What do we learn about the role played by Curleys wife in of mice and men Essay Example for Free

What do we learn about the role played by Curleys wife in of mice and men Essay Curleys wife is a very interesting character. As the sole woman in the novel she could be said to represent her gender. However, few readers would regard her in a positive manner. Even before she appears in the novel, readers are given a negative impression of her as a sexual promiscuous character. Her role in the novel allows Steinbeck to develop hes central themes such as loneliness and dreams. In society women are terribly degraded by mens comments and actions. They are victims of prejudiced, which leads to loneliness. she got the eye goin all the time on everybody. I bet she gives the stable buck the eye. Curleys wife is never referred to anything but Curleys wife. This symbolises that she is thought of as hes property. None of the men speak very highly of her they all think in their words that she is Jail bait. This is realistic because even today we see this type of sexism occurring. Curleys wife walks the ranch as a temptress, she also hides a deep sense of loneliness behind the tramp, tart and bitch attitude she puts on. Her first outburst in crooks room shows her image. Satiday night. Everybody out doing sompin. Everbody! An what am i doin? Standin here talkin to a bunch of bindle stiffs, a nigger an a dum- dum and a lousy ol sheep, an likin it because they aint nobody else. For a young lady to be left home alone all day would send anyone in a deep state of depression. She is married to a man that gives her little attention and none of hes time. This is why I think she degrades herself. She shows little or no sign of respect for herself. She flirts with other men to keep herself entertained. Swell guy aint he? Spends all his time saying what hes gonna do to guys he dont like and he dont like no body. As a woman during the depression she has no choice but to marry someone who can support her. Society gives jobs and independence to men and women have no power. She is at the bottom of society. Her marriage to Curley is a disaster because he only cares about himself and he isnt interested in her at all. Curleys wife understands that all men think of her as an object, she uses her beauty to attract men so they will talk to her. She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward. She needs friends and people to talk to, but everyone turns her away. Curley is jealous and treats her like his possession to be guarded, she feels frustrated. Whats the matter with me? Aint I got the right to talk to nobody? Desperate to satisfy her need for belonging and love, she turns to strangers such as Lennie, the only person that she feels she can talk to. She hints at her loneliness when she says, Seems like they aint none of them cares how i gotta live, Her aggravation and frustration about being lonely is being released, and she may be free from loneliness because she has finally released most of her feelings and emotions before her death. Loneliness is a large aspect of the novel. Different characters deal with it in different ways. When Curleys wife opens up to Lennie the readers sympathise with her. Well I aint told this to nobody before This shows her inner feelings of how desperate she is in wanting a friend. She is successful in getting a person like Lennie to talk to and trust in, but from all this she had been killed by the hands of the one she trusted. Curleys wife has a dream she wants something to call her own, she wants fame, fortune and admiration. When she is talking to Lennie, alone in the barn, she recounts her obviously well told stories of her offers of fame. Coulda been in the movies an had nice clothes. She is unhappy with her husband, and his constant stories of who hes going beat up next. This brings up a very important question in the readers minds. Why did she marry Curley? I ast her if she stole it, too an she says no, so I married Curley. This shows that Curleys wife is a very stubborn character she wants everything her own way, and doesnt care what she has to sacrifice. She seems to have a deep regret that she didnt take up either of the men on their offers. This dream is important to her because it decides weather or not shes going to try again and go on in life and be a success and full fill her dream of being an actress or that she stays where she is and becomes something else. She tells Lennie of her need for affection, and how she needs to be wanted. Curleys wife does not seem at all likely to achieve her dreams. Even if she wasnt murdered, she was stuck in a rut with Curley, a rut that would have gone round and round in until he left her for a new woman, or she finally built up the courage to leave him. The first description of Curleys wife is described very differently from how Steinbeck describes her at the end of the novel. Steinbecks first description is very sharp and harsh. She had full roughed lips and wide spaced eyes, heavily made up Steinbeck describes her to be a tart; he wants the readers to think that she looks like a prostitute. When Curleys wife is murdered hes description is changed. she was very pretty, simple and her face was sweet and young. This description was given after her death, there is a hidden meaning to why I think Steinbeck did this. He wants the readers to understand that the description that was given earlier in the novel was what everyone thought of her, it was like a mask she had on. Her real personality and her real self were only discovered before she died.