Curley's Wife in Story of Mice and Men Essay Example
Củ In the novel “Of Mice and Men” John Steinbeck tells a successful story of dreams, hopes and loneliness. He is introduced a character named Curley's wife; she is a major significant and complex. She plays a main part in the novel. In doing this she displays and presents many of the main themes.
Curley’s wife is the only female character in the story and also she is the only major character who is not given an individual name. She is represented of woman in 1930’s when women have never been treated equally and were bound to do only house work. Steinbeck shows us that Curley’s wife is flirtatious, mischievous but most of all are an isolated character. She is an example of how the reader's perception of a character can change without the character actually changing. We first hear about Curley's Wife when Candy describes her to George. Candy uses expressions such as "she got the eye" and goes on to describe her as looking at other men before eventually calling her a "tart." Through Candy's words, we develop an initial perception of Curley's Wife as flirtatious and even promiscuous. This perception is further emphasized by Curley's Wife's first appearance in the novel. Steinbeck uses light symbolically to show that she can be imposing when he writes, "The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off." Her physical appearance of "full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up", as well as painted fingernails and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in front of the other ranch workers through her physical appearance and her own actions. Like the other people on the ranch, she is very lonely and has dreams of a better life which never come true. By Candy's description, we have a negative feeling toward Curley's Wife. But she begins to change when she enters Crooks' room- a Black worker, where Crooks is talking to Lennie and Candy. Curley's Wife enters asking for Curley. After the
Curley’s wife is the only female character in the story and also she is the only major character who is not given an individual name. She is represented of woman in 1930’s when women have never been treated equally and were bound to do only house work. Steinbeck shows us that Curley’s wife is flirtatious, mischievous but most of all are an isolated character. She is an example of how the reader's perception of a character can change without the character actually changing. We first hear about Curley's Wife when Candy describes her to George. Candy uses expressions such as "she got the eye" and goes on to describe her as looking at other men before eventually calling her a "tart." Through Candy's words, we develop an initial perception of Curley's Wife as flirtatious and even promiscuous. This perception is further emphasized by Curley's Wife's first appearance in the novel. Steinbeck uses light symbolically to show that she can be imposing when he writes, "The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off." Her physical appearance of "full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made- up", as well as painted fingernails and elaborate hair, further build on our preconceptions. She both talks and acts playfully and flirtatiously in front of the other ranch workers through her physical appearance and her own actions. Like the other people on the ranch, she is very lonely and has dreams of a better life which never come true. By Candy's description, we have a negative feeling toward Curley's Wife. But she begins to change when she enters Crooks' room- a Black worker, where Crooks is talking to Lennie and Candy. Curley's Wife enters asking for Curley. After the