Curley’s wife is a complex character that is portrayed as a flirtatious, lost, and naïve woman in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’. Throughout the novella, Curley’s wife is engrossed in her own beauty, eventually leading to the inevitable death by letting Lennie touch her hair. Steinbeck doesn’t give Curley’s wife a name in the novel showing that she’s insignificant yet she holds the important role of being a danger to Lennie. She does have a particular role in the novella and is presented as the trophy wife of Curley. As the novella progresses, the reader learns the flirtatious side is one of the many sides to the lonely woman that makes the reader sympathises with her.
In the beginning of the novella, Curley’s wife is presented as a “tart”, “jail bait” and that she has “got the eye” by
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Steinbeck emphasises on her physical appearance as a first impression and that she attempts to receive attention from the ranchers. Additionally, red is associated and linked to love, lust and passion; which is shown in her personality in which she is flirty.
The writer also mentions “she turned her head” and “her body was thrown forward”, “she turned her head” could perhaps foreshadow her death later on as Lennie recklessly breaks her neck. Steinbeck attempts to draw attention to that phase by keeping it as a short sentence and using dialogue afterwards, making it stand out to the reader. “Her body was thrown forward” shows that Curley’s wife tries to please the men and takes advantage of Lennie’s mental illness by showing off her assets, but on the other hand, this could also foreshadow her death as when she dies, her body is thrown