Compare And Contrast Crooks Wife And Curley's Wife
In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there are two characters that rarely get to speak to the others on the farm they live on. Crooks, a disabled black stable buck, and Curley’s wife, the wife of the farm owner’s son. Both characters seem equally lonely on the farm, but when you look deeper you can see that Curley’s wife is more lonesome than Crooks. Curley’s wife is always looking for Curley, as he is the only person she is supposed to talk to. She repeatedly asks the men, “Any of you boys seen Curley?” (Steinbeck 76). While on one hand she is looking for her husband to talk to, she is also using this as an excuse to have some human interaction. She is so lonely that she has to come up with an excuse to talk to someone.
In addition to
that, the men refuse to speak to her. She had come to the barn to ask the men where her husband is. They answer no, and she stays to talk to them. Candy, another man on the farm, tells her off. “Maybe you better go along to your own house now. We don’t want no trouble” (Steinbeck 77). The men all share these ideals, and believe that Curley shouldn’t even be speaking to them. The men are the only other people on the farm, and that leaves her entirely alone.
To add on to everything else, she is also expected to be housebound. She hates this so much, and it seems to eat her up mentally. At this point, she seems to be so filled with sadness, and slight anger, and of course loneliness. She says, “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while. Think I like to stick in that house alla time?” (Stienbeck 77).
Some people may think that Crooks is lonelier than Curley’s wife, because he is black and disabled. The men don’t let him participate in their activities, and pick on him. “’This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?” (Steinbeck, 71). However, the men choose to leave him out, no one ever said they couldn’t talk to him. There would be no real consequences. With Curley’s wife, the men don’t talk to her because they are afraid that Curley would come after them. She is left alone because people are afraid to talk to her, not that they don’t want to talk to her. This makes her lonelier because no one would ever talk to her, not even if they wanted to.
Overall, Curley’s wife is entirely alone on the farm. The men fear the price they would have to pay if Curley say them talking to her. In this society, she is not allowed to talk to the men, but there is no one else to talk to. Curley is much larger than her physically, and he would probably hurt her if he caught her talking to the men. She is expected to stay in her house all day, talking to no one, and she has to comply. She is left all alone, with nothing to answer her but the walls of the farmhouse.
In addition to
that, the men refuse to speak to her. She had come to the barn to ask the men where her husband is. They answer no, and she stays to talk to them. Candy, another man on the farm, tells her off. “Maybe you better go along to your own house now. We don’t want no trouble” (Steinbeck 77). The men all share these ideals, and believe that Curley shouldn’t even be speaking to them. The men are the only other people on the farm, and that leaves her entirely alone.
To add on to everything else, she is also expected to be housebound. She hates this so much, and it seems to eat her up mentally. At this point, she seems to be so filled with sadness, and slight anger, and of course loneliness. She says, “Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while. Think I like to stick in that house alla time?” (Stienbeck 77).
Some people may think that Crooks is lonelier than Curley’s wife, because he is black and disabled. The men don’t let him participate in their activities, and pick on him. “’This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?” (Steinbeck, 71). However, the men choose to leave him out, no one ever said they couldn’t talk to him. There would be no real consequences. With Curley’s wife, the men don’t talk to her because they are afraid that Curley would come after them. She is left alone because people are afraid to talk to her, not that they don’t want to talk to her. This makes her lonelier because no one would ever talk to her, not even if they wanted to.
Overall, Curley’s wife is entirely alone on the farm. The men fear the price they would have to pay if Curley say them talking to her. In this society, she is not allowed to talk to the men, but there is no one else to talk to. Curley is much larger than her physically, and he would probably hurt her if he caught her talking to the men. She is expected to stay in her house all day, talking to no one, and she has to comply. She is left all alone, with nothing to answer her but the walls of the farmhouse.