the causes of Lennie’s death, as he often starts fights with his overreactions and jumps to conclusions.

In the midst of being mocked by Carlson and Candy, he spots Lennie smiling and attacks him, roaring infuriatedly, “Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No [one] is gonna laugh at me” (62). Curley instantaneously assumes that Lennie is making fun of him when his delighted expression actually comes from fantasizing about the ranch. His overwhelmingly combative response to Lennie’s simple actions illustrates his pugnaciousness. Later in the story, Curley’s uncontrollable temper is demonstrated again in his enraged response to his wife’s death. In animosity, he screeches, “I know he done it… I’m gonna get him… I’ll shoot ’im in the guts” (96). He is more worried about killing Lennie for murdering his wife than about his wife herself. From Curley’s strong and specific reaction to the situation, it can be inferred that he is often blinded by his enmity towards others. His violent persona directly affects the cause of Lennie’s death by heavily influencing George’s decision to shoot Lennie before Curley got to

him.
George is a character who shows his care for the people he appreciates by planning ahead and making difficult decisions quickly for their good.

His affection for Lennie can be seen at the beginning of the book, when he carefully instructs Lennie to “hide in the brush” if he happens to get in trouble again (15). George knows that Lennie’s actions may inconvenience them in the future, so he utilizes Lennie’s obedience for aid in possibly having to run away. George’s own actions imply that he cares immensely for Lennie and that he may have planned ahead for loved ones in the past as well. This caring characteristic emerges in George when the time comes for Lennie to recall George’s words and hide. Curley calls George to stick with him and the other outraged men as they leave the ranch, and George follows them slowly while dragging his feet (98). He moves sluggishly because he is considering his and Lennie’s options or has already decided to shoot Lennie himself. He uses his knowledge of Lennie’s location to his advantage, and, under the stress of the other men’s desires to have Lennie slaughtered, he chooses to be the one to pull the trigger on Lennie. George’s loving instinct impacts Lennie’s fate in the most straightforward way; he gives Lennie a quick and painless death to protect him from suffering through a torturous

one.
Given the inferences made about the three characters discussed, it can be concluded that their personality traits are all linked to the respective parts they played in the events leading to Lennie’s death. In addition, their roles in those events are related to each other’s roles. Curley’s wife died because she trusted Lennie without fully understanding what was abnormal about him. Her death fuels Curley’s incredible fury, and he sets off to massacre Lennie. Curley’s outburst pressures George to make the crucial choice of shooting Lennie himself in order to save him from the unnecessary pain that could have been inflicted upon him. By analyzing characters and making inferences, the reader can gain insight on ambiguous connections between the characters’ actions.