Of Mice And Menquestions Essay Example

isolation. Steinbeck presents all the characters in the novel as being lonely.

Despite their differences, all the characters in the story experience loneliness. One of them, Curley's wife, feels this way because she is a newlywed who is ignored by her husband and objectified for his sexual gratification. The other ranch hands regard her with suspicion and label her as a "tart." Meanwhile, Candy is the primary source of gossip about Curley's wife, narrating it in the third person and telling George and Lennie that "Curley keeps his hand soft for his wife."

The author insinuates that Curley applies Vaseline to his hand, which captivates and repels the reader. It can be inferred from this statement that Curley's wife is viewed by the ranch workers as merely present for her husband's sexual gratification. This amplifies how Steinbeck portrays her as an outsider in the novel. The only character seduced by her is Lennie, who describes her as "purty." The intentional misspelling of "purty" reflects Steinbeck's aim for authentic representation of working-class American dialect.Throughout the novel, the word ‘purty’ is used to describe Curley's wife. However, towards the end of the book, when the narrator describes her features after her death, the word is finally spelled correctly. The narrator notes that “She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young”. Despite Lennie's comment about her being ‘purty’, George becomes angry and repeatedly claims that she will only bring trouble. He insists that Lennie stay away from her, as George sees her as an obstacle in their pursuit of living off the fat of the land.

George is expressing worry about Lennie's safety because he hopes

to avoid a repeat of what happened in Weed with the young woman. Despite being viewed as "jail bait" by the ranch workers, Curley's wife is not malicious. The severity of her death penalty exceeds any potential wrongdoing on her part, and it's possible she could have been a kind spouse if she had met the right person.

According to Steinbeck, Curley's wife is essentially a good and trusting person who grew up in a hostile environment. Her apparent hardness is mainly a facade as it is all she knows. While she is not excessively sexual, she has come to recognize that her sexuality is her only power and the only thing that makes her noticeable. Unfortunately, this weapon ultimately leads to her demise as Lennie, who is unaware of his strength, is seduced by her sexuality and accidentally kills her.

Similar to Curley’s wife’s use of sexuality, Lennie possesses a weapon of incredible strength. However, in the clash between Lennie’s strength and Curley’s wife’s sexuality, Lennie ultimately succumbs just as Curley’s wife did. Although Curley’s wife displays great sexuality, she also exhibits innocence, vulnerability, and an inability to enjoy sex. It is this vulnerable and insecure side of her that makes her pure and good. Her upbringing instilled in her the belief that the only way to secure a husband was through virginity. The narrator figuratively describes Curley’s wife’s physical appearance as sexual, specifically noting her full, rouged lips which imply their purpose in kissing and possibly performing fellatio.

The phrase "Heavily made up" suggests the woman could be a prostitute due to the stereotype that prostitutes wear excessive makeup. Additionally, the quote "her hair hung in

little rolled clusters, like sausages" is a clear sexual symbol, as the simile "like sausages" represents the phallic shape of a penis. The color red is also associated with sex.

"Cotton house dress and red mules," "Bouquets of red Ostrich feathers," and "Her finger nails were red" imply that she is promiscuous. However, Steinbeck uses these descriptions to mislead the reader into speculating if she is a 'tart', when in reality she is not.

In Of Mice and Men, the metaphoric symbols serve as foreshadows for what will eventually happen to the characters. Although it is not a suspenseful novel, it focuses on character development. Some may find some of the hints to be too obvious, such as the description of Curley's wife's nasal and brittle voice, which does not match her provocative appearance. Slim, referred to as the "jerk line skinner," playfully flirts with Curley's wife, as evidenced by his greeting of "Hi, good looking" through the door.

Using the phrase "Jail bait" with a married woman is not considered flirtatious as it implies she is underage, which is not the case with Curley's wife. Despite being married, Curley seems worried about his wife's behavior towards other men as he married her only two weeks ago and believes she is showing interest in sleeping with them.

Contrary to popular belief, Curley's wife is not the one initiating the conversation. She pretends to be searching for her husband as an excuse to engage with others. In reality, she is not genuinely looking for him. She mentions that Curley hits her and forewarns that when he enters Crooks' room, he will use his left hand twice, followed by

a right cross. Therefore, Curley's wife is actually a victim rather than an attacker.

This text provides ample proof that Curley preys on his wife, who also receives no sympathy from Candy, who states, "You gotta husband! You got no call foolin' aroun' with other guys causin trouble." Unfortunately, Curley's wife has no one to turn to, leading many to believe that she is misunderstood; however, towards the end of the novel, readers perceive her as a poor, tormented soul. Foreshadowing and hints are finally revealed in the final act. After several strategic tactics, Curley's wife finally persuades Lennie to talk to her. The narrator uses repetition of her physical description, primarily her "red ostrich feathers" and other red features. Although Steinbeck initially misleads the reader into believing these red features indicate that she is a "tart," in truth, the color red is foreshadowing the danger that will soon creep up on her.

Curley's wife employs two methods to gain Lennie's trust: she uses flattery to make him feel secure, telling him he could easily overpower her husband if he tried to harm him ("If Curley gets tough, you can break his hand"), and she also sweet-talks him into sympathizing with her, asking why they can't have a conversation.

"I feel terribly alone," he said, and she consoled him, speaking in a soothing tone. At one point, she confided in Lennie, sharing her aspirations of becoming an actress but failing. This revelation elicits sympathy from the reader and dispels any previous judgments of her being promiscuous. It becomes apparent that she has been mistreated throughout her life, leading to her vulnerability and insecurity.

Despite this, the story becomes more

complex as Lennie reveals his fondness for delicate objects to Curley’s wife. She responds by allowing him to stroke her hair, which ultimately results in her demise because “Lennie had broken her neck.” Steinbeck’s captivating use of the setting and its atmosphere throughout the novel creates premonitions of impending tragedy whenever the two characters become intimate and the surroundings darken.

Despite the common belief that darkness is dreary and risky, the rising sun at sunset contradicts this notion. Steinbeck alters readers' perceptions of Curley's wife from negative to positive when she lies deceased in hay. Her once discontent appearance disappears, and she is now beautiful, with a sweet and young face. Death has set her free.

Comparing her to Sleeping Beauty, Curley's wife is metaphorically set free and has become an angel. Ultimately, the author's personal belief is that she was somewhat of a seductress, but more importantly, a misguided and inexperienced person. It is her lack of knowledge that leaves her pure and open to harm.

Despite the initial portrayal of her as a ‘tart’ in the novel, Steinbeck ultimately positions Curley's wife as a victim for the reader to sympathize with. This tragic figure serves as a symbol for the bleak and futile existence experienced by impoverished Americans during the 1930’s Great Depression.

Contrary to the question of whether the female species is deadlier than the male, this does not hold true for Curley's wife.