Gender Inequality In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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. We all feel the need to be loved, or included without our gender interfering. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck reveals that people have false expectations based on gender, through the point of view of Curley’s wife.

Therefore, people look down on

It’s easier for a man to call a women names because they do not care too much about their feelings and think that they are always up to no good. According to Candy towards the end of the novel, Candy thought Curley's wife was a useless tramp. "You god damn tramp', he said viciously. 'You done it, di'nt you? I s'pose you're glad. Ever'body knowed you mess things up. You wasn't no good. You ain't no good now, You lousy tart" (Steinbeck 95). This event is important because the men thought that women were just “tramps” and had no use. This also reveals that men thought it was the woman's fault when Candy says, “You done it, di’nt you?” Also he thought that she had it coming to her. I can infer that if Lennie killed a man, Candy would not have said that. As Candy explains to George in the middle of the novel, “She ain't concealin’ nothing. I never seen nobody like her. She got the eye going all the time on everybody. I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye. I don't know what the hell she wants” (Steinbeck 51). This author includes this to show that they thought Curley's wife only wanted something from the men. The reader can infer that the men thinks she is desperate because it says she probably gives the stable buck the eye. No one really respected Crooks because of his color. Therefore, when the men say that, they are basically calling a her a “slut”. Throughout the novel of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the author reveals that there were false expectations based on gender through the character of Curley’s Wife. The amount of sexism and discrimination of women was explicit. Curley’s wife just wanted to fit in without being judged. She never found what it was like to be truly happy because he life ended to short. Perhaps if people put gender aside, Curley’s wife could have lived a longer