The book Of Mice and Men takes place in Salinas, near the Salinas River. This is where George and Lennie find themselves after leaving their previous ranch in Weed and heading south towards Soledad. Loneliness is a prevalent theme throughout the story, particularly as it relates to Curley’s wife. In this analysis, I will examine how Steinbeck portrays this theme through the character of Curley’s wife.
In chapter 3, Candy experiences a great deal of discomfort when he is forced to let his dog go. This discomfort stems from the fact that the dog is his source of comfort and companionship, preventing him from feeling lonely.
Similarly, George and Lennie find solace in each other’s company. They often express the significance of sticking together during their travels, as they believe that working on ranches makes them the loneliest people in the world. Lennie emphasizes this by stating that they are different because they have each other to rely on and take care of one another.
The quote demonstrates the loneliness depicted in the story. However, Lennie and George defy this isolation by journeying together and remaining in close proximity. The significance of the town’s name, Soledad, meaning solitary or isolated, aligns with the theme of loneliness prevalent in both the characters and the ranch. Both the ranch and the characters are portrayed as being secluded and cut-off, as the ranch is situated far from civilization. In the initial portion of the book, Lennie and George have to traverse a distance of 10 miles from the nearest town to reach the ranch.
The book takes place during the Great Depression, which adds to its realism. During this time, people were constantly traveling in search of work and faced uncertain employment. This aspect of the era is vividly portrayed in the book as George fears the possibility of being denied work by the bosses and constantly warns Lennie to be careful. In the novel Of Mice and Men, my initial impression of Curley’s wife is that she appears very promiscuous. The text describes her lips as being fully rouged and her heavy makeup. It is evident that Curley’s wife takes great care to present herself immaculately and seems very conscious of her appearance.
Curley’s wife enjoys garnering attention from the male workers on the ranch. She often exhibits herself in a way that emphasizes her body, such as leaning against a doorway with her hands behind her back to attract their appreciation. Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife as a flirtatious character, as seen when she playfully states, “‘If he ain’t, I guess I better look someplace else.'” This indicates her desire to be the center of attention and have others admire her. It suggests that she is dissatisfied with her marriage, as she actively seeks attention from other men. The male workers on the ranch hold negative opinions of Curley’s wife, referring to her as a “tart” and “jailbait” throughout the book.
The boys on the ranch avoid her as much as possible due to their fear of Curley, who is known for his violent nature. Curley mistreats his wife, using her for his own sexual desires and speaking disrespectfully to her. Additionally, he reprimands her if she interacts with others on the ranch.
Steinbeck does not seem to depict Slim’s opinion of Curley’s wife in the book. However, Candy mentions seeing her show interest in Slim by saying, “I seen her give Slim the eye.” This suggests that nothing happened between them and implies that Slim is not interested in her. Despite her attempts to attract the boys’ attention, it seems to have little impact. In chapter two, Candy openly expresses his disapproval of Curley’s wife and refers to her as a “tart.”
The absence of Crooks’ opinion regarding Curley’s wife in the book appears to emphasize the marginalization and silence experienced by African Americans like him. However, later on, Curley’s wife directly threatens Crooks with the statement, “I could easily hang you from a tree.” This implies that although Crooks does not explicitly express his opinion, it is unlikely that he harbors any positive feelings towards her. Conversely, George immediately dislikes Curley’s wife and demonstrates disrespect by using derogatory terms such as “bitch” and “jailbait”. Despite her attempts at conversation with George on multiple occasions, he intentionally disregards her and questions her right to engage with him.
In the book, Lennie does not display any negative feelings towards Curley’s wife. Upon seeing her for the first time, he admirably repeats “purty,” even though George advises him to avoid her in order to prevent any problems. Throughout Of Mice and Men, she is consistently referred to as Curley’s wife, emphasizing her absence of personal identity and depicting her as a possession owned by Curley.
In the 1930s, women were treated differently than today. They were trapped in the role of housewives and viewed as “slaves” and the “weaker sex.” Their husbands’ commands were to be unquestioningly followed while they did household chores like washing, cooking, and cleaning. Women received no respect and were valued solely for their abilities in sexual acts and cleanliness. They were seen as mere objects. On ranches, women were unwelcome, which is where Curley’s wife’s significance lies. Other characters perceive her as a representation of various things related to being Curley’s wife.
During her time on the ranch, the men treated Curley’s wife with unfriendliness, likely due to the prevailing gender inequality. Throughout the book, it becomes evident how harshly women were treated during that era. Curley’s wife constantly faced being ordered around and scolded whenever she engaged in socializing or chatting with the other men. She lived in fear of her husband, who viewed her solely as an object and showed no signs of affection. In chapter 4 of the novel, Curley’s wife even rudely threatens Crooks, saying she could easily have him lynched.
Despite the fact that her dream of being in the movies has come to an end, she still desires to be seen as powerful and superior to others, even though it is not true. This desire originates from her past aspiration and belief of being better than everyone else. She intimidates Crooks, belittling him and asserting her dominance over him. Despite lacking actual authority, she continues to portray herself as a commanding figure.
My belief is that she treats Crooks cruelly because she knows she can’t be disrespectful to the others, but she can with him. Thus, whenever she has the chance, she takes advantage of it to feel powerful. This power dynamic between white and black is her only source of strength. She confidently asserts, “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap.” Throughout the book, there is a recurring theme of characters and their dreams. Lennie and George, later joined by Candy and Crooks, dream of owning their own small farm – “a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs.” Additionally, Curley’s wife also shares her dream with Lennie in Chapter 5.
She discusses her aspirations of becoming an actress and the proximity she once had to achieving them. However, it all came crashing down, forcing her to confront reality and ultimately marry Curley out of a lack of alternatives. Marrying Curley was a means of escaping her circumstances, but it is evident that she does not have any fondness for him. “I don’t like Curley. He isn’t a nice person.” I sympathize with her unfortunate situation; her dreams were shattered, leaving her with no choice but to settle for Curley. There is no possibility of reversing the path she has taken. Her disdain towards Curley is understandable considering his mistreatment of her, yet escaping his grasp seems impossible now.
In the end, Curley’s wife’s story comes to a tragic conclusion just as she becomes more relatable and sympathetic. The quote “and the meanness and the plannings and the ache for attention were all gone from her face” suggests that her death brings an end to the suffering she endured while being married to Curley, almost as if it is a relief for her.
She will no longer endure loneliness and constant neglect. The cycle of misery she lived in every day has been broken. My opinions on Curley’s wife undergo significant changes throughout the book. Initially, she is portrayed as a flirtatious character, always striving to appear attractive and to capture the attention of every man around her. This behavior persists consistently throughout the entirety of the book.
In her final moments of life, even as she is dying, Curley’s wife maintains her concern for her appearance. Rather than simply scolding Lennie for ruining her hair, she invites him to touch it and feel its texture. Throughout the novel, she evokes sympathy from the reader and conveys a sense of being misunderstood and enduring loneliness. If only she had married the right man and achieved her dreams, she could have undergone a complete transformation. Sadly, this is not her reality; instead, she exists in misery and feels unwanted. While I began to empathize with Curley’s wife towards the end, I cannot help but imagine how drastically different her life would have been without the pain and unhappiness that will undoubtedly plague her until the end.
