Explore the ways Steinbeck creates dislike of and sympathy for Curley’s wife in his novel ‘Of Mice and Men’?
‘Of Mice and Men’ is a short novel by John Steinbeck, which is set in 1930s America. At this time in American History they were suffering from a hard hitting economic depression. This book is set on a ranch in Soledad, California. Throughout this novella, Steinbeck addresses key theme, for example discrimination, loneliness and the American Dream. Curley’s wife is a complex character. She is the only woman on the ranch. Curley’s wife is used as a plot device by Steinbeck to explore themes like discrimination and attitudes toward women in the 1930s. Although, she is thought of as a ‘tart’ at the beginning, throughout the novel we develop our opinion of Curley’s wife.
Steinbeck introduces us to Curley’s wife through the opinion of Candy. His views and opinions are misogynistic, when he calls her a ‘tart’, making the reader prejudiced towards Curley’s wife before we even meet her. Candy mentions that she ‘got the eye’ explaining that she is being flirtatious and immoral as we are told that she is flirt with other men straight after we are told that she married to Curley. Candy makes us anticipate her entrance ‘Wait till you see Curley’s wife’, Steinbeck uses this technique to make the reader want to read on and find out more.
When Curley’s wife is first introduced we gain a biased impression from her description ‘She wore a cotton house dress and red mules’ reinforcing our original opinion of a ‘tart’. The clothing she wears is also incongruous on a working ranch and expensive during the economic depression showing that she wants to impress. She is high maintenance as ‘She had full roughed lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up’ showing to the reader that she has to look perfect before leaving the house and needs to look pretty to the men. Steinbeck fully describes the actions of Curley’s wife. This shows physical awareness the men have towards her, ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’
Steinbeck introduces us to Curley’s wife through the opinion of Candy. His views and opinions are misogynistic, when he calls her a ‘tart’, making the reader prejudiced towards Curley’s wife before we even meet her. Candy mentions that she ‘got the eye’ explaining that she is being flirtatious and immoral as we are told that she is flirt with other men straight after we are told that she married to Curley. Candy makes us anticipate her entrance ‘Wait till you see Curley’s wife’, Steinbeck uses this technique to make the reader want to read on and find out more.
When Curley’s wife is first introduced we gain a biased impression from her description ‘She wore a cotton house dress and red mules’ reinforcing our original opinion of a ‘tart’. The clothing she wears is also incongruous on a working ranch and expensive during the economic depression showing that she wants to impress. She is high maintenance as ‘She had full roughed lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up’ showing to the reader that she has to look perfect before leaving the house and needs to look pretty to the men. Steinbeck fully describes the actions of Curley’s wife. This shows physical awareness the men have towards her, ‘She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward’