Is curley’s wife a victim BY MI-HIM John Steinbeck planned out every word he put into his novel Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck did exactly this with the development of the character Curlers wife. She had started the novel as a “tart” or a nuisance of a character, but later she turned into an admriable character, one that you really feel for. In Of Mice and Men, Curlers wife is shown as a very unpleasant character.
For example, while Lennie, Candy and Crookes were in Crooks’ room discussing their ranch, she walks in and says “Listen, Nigger… ” “… You keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny. ” (Pg 88 and 89). This shows she is taking advantage of the fact she’s the boss’s son’s wife, and uses her position of power against Crooks, when all he ever did is ask for some privacy. She went off on a racist tangent when Crooks asked for privacy from his room because he wants no trouble with Curley.
Another example of her unpleasantness is not about what she does, but what she unintentionally does, Curley is often upset with someone else on the range because he thinks they were being “friendly’ with his ife, one example of this is when George, Candy, and Lennie are thinking of their house they want to one day own, Curley and Slim walk through the door “Curley said Well I didn’t mean nothing, Slim. I Just ast you. ‘ Slim said “Well you been askin’ me too often. after your own God damn wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay Offa me. ” (pg 68) It shows Curlers wife causes unpleasantness even when she doesn’t mean to.
It also shows that even she isn’t directly involved she can cause unpleasantness in others through Curley, whether it’s intentional or not the foulness till takes place. Curlers wife starts out the book on the wrong foot, but she turns up a new leaf in later chapters, by explaining her true self and life story. Curlers wife is truly an admirable character. One example is when she and Lennie were talking in the barn, Curlers wife tries to comfort him “Don’t you worry none. He was Jus’ a mutt. You can get another one easy. The whole country is full of them. ” (pg 95). This shows she doesn’t always Just want to cause trouble and be a nuisance.
She only wants to make friends and not feel lonely all of the time. In addition, she lso says “Soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it… ” “. never got that letter. ” (pg 96). She is saying here that she thought she could one day be famous, and she doesn’t like being with Curley at the ranch. She never wanted to be at the ranch, but after the letter never showed up, she went and married Curley. Curlers wife is compassionate and admirable, but very lonely. Loneliness is unavoidable for most characters on the ranch in Of Mice and Men. Curlers wife is one of the characters in this novel who fell victim to loneliness.
It is shown when she xplains why Curley does not allow her to talk to the other men because of his insecurities: “l get lonely,’ she said. You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. HoWd you like not to talk to anybody? ” (pg 95). Curlers insecurities disable his wife from being able to talk to people. Curlers wife gets lonely, and it provokes her to act in a way of meanness when she does. Her loneliness I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house all time? ” (pg 85). This directly shows that she is unable to have a social life outside of Curley.
Although Curley isn’t around, the boys still refuse to talk to her because they don’t want any trouble with Curley. Curlers wife starts out as Just a regular woman on the ranch, but later turns into a woman you feel sorry for; like her horrid life is not her fault. Steinbeck created a character, that is so compelling and admirable from a character that is so repulsive in the start of the novel. He used friendship, and loneliness to contort the initial impression of Curleys wife. He does this to show how anyone, no matter the personality behind them, may have a back story, the kind that changes your entire impression of the person.
