Why Is Curley's Wife To Blame For Of Mice And Men

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, there are many subjects in which readers feel divided. Some examples of these are if George should leave Lennie, if George did the “right thing” in the end of the book, and if Curley’s wife is to blame for George’s, Lennie’s, and Candy’s collective lost dream. Although all three of these are interesting prospects to ponder on, the last is more mysterious and vague. Nonetheless, Curley’s wife is to blame for the lost dream, and shouldn’t be portrayed as innocently as she is, due to the fact that she almost willingly got herself killed, and that she was known for falling under the “temptress” archetype.

First off, Curley’s wife is very well aware of the control she has over Lennie, which eventually leads to her own demise. The other guys at the farm call her a “tart,” and saying she’s “got the eye,” both of which insinuate that she tries to seduce the men, due to the fact that she never truly liked Curley in the first place.. Obviously, Lennie doesn’t have the logic and reasoning skills to figure out that she is dangerous, and that he shouldn’t just engage in stranger’s lives because they’re “purty.” Note that Curley’s wife would continue to agonize the workers, including Lennie, until the end of her days.

However, she could have prevented it. She obviously knew that Lennie had the strength to obliterate Curley’s hand, as after everyone agreed to blame the broken hand on a machining accident, she says, “Well, O.K. Machine,” proving that she knows it was Lennie who was at fault. Later on in the book, for most of chapter 5, she tells Lennie to feel how soft her hair is, knowing that Lennie was a force to be reckoned with, and then forcibly places his hand on her head, which is possibly the worst thing she could’ve done in this