Of Mice and Men – Curley’s Wife

This essay I am going to focus upon how Steinbeck presents Curley’s Wife in ‘Of Mice and Men’. In

America everyone wanted to live the American Dream which is where everyone in America has the

chance to achieve success and prosperity. The Great Depression happened on the 29th October

1929 where the Wall Street crash led America in to the depression. Many women in America at the

time were seen as objects like Curley’s Wife because she doesn’t have a name and she is owned by

Curley, her husband. The women were often made to do what their husbands told them to do.

Racism played a big part during the 1930’s because they were treat differently because of their skin

colour. We have mixed views of Curley’s Wife because she is kind to Lennie when he kills his pup

saying that there is plenty of them left. She is an attention seeker because she wears bright clothes to try and get the attention of the other men.

As a reader our impression is already set before we even meet Curley’s Wife. Candy describes

Curley’s Wife as being dangerous because she is wearing red nail varnish and I know this because it

says ‘Her fingernails were red’. Candy describes Curley’s Wife as being a tart because he says ‘Well I

think Curley’s married...a tart’. This shows that Curley’s Wife as being not liked by many because she

is portrayed as being an attention seeker. The quote ‘She has full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes,

heavily made up’ this quote suggests that she is trying to impress the new workers by putting on

loads of make up to grab the attention of the others. She likes to try and make an effort so the men

notice her ‘Her hair hung in little clusters, like sausages’ this quote suggests that she cares about her

appearance because she does her hair that way to be notice by the others. Curley’s Wife probably

thinks the bigger the hair the easier she will be noticed.

Curley’s Wife presents herself as an attention seeker because ‘She put her hands behind her back

and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’. This quote suggests that

she is eager to be noticed by the others because she is sticking out her upper body to try and get the

eye of the men. She did manage to get the eye off Lennie because it says ‘Lennie’s eyes moved down

over her body’ this suggests that she can get the attention off any man even if they are slow or disabled.

Women are discriminated against in the novel. She is called a ‘tart’ , ‘jailbait’ and ‘bitch’ by the men

on the ranch. The ranch is a very hostile and misogynistic place. Curley’s Wife is an outsider and

seems to be very out of place. The men are only interested in women if they are only cracking jokes.

They say ‘Old Susey is a laugh and always cracking jokes’ this suggests that the women are only l iked

if they are only cracking jokes. ‘My girls is clean’ she says ‘an there aint no water in my whisky’. This

suggests that the men are happy with the women if they don’t water down the whisky. In addition

Curley’s Wife doesn’t have a proper name which shows that she is owned by Curley. Curley’s Wife is

a warning to the other men warning that she belongs to Curley and no one else. It shows that the

mean aren’t bothered about her because they don’t bother asking her what her name is. If she did have a proper name it would show that she had an identity.

Slim is the only one who respects her because he says ‘Hi, Good-lookin’ this quote suggests that Slim

is being flirtatious towards Curley’s Wife. He is more bothered about her because when she gets

killed by Lennie. ‘Slim stood down at Curley’s Wife. He said ‘Curley – maybe you better stay here

with your wife’. This suggests that Slim cares more about Curley’s Wife because Curley is more

bothered about going to kill Lennie. As a reader it shows that he is the only character that cares

about her before and after she dies. The reason why Slim and Curley’s Wife are accuse of having an

affair by Curley is probably because she is lonely and he is the only person that shows her some love

and attention. This gives us mixed views about her because she is being flirtatious towards Slim even though she is married but we know she only does this because she is lonely.

Curley’s Wife is regarded by Candy as a ‘tart’ because he says ‘Well I think Curley’s married...a tart’

which suggests that Candy has a negative opinion about her. Candy says ‘Curley aint been here’

Candy said sourly. The word ‘sourly’ suggests that Candy doesn’t like her and he doesn’t want her in

the barn. Curley’s Wife is lonely so she goes in the barn for comfort. He said accusingly ‘You gotta a

husban’? You got no call foolin’ aroun’ with other guys, causin’ trouble’. This suggests that Candy

sees her as a trouble maker. Candy judges her by the way she looks and his opinion is influenced by

the others on the barn. ‘ You God damn tramp’ Candy still shows his anger after she has been killed

by Lennie. He said ‘You God damn tramp’ viscously which suggests that he isn’t that bothered and

has no sympathy.

It becomes clear to the reader that Curley doesn’t love his wife and thinks her more of an object

than a wife. Curley’s Wife‘s marriage to Curley is lonely and she is more of an object than a wife.

Curley is accusing Slim as taking her off him because Curley burst into the room excitedly. ‘Any you

guys seen my wife?’ he demanded. This shows that he he sees his wife as a belonging because he

says ‘My Wife’ and the word ‘My’ suggests that she is just his. Often throughout the novel it shows that she is really lonely and she just once some love and attention.

When Curley’s Wife is in Crooks’ harness room he doesn’t want her to be there because he says

‘Maybe you better go along to your own room now. We don’t want no trouble’ Crooks says that he

doesn’t want no trouble which suggests that she is known as a trouble maker.