Steinbeck only refers to the character through the possessive noun curleys. Young, lonely, and desirous of attention, curleys wife spends her days roaming around the ranch looking for someone to talk toeven though she knows that the men all around are reluctant to talk to her for fear of incurring the wrath of her jealous husband, curley. It explores the story of two migrant workers during the great depression. Curleys wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress, seems to.
Candy and george discuss curleys wife among themselves in the bunk house in section two. In the book of mice and men you never find out what curley s wife s name is, she is always referred to as curley s wife asked in of mice and men why doesnt curleys wife like talking to her husband. Crooks and curleys wife have dreams of their own which have been shattered but they are constantly trying to put them back together. Curleys wife is usually referred to as a tramp, tart, or a looloo by the men on the ranch. This book is about the adventures of two men, george milton and the mentally disabled lennie small.
Characters of curleys wife and slim in of mice and men essay. Analysis of the curleys wife in of mice and men essay sample. Shes halfafraid of lennie, but she also wants his attention and praise. After their encounter, lennie tells george that he thinks that curleys wife is purty, directly after lennies comment on curleys wifes. Curleys wife highlights the themes of isolation, loneliness, and sexism in the novel.
Through a female character, one who is not even given a name, steinbeck criticizes the american society for its disenfranchisement of women and its relegation of unworthy or gender specific roles through curleyrs wifer. John steinbeck presents curleys wife at the start of the story as an irrelevant character because she has no relation with george and lennie. Curleys wife in of mice and men by john steinbeck 1467 words 6 pages in of mice and men, john steinbeck portrays curleys wife as a variety of things, ranging from a lonely person, to a troublemaking tramp, through her interactions with the other characters and her actions. Curleys wife finds lennie in the barn and tries to engage him in conversation. Curleys wife uses the advantage of her status to be rude to the other men. Curley character analysis in of mice and men litcharts. Generally considered to be a tramp by the men at the ranch, curleys wife is the only major character in of mice and men whom steinbeck does not give a name. Curleys wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress, seems to be a prime example of this destructive tendency curleys already bad temper has only worsened since their wedding. Its not a coincidence that that she ends up dying because she didnt want lennie to mess up her hair. Steinbeck generally depicts women as troublemakers who bring ruin on men and drive them mad. In of mice and men, curleys wife is portrayed in three different ways.
Curleys wife characters wjec gcse english literature. George cut the cards again and put out a solitaire lay, slowly and deliberately. When curleys wife was fifteen, she coulda been in the movies an had pitchers took of me. Curleys wife is depicted as a manipulator and a temptress throughout of mice and men. In the novel of mice and men john steinbeck tells a successful story of dreams, hopes and loneliness. After their encounter, lennie tells george that he thinks that curleys wife is purty, directly after lennies comment on curleys wifes appearance. In this scene, george and lennie meet curleys wife. With john malkovich, gary sinise, ray walston, casey siemaszko.
Curleys wife character analysis in of mice and men litcharts. Curley s wife obituary candice brown was born on july 6, 1915 in sacremento california, and died on august 26, 1935 at age 20 when her neck was broken by lennie small. George and candy call her by other names such as jailbait or tart. Crooks and curleys wifes discrimination causes them to be lonely. According to the penguin teacher s guide for of mice and men, curley and curley s wife represent evil in that both oppress and abuse the migrants in different ways. Steinbeck uses the characters of crooks and curleys wife to display that although one character is a black male and the other, a white woman, they still have similar traits. Following his comment, curleys wife chatters on, explaining more about her lost chance to become an actress and how she met curley. Curleys wifes significance in of mice and men 11 november 2016 she would like to depend less on her husband, she has a fantasy of becoming a renowned actress and she feels secluded and miserable. John steinbeck shows the reader this in his novella, of mice and men. Lennie responds absently with concern about his dream farm and the rabbits he will have.
From the opening section, when george explains that lennie has a habit of accidentally killing mice while petting them, the novella prepares the reader to view the death of curleys wife as an accident. By leaving the her unnamed and limiting her status to his wife, the author suggests to the reader she is powerless and lacks the ability to create her own identity. The significance of slim in of mice and men essay pages. Of mice and men intelligence clip 2 somewhat hd youtube. Seems like curley is cockiern ever since he got married. The main characters in of mice and men are george and lennie. How does steinbeck portray curleys wife in of mice and men. Of mice and men crooks and curleys wife 721 words 3 pages. This essay shall attempt to portray the inequality of women in steinbecks novel. Curlys wife of mice and men home of mice and men curlys wife. Curleys wifes significance in of mice and men essay sample.
He was opening up to the other men, disarmed by lennies honesty and genuine nature, but. Curley, the son of the ranchs boss, is a mean and powerhungry individual obsessed with securing the respect and submission of the individuals beneath him. She dislikes her husband and feels desperately lonely at the ranch, for she is the only woman and feels isolated from the other men, who openly scorn her. Curleys wife in story of mice and men essay example. Short in stature, nervous, and yet obsessed with proving his strength and masculinity, curley is constantly being undermined by his flirtatious wife even as he tries harder and harder over the course of the novel to make himself seem. She will destroy their intimacy and even their lives.
Curleys wife obituary candice brown was born on july 6, 1915 in sacremento california, and died on august 26, 1935 at age 20 when her neck was broken by lennie small. Crooks and curleys wife in of mice and men study guides. Curleys wife of mice and men in of mice and men, character symbolism lets the reader see what life was like in the 1930s. Curleys wife enters the male dominated space that is the bunk room and immediately casts the two friends into darkness.
Dec 14, 2012 i also feel that steinbeck uses curleys wife as a reflection on men in the 1930s as they are manipulative yet despise curleys wife because she is manipulative. Mr bruffs guide to gcse english language mr bruffs guide to. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. After their encounter, lennie tells george that he thinks that curley s wife is purty, directly after lennie s comment on curley s wife s. She is a character that is talked about a lot by the other characters and is portrayed as a. Curley s wife s obsession with herself ultimately leads to her death. The death of curley s wife comes as a tragic result of lennies ignorance of his strength. She literally and metaphorically takes away their light presumably we assume, a foreshadowing of her role in the text. In john steinbecks novel of mice and men, curley s wife is an important character because she drives the plot forward and is at the center of the climax of the novel. Analysis of the curleys wife in of mice and men essay. How does steinbeck present curleys wife in chapter.
Curleys wife in the novel of mice and men, john steinbeck creates characters that play important roles throughout the story that contribute to themes and connect readers to an overall focus. She is lonely on the ranch and all she wants is someone to talk to and all the men deny her. Steinbeck expresses discrimination, or prejudice, very simply by refusing to give curleys wife a name. She dislikes her husband and feels desperately lonely at the ranch, for she is the only woman and feels isolated from the other men, who openly scorn h. Two drifters, one a gentle but slow giant, try to make money working the fields during the depression so they can fulfill their dreams.
The identity of curleys wife in carlisle floyds of mice and men. This book is about the adventures of two men, george milton and. Curleys wife in story of mice and men essay sample. Curleys wifes obsession with herself ultimately leads to her death. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Curley s wife, on the other hand, is not physically but verbally manipulative. Curleys wife, like the other players in the drama, is simply a character type and the only woman in the plot. Curleys wife tells lennie of her life and her missed opportunity to travel with the show that came through her hometown. Many of the characters portray a certain person that could have been living in the 1930s. Of mice and men curleys wife essay example 1156 words. Analysis of the curleys wife in of mice and men essay example. Few of the characters in of mice and men are deserving of sympathy essay pages. In this lesson, we will look at the character of curleys wife, from of mice and men, and how she is depicted as an evelike temptress and.
Curleys wife, on the other hand, is not physically but verbally manipulative. Jun 27, 20 curleys wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress, seems to be a prime example of this destructive tendency curleys already bad temper has only worsened since their wedding. George warns lennie to steer clear of curleys wife, but lennie follows her to a barn where a tragedy occurs and george and lennies dreams are shattered. Jul 30, 20 when talking with curley s wife sherilyn fenn, lennie john malkovich accidentally kills her while trying to stop her from screaming. According to the penguin teachers guide for of mice and men, curley and curleys wife represent evil in that both oppress and abuse the migrants in. Curleys wife is always flirting with the other men on the ranch. Since it is the first time she is portrayed in the novel, we as an audience build up negative imagery of. What is curleys wifes dream in of mice and men by john. In the book of mice and men you never find out what curleys wifes name is, she is always referred to as curleys wife asked in of mice and men why doesnt curleys wife like talking to her husband. She tries talking to lennie, crooks, and candy, but they want her to leave. In of mice and men, character symbolism lets the reader see what life was like in the 1930s.
The novel is a microcosm, a cross section of society reflecting the prejudice. Start studying of mice and men quotes with analysis curley s wife. What is curleys wifes dream in of mice and men by john steinbeck curleys wifes dream is to become a movie actress. Candy and george discuss curley s wife among themselves in the bunk house in section two. Of mice and men 810 movie clip i done a bad thing 1992. Aside from wearisome wives, of mice and men offers limited, rather misogynistic, descriptions of women who are either dead maternal figures or prostitutes. Candy talks about curleys wife seems to me like hes worse lately, said the swamper. Generally considered to be a tramp by the men at the ranch, curley s wife is the only major character in of mice and men whom steinbeck does not give a name. Curleys wife is bitter here, insulting the only men left on the ranch lennie, crooks and candy while the others are at the brothel, by referring to them as bindle stiffs, meaning tramps. Of mice and men crooks and curleys wife crooks and curleys wife suffer from discrimination around the ranch. I also feel that steinbeck uses curleys wife as a reflection on men in the 1930s as they are manipulative yet despise curleys wife because she is manipulative. The chariter of slim in the novel of mice and men essay pages. The only person who talks to her with comfort is lennie. Firstly, she is described as a tart and having the eye, both used when candy mentions her.
Curleys wife, a minor, but significant character in the story, contributes to the theme and is partly responsible for lennies death. She wears too much makeup and dresses like a whore with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Curley s wife, like the other players in the drama, is simply a character type and the only woman in the plot. Curley s wife is depicted as a manipulator and a temptress throughout of mice and men.
She is usually described as curleys possession and is frequently objectified by the ranch hands. What is curley s wife s dream in of mice and men by john steinbeck curley s wife s dream is to become a movie actress. Throughout the novella, curleys wife is seen to be talking openly with george and the rest of the men. The of mice and men quotes below are all either spoken by curleys wife or refer to curleys wife. Character analysis, curleys wife, of mice and men essay. Her sinful actions and petty personality make her a character. Curleys wife in of mice and men july 29, 2019 march 29, 2019 by sampler one poignant example of the misperceptions that women face in a maledominated society is presented in the novel of mice and men by john steinbeck. Although lennie is the one who physically kills curleys wife, of mice and men consistently shows that lennie is not to blame for her death. How curleys wife is portrayed in the movie of mice and. A man once told her hed put her in movies, but curley s wife never heard. Of mice and men is a novella set in and around the californian landscape of salinas in the 1920s at the time of the great depression in american history, a time of great financial and emotional struggle, where concepts of family life and societal hierarchies are stretched to the. John steinbecks timeless novel, of mice and men, is a piece of literature that many teens encounter in high school.
A synopsis of the novel can be found in appendix b. But because of the time period it was very hard for women to accomplish their dreams let alone be allowed to have them. The only woman on the ranch, curley s wife is viewed as a tart by the men who surround her. A man once told her hed put her in movies, but curleys wife never heard. I feel that of mice and men is a perfect representation of the treatment of human beings in the 1920s. Characters of curleys wife and slim in of mice and men. Curleys wife comes into crookss room because shes lonely. Curleys wife character analysis in of mice and men. She is usually described as curley s possession and is frequently objectified by the ranch hands.
How does steinbeck make the fight scene dramatic in of mice and men essay pages. Important quotes said by curleys wife by kerri olsen on prezi. Of mice and men crooks and curleys wife essay sample. May 26, 2011 in this scene, george and lennie meet curley s wife. John steinbeck uses the discrimination of curleyrs wife in his novel, of mice and men, to depict the theme of alienation. She uses her sex appeal to gain some attention, flirting with the farm hands. Start studying of mice and men quotes with analysis curleys wife. Curleys wife gets insulted and calls the men mean names. Curleys wife is one of the main characters in of mice and men and is heavily involved in the outcome of the story when george ends up shooting lennie.
How does steinbeck present the character of curleys wife. At the start, curley is one of the most important characters besides george and lennie because he has the power to crush george and lennies dream of having a farm of your own. Of mice and men is a novel that has withstood the test of time. She is a character that is talked about a lot by the other characters and is portrayed as a bit of a tart.
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