Curley's Wife Om&M Thesis Paper
What does it mean to be a victim of loneliness? Merriam-Webster defines it as “being without company; cut off from others”. In the novel Of Mice and Men we see one character experiencing true loneliness, Curley’s wife. Set in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression, on a ranch in California, Of Mice and Men follows the journey of two men. When these two men, George and Lennie, come to work on the ranch, it sends the whole ranch in a new direction. Curley’s wife just hopes that she can find a companion, and who better than new people. But one thing always stands in her way, her loneliness. Curley’s wife is a major victim of loneliness because of her failed dreams, her struggle to be someone’s friend, and her lack of love.
Curley’s wife had a big dream all set up in her mind. The only problem is that it never happened. She came so close to coming to her dreams, but then it was all taken away. From a young age, Curley’s wife wanted to be a famous movie-star. She dreamed of being around all the big directors, and completely changing her life. She had met with a few directors and all said she had that “twinkle” in her eyes that would win a crowd. She almost had the opportunity to go to Hollywood, she just had to wait for a letter. Unfortunately, that is all she did, wait, and wait, and wait. It never arrived. She went so far as to blame her mother saying she took the letter because she didn’t want her to fulfill her dreams. With all of this said and done, she left her hometown and found the Ranch. This failed dream of being a movie-star made Curley’s wife very depressed and lonely. She married Curley just because she wanted another person to fill the void of her lost dreams. The only problem is that she is very distant from her husband. It sent her deeper into loneliness.
Curley’s wife comes off as a tramp and flirtatious to all the men on the ranch. They all tell George and Lennie to stay away from her, that she only causes trouble. But in reality, all she
Curley’s wife had a big dream all set up in her mind. The only problem is that it never happened. She came so close to coming to her dreams, but then it was all taken away. From a young age, Curley’s wife wanted to be a famous movie-star. She dreamed of being around all the big directors, and completely changing her life. She had met with a few directors and all said she had that “twinkle” in her eyes that would win a crowd. She almost had the opportunity to go to Hollywood, she just had to wait for a letter. Unfortunately, that is all she did, wait, and wait, and wait. It never arrived. She went so far as to blame her mother saying she took the letter because she didn’t want her to fulfill her dreams. With all of this said and done, she left her hometown and found the Ranch. This failed dream of being a movie-star made Curley’s wife very depressed and lonely. She married Curley just because she wanted another person to fill the void of her lost dreams. The only problem is that she is very distant from her husband. It sent her deeper into loneliness.
Curley’s wife comes off as a tramp and flirtatious to all the men on the ranch. They all tell George and Lennie to stay away from her, that she only causes trouble. But in reality, all she
Cited: Gammon, Katharine. Why Loneliness Can Be Deadly. N.p., 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. Merriam-Webster. online ed. 2013. Merriam-Webster. Web. 27 Mar. 2013 Steinbeck, John. Of Mice And Men. New York, New York: Penguin Group, 1937. 86. Print. Quotes, Brainy. BrainyQuotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013.