Description of Curley's Wife

Introduction section of Curley’s wife

She is newly married to Curley. Curley’s has no name on this novel because she wants recognition, attention, her own identity, and her own life. To emphasise how she has none of these things, Steinbeck doesn’t even give her a name. She is just someone’s “wife”. This shows that there is no identity of her own. Without him she would be nothing. She is young, pretty, wears attractive clothes and locks her hair. She seems flirtatious and is always hanging around the bunk-house. She is lonely - there are no other women to talk to and Curley is not really interested in her. The role of Curley's wife represents the loneliness of all the characters on the ranch. Even though she has a husband, she feels empty inside and feels very alone which suggests why she always hangs around the other men at the ranch. She doesn't necessarily try to talk to the men to start trouble but she just wants someone to talk to.

Description of Curley’s wife in terms of her appearance

In the Steinbeck’s novel ‘OF MICE AND MEN’ he uses description to present Curley’s wife in different ways. Curley’s wife doesn’t have a name in this novel. When he described her as a ‘girl’, it shows that she is too young to be married. As well as that he described her as “heavily made up” this makes the reader think her appearance seems to be out of place on the farm. Steinbeck wants us to realise that she is not the part of the workers on the ranch and is an outside “looking in?” this makes the reader think she dislike, unpopular and wants to be friendly with them. Additionally the writer explained that “appearance” is important to Curley’s wife and she wants to look pretty. This makes the reader consider that she doesn’t have friends and she is lonely. Also she is trying to get attention making herself good-looking. Red is pretty much the only colour mentioned on the ranch and red is the colour of danger and warning. The only colour used to describe Curley’s wife lips, nails, and red ‘’feathers’’ on her ‘’red mules’’ so A word such as “red” helps the reader think that she is dangerous and seductive. He also described her voice as ‘a nasal, brittle quality’. This makes the reader to suggest that she is trying to sound unconfident so that the others feel to be kind for her. Phrases such as ‘ostrich feathers’ create an impression of inappropriate/ seductive and this shows she is making an effort to impress the ranch workers in the barn. She needs to be heavily made up to look attractive to get the attention of the ranch workers.

How she is treated by others

The other men in the ranch think of Curley’s wife mostly in the negative way. For example Candy says “I think Curley’s married… a tart.” and “she got the eye.” This shows that she is sexy and attractive. As well as that “she is purty” said Lennie defensively. This suggests that how complex she is and not a one dimensional character since the men’s views is split and Steinbeck says Lennie watched her “fascinated” This shows that he is interested of her appearance e.g. her dress and on the other hand this shows that she can pull other men and get them in trouble. The other men treat Curley’s wife badly. For example, George refers to her in Chapter Two as “a rat trap” and “jail bait”. This shows George’s disbelieve for Curley’s wife as he believes that she may be taking advantage of Lennie’s lack of intelligence to get him into trouble. Also George refers her “curley got his work ahead of him. Bet she’d clear out for twenty bucks.” this shows that she would give up everything by money. The only man who has positive relationship is slim.

Curley’s wife relationship with her husband (Curley)

Curley’s wife’s relationship with Curley is terrible – Curley controls her. For example Curley’s wife is shown to say: “I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.” This shows that Curley is oppressive and controlling of her suggesting a possibly violent nature to their relationship. This relates to ideas of women in the 1930’s, which were still not equal in rights to men and were treated in the way represented here. “Sure I gotta husband” this creates an image that she doesn’t see Curley as a well husband and her relationship with him is so weak. In the story ‘of mice and men’ Curley’s wife has a very distrusting relationship with Curley. This is shown she says “swell guy, ain’t he” this shows us that she knows what Curley really is and that she knows that he isn’t really that interested in her. She lets him use her to show that he has power because she doesn’t know how to get out of his life.

Curley’s wife back story

Curley’s wife’s dreams reflect the American Dream. For example in Chapter 5 she says: “Could been in the movies” this shows that she truly believed that she had a lot of talent, but she says later that she was never contacted again by the person who offered her a role in the film – this suggests that she was being mislead and lied to. This relates to the American dream as she believed that she could achieve anything, which is what the American Dream is, if you work hard enough.

How she treats others

"An' what am I doin'? Standin' here talkin' to a bunch of bindle stiffs - a nigger an' a dum-dum and a lousy ol' sheep - an' liking it because they ain't nobody else."

John Steinbeck’s perspective sympathy for Curley’s wife

In the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck tells a story of dreams, hopes and loneliness. We are introduced to a majorly important and complex Character, named Curley’s wife. Steinbeck shows us that Curley’s wife is flirtatious, naughty but most of all a lonely character. She plays a main part in the novel; in doing this she displays and presents many of the main themes. Before we are presented to Curley’s wife, Candy talks about her, to George and Lennie. “I think Curley’s married a … tart.” Steinbeck is preparing us before we meet Curley’s wife. He does this, so that we have an influenced opening impression of Curley’s wife and the way she acts. We develop an opening perception of Curley’s wife as being flirtatious. This is shown at the introduction, of Curley’s wife’s way in. Steinbeck first introduces us to her appearance, “full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes…” Curley’s life has been suggested to us as someone who is trying to be displayed as a sexual object. She would be doing this to attract attention. The colour red is often considered for portraying a sign of danger or sex. Steinbeck portrays these signs frequently, “red mules…red ostrich feathers.” In doing this, it is suggesting to the reader that Curley’s wife is “jailbait”. She refers crooks, Lennie and candy a ‘nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep.’ This is showing that although the writer makes us feel sorry for her as she is the only woman on the ranch and is lonely he is showing us that she is not all innocent and she is prejudice towards other who weren’t accepted in the 1930’s society. She is unfair towards black people, disabled people and old people. This shows that she does not have a good relationship with them at all as she is being mean to them and using inequitable terms of address.

Sympathy for Curley’s wife

Steinbeck wants us to feel sorry for her at the end of the book when she dies. “She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.” This shows us that she is seen as being sweet and innocent in death –her natural beauty is allowed to shine through. This highlights the fact that it was her negative life experience that made her act in the way that she did. By using the words sweet and young to describe her it also makes us feel sorry for her because it shows that she is innocent and that she didn’t really deserve to die. “Another time I met a guy, and he was in pictures, went out to the Riverside Dance Palace with him, he says he was gonna put me in the movies, soon as he got back to Hollywood he was going to write to me about it.’’ This shows that she wanted to be an actress, but couldn’t complete her dreams as in America in 1930’s women were not treated equally and had no rights. They were seen as below men and did not have a say in what’s right and wrong. This man used her and made promises to her that he was never going to keep because he let her down and she didn’t get what she wanted she married Curley who also treated her badly. He didn’t love her and didn’t talk to her. Her life really hasn’t ended up the way she expected it to, which is another reason why we should feel sympathy for her. On the other hand this also shows that she wasn’t treated fairly by men.