Loneliness is an inescapable curse that affects every character in the novel, to what extent do you agree? Focus: curly I believe that curly forces the feeling of loneliness onto his character, and refuses to at least try and make an effort to escape the “inescapable curse” of loneliness. In the play curly is very much segregated from the only means of company, which is the workers. He seems to come across and an unsociable, unapproachable and struggles to hold a conversation with another character, even with his own wife.
This is portrayed in the first meeting of curly and George and Lennie, he approaches the pair with the completely wrong body language “he glanced coldly at Lennie then at George’’ this quote emphasises how socially awkward curly is, and that his idea of starting a conversation is to exert his status onto George and Lennie almost forcing them into conversation with him. The use of ‘’coldly’’ just highlights Curly’s envy towards the two man clearly witnessing them conversing and acknowledging their friendship, as well as this Steinbeck portrays this at how Curly uses the only tone he can convey of a bitter tone towards George and Lennie.
As well as this Curly feels the need to segregate himself to the workers due to his social status. Steinbeck’s portrays curly as a character who abuses his statutory power, and that no-one is ranked higher than him in the ranch hierarchy and he holds all power. Even when faced with the physically differences he believes he’s still more powerful than Lennie “he mad at’em because he aint a big guy” this quote from crooks can highlight that it angers Curly with the thought of someone being better and more powerful than him. The term “mad” empathises the negative emotional response curly is portraying at being overpowered for once. Also Steinbeck has used the term ‘’mad’’ as this is colloquial language, and highlights that this is an emotion that Curly portrays often and it isn’t just a special occasion.
Curly also is the cause of loneliness within his wife. Ideally you would have presumed these two characters wouldn’t portray the emotion of loneliness as they are in a relationship, and they can rely on that all important companionship that cures the loneliness. Curly has extreme possession over his wife, with her coming into any sort of contact with another male being virtually impossible. With Curly’s rarely leaving the ranch, maybe due to the fear that curly has she will run away to pursue her dream, an friendship is impossible as she is the only female on the ranch. This gives the reader a sympathetic view open Curly’s wife “I never get to talk to nobody. I get awfully lonely” Curly’s wife is denied any kind of friendship while inside the ranch. She has no-one to converse with or confine in due to her relationship with curly.
