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Of Mice And Men Curley's Wife Essay

1173 Words5 Pages

The Death of The Unborn Female American Dream Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, takes place during the time of The Great Depression; an era extremely difficult for women. The novella contains many iconic characters that serve as a metaphor to our societal standards. Curley’s wife is introduced just like any other; however, the emphasis on her feminine features are metaphoric to where women stand in society. In order to prove that society makes it impossible for certain people to attain The American Dream, Steinbeck objectifies, sexualizes, and kills Curley’s wife to show that women cannot reach The American Dream. Steinbeck uses specific vocabulary to objectify Curley’s wife; alienating her from The American Dream. In the scene, Curley’s …show more content…

In this episode, Curley’s wife is having a conversation with Lennie about her American Dream of an actress in a desperate attempt to cure her loneliness. She also consolidates Lennie about the death of the puppy. Lennie confesses his desideratum to tend the rabbits because he simply likes to pet nice things. Curley’s wife then makes the big mistake of asking him to stroke her hair, and Lennie being Lennie goes too far, gets scared, and snaps Curley’s wife’s neck,”He shook her then, and he was angry with her… And then she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.” (91). At this point, Curley’s wife is clearly dead, along with her dream of what she could have been. Unlike the other themes, women do not necessarily die from men. What does die, is their dream. Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife to show that women will never be able to reach The American Dream. It doesn't matter if they have money. It doesn't matter if they can vote. It doesn't matter if they graduate college and end up teaching high schoolers that may or may not take the advice. There is a feeling of dissatisfaction that lives with women, and in the case of Curley’s wife, dies with women. Women will live their lives in distaste, or forever attempt to grasp the idea of The American Dream for themselves until it simply

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She is used as a symbol for all women in society. However all the characters are used to develop the themes of the novella. One of the major themes being the American Dream. In order to demonstrate the American Dream is unattainable for women, Steinbeck, sexualizes, objectives and eventually kills Curley's wife.

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In such time of the Great Depression and gender equality, this novel presents the character of sexism, Curley’s wife, to show how her dreams has been achieved through death. During her talk with Lennie, she tells him that she “‘[...]never get[s] to talk to nobody [and that she] get[s] awfully lonely’” (Steinbeck 86). Even though she is depicted as a flirtatious, “‘[...]purty [...] bitch’”, her true life was lonely and segregated from the male ranchers (Steinbeck 32). Steinbeck applies this paradox in the story to picture the reader about how a character’s identity can either encourage or ruin his or her reasons to live and achieve a future.

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1. In the novel Of Mice and Men, it strongly sets a devastating scene towards the end, yet what was done was necessary. As Lenny sits in the barn staring at the dead pup he did not mean to kill, Curley’s wife comes in and sympathises with Lenny. Although Curley’s wife is beautiful and young, she is naive and dangerous as George knew from the beginning.

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In society it is natural to judge someone when you first meet them, and sometimes it leads them to misperception. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck talks about George and Lennie, their journey through the Great Depression. The start of the book talks about how George and Lennie move from farm to farm looking for work and they find a new farm. At this farm they befriend a few of the workers there, but they all misperceive Lennie right away and see him as this weakling that cannot do anything really serious. Since in the end Lennie ends up killing Curley’s wife and no one expected it since he comes off more childish.

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In the novella “Of Mice and Men” one of Steinbeck’s central character is Curley’s Wife. Steinbeck presents her as a dangerous and powerful due to his language techniques like metaphor, simile and structure. However in a misogynistic society she can also be seen as a lonely and vulnerable character. Steinbeck’s use of symbolism especially towards Curley’s wife creates a dangerous and powerful persona.

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In the novella ‘Of mice and men’ by John Steinbeck, two men George and Lennie, have many limitations in life. George and Lennie end up on a farm where they meet people who also have limitations, one of those people happens to be a character known as “Curley 's wife”. Steinbeck crafts Curley 's wife as a sexualized object in order to reveal that women are dehumanized and thus excluded from the American Dream. Not only Does Curley 's wife have to deal with being the only women on a ranch full of men

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The killing of Curley’s wife is a turning point in the story, highlighting the idea that life is full of obstacles you must overcome. The novel is a commentary on the American Dream and the difficulties

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The theme of the novel, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, is hope and loss. This is shown through the perspectives of Curley's wife, Candy, and George. In this story they all have a period where they hope for something more, but later on lose it. Although it is hard to remain hopeful in horrible situations, it is best not to lose hope and give into the situation you find yourself in.

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Humans are a genuinely perplexing and baffling species. Someone may glance at a person and think they may be incredible, but associate with them and one may discover the person is atrocious. In the book Of Mice and Men, Curley is approached as the calamity of the ranch. He is analyzed as a racist, mean, and sexist man.

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Curley’s wife begins to warm up at the end of the novella and starts to talk to Lennie as a mom would to a young child. She tells him her life story and Lennie is half listening the whole time. She uses Lennie as a coping mechanism and realization tool of what her life has become and how easily she could have prevented it from going the way it did. As she wraps up her autobiography, Curley’s wife questions Lennie on why he can only talk about rabbits, and Lennie responds that he likes feeling soft objects. She then allows him to stroke her soft hair, which he enjoys, but sadly Lennie’s disability leads to not him not being able to let go, and he accidentally broke Curley’s wife’s neck.

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In 1920 when the 19th amendment was passed allowing women to vote, many women thought that Gender Inequality was coming to an end. Soon after, the Great Depression happened, and everyone was focused on that. Life for women was especially hard then because they had to live in a world full of poverty and discrimination. Throughout Of Mice and Men we see this through Curley’s Wife. She just wants to fit in and talk to the men without thinking she wants something, or being called rude names.

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World of Sexism Due to the Great Depression, women’s rights took a back seat to employment and poverty. It was believed that women shouldn’t work but stay at home, clean, cook, and raise their children. The prejudice against women in the society was great back in the 1930s for they were degraded and underestimated. All the rights they had gained in the 1920s were neglected and the women were once again maltreated. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, the victim of sexism is Curley’s wife who is so insignifact that even a name was not provided for her.

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First of all, Curley’s

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