How Does Steinbeck Present Curley's Wife A Victim

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Taking place in Northern California, and in this time period, gives the reader a different perspective and a hint of what life is like back then, and the misery’s and hardships of what people went through. Many themes are expressed in the book, the main one loneliness, which is Steinbeck’s focus. Most people desire contact with others to give life meaning. This is seen when Lennie goes into Crook's room to find someone to talk with, and later Curley's wife comes for the same reason. John Steinbeck’s presents Curley’s wife in a way that comes off as she is being abused. In Of Men and Mice Steinbeck clearly portrays Curley’s wife as a victim and not a villain, as others would see her. She is abused by Curley, mistreated by the other men on the ranch, and she is treated like she does not exist with no respect or value. Curley’s wife is a victim because Curley her husband, abuses and mistreats her. Curley is always curious and spectacle of where his wife is as if he does not trust her with other men.

When Candy is talking to George and Lennie about what he thinks about Curley, “Know what I think... Well I think Curley’s married a Tart”(Steinbeck 47) Candy obtains this view on Curley’s wife because of how she looks. The men on the ranch do not even give her a chance especially George. Right after George and Lennie come across Curley’s wife for the first time George says to Lennie “don’t you even take a look at that bitch. I don’t care what she says and what she does. I seen ‘em poison before, but I never seen no jail bait worse than her. You leave her be”(Steinbeck 44). George is making bad inferences about Curley’s wife before he even gets to know her. The way Curley’s wife presents herself does not help her cause in being mistreated, by her husband or any of the other men on the