How Does Steinbeck Present The Double Standard In Of Mice And Men

The Great Depression caused an abundance of hardships for the American people. Those who were wealthy lost much of their fortune, and those who were poor lost everything they had. However, white men lived a relatively easier life compared to women and those of color. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife as a symbol of oppression. This character’s purpose is to show the inferiority which women were looked to with and the objectification that they were forced to put up with. Steinbeck also uses her to represent the double standard which was present at the time by placing her in situations where the men were given more respect than her. Throughout the course of this novel, Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife to point out that the gender

Throughout the book, Curley’s wife is quickly and wrongly judged. They call her a tramp and a tart within seconds of meeting her. Being the only woman on the ranch, she had no one to talk to, so when she spoke to the men, they immediately began accusing her of giving “the Eye” to them all. Society had set its standards. If a woman were to be caught talking to a man, she was a tart. She was unfaithful and was greedy. If a man were to say he was going to a cathouse to sleep and drink off his problems, he’d be considered normal. This created a different set of expectations for men and women. George is a perfect example of this double standard. Early on in the book, George finds out about Curley and his wife. He takes Candy’s word for it and passes the judgement that Curley’s wife is a tart. He says, ‘“Yeah? Married two weeks and got the eye? Maybe that’s why Curley’s pants is full of ants”’(Steinbeck 15). Without even meeting or getting to know the woman, he sets his opinions of her and doesn’t change them. Later on, however, in Lennie’s vision of his Aunt Clara, she says, “‘All the time he coulda had such a good time if it wasn’t for you. He woulda took his pay an’ raised hell in a whorehouse”’ (Steinbeck 50). It was normalized for men to go and blow their money on such vulgar acts, but the second a woman spoke to a man other than her husband, she was called names and was disgraced. Steinbeck uses this exaggerated example to amplify the wide contrast between standards. He also expands on the effects that were put into play. Because of the isolation caused by the fear of being called out and accused of infidelity, Curley’s wife is often very lonely. The double standards stop her from keeping in open contact with the others around her. On the occasion that she does go out, she frequently has to express her loneliness so people will talk to her. On two such