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How Does Steinbeck Present The Women In Of Mice And Men

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The novella Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, strongly focuses on the limitations of being a woman due to the treatment of others and the norms within society. The one singular woman within the ranch is overlooked and is not even respected via the use of her name; only a symbol of who she “belongs to” and what she wears. I am strongly connected with this piece, having watched society treat women as an object of marketing and the effect these images have on youth. The novella also portrays the double standard set between males and the only female on the ranch. I’ve watched as my hard work has gotten me the minimum or even belittled compared to boys who do the bare minimum, yet they still get treasured and gain mass amounts of appreciation for just showing up. …show more content…

John Steinbeck intentionally strips the women in the novella of their names, instructing audiences to view these women’s roles as limited. Not even once does Curley, her husband, refer to her by her name, only asking the workers, “[If] You seen a girl around here?”. Curley doesn’t respect her as an individual, only viewing her as an accessory to himself, the others follow this belief, hence the simplistic title of “Curley’s wife”. She is also described as having “full, red lips.” and her fingernails being painted red. Which symbolizes sexuality and promiscuous behavior. Causing a rumble across the ranch, due to rumors of her disloyalty, due to her giving everyone “the eye”. Likewise, we often hear the only other female in the novella named as “the girl in the red dress” referring to what happened back in Weed. This title again belittles a woman as an object of a man’s portrayal, what she was wearing. These women have both been objectified to nothing more than a nameless title and a figure in

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Steinbeck uses a theme to develop the story in an awesome way. He puts lots of themes in his book to make people think. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck theme is used. Theme is what develops the story. The main theme of this story is everyone needs a friend to enjoy life and live life.

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The only character in Of Mice and Men (written by John Steinbeck) who has no name, Curley’s wife acts as if she belongs to Curley. Being the only female character in the book, sometimes she feels as if she needs more attention from some of the other characters. Curley’s wife searches for reasons for the workers of the ranch to talk to her. She knows that doing this will only get the men beat up by her husband, Curley, but she wants the attention. Lennie is intrigued by Curley’s wife’s luscious hair and good looks, whereas George sees her as a tease and a “tart”.

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There are few words more loaded with history and personal connotation than racism or sexism. Whether you are using it to examine the past, explain the present, or predict the future, just using the word often draws out emotion from people of all walks of life. Though it is a sensitive topic, it is an important one. Mice and Men is the story of George and Lennie, two friends that travel from farm to farm, looking for work, in the hopes that one day they will have enough money to buy their own farm. But Mice and Men also contains a supporting cast, all of them with their own fears and desires.

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The novel Of Mice and Men would change drastically if Lennie and George were to change genders. As a women, Curley’s wife didn’t pay much attention to Lennie. She is known as a person who would “feel right aroun’ there an’ see how soft it is.” (Steinbeck, 90)

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John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men (1937), explores the complex relationship between dreams and aspirations during a period of immense hardship. Set in California during the Great Depression, the story unfolds amidst the Dust Bowl, where countless Americans, known as "Okies," migrated westward in search of work. Living in shantytowns on the outskirts of farms and ranches, these migrant workers toiled with the hope of a better life, a stark contrast to the harsh realities they faced. Steinbeck masterfully portrays the characters' dreams – a vision of owning their own land – and contrasts them with the stark limitations of their aspirations, ultimately revealing the crushing weight of circumstance on even the most fervent desires. Central to Steinbeck's exploration of this relationship is the enduring dream shared by George and Lennie, two migrant ranch workers.

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“But Mousie, thou art no thy-lane, in proving foresight may be vain: the best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men Gang aft agley, an’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, for promis’d joy!” John Steinbeck took one of the lines from Robert Burns, ‘To a Mouse’ and made it the title of one of his bestsellers. In his book he incorporates the following thematic ideas: gender and race/ethnicity issues, having power and being powerless, and importance of relationships. Throughout the novella he develops these themes by constantly catching the reader’s eye with specific events or important conversations between the characters. Gender and race/ethnicity issues was a difficult matter of discussion and still is till this day.

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Misogyny is defined as a prejudice or hatred against women. This concepts plays heavily but this novella also insinuates the power women hold. Although the women that are portrayed are nameless to symbolize their insignificance; they are the ones that shaped many events and ultimately the ending; the one woman that was given the slightest importance was the reason of the novella’s tragic denouement. Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinback, recognizes the hardships and struggles during the Great Depression, but also the loneliness that is fulfilled by women and how they alter the motivation to achieve the American dream. Curley’s wife is the only female in the plot that is shown importance.

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John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, takes place during the Great Depression in the 1930’s, in the Salinas Valley, California. It establishes the prospect of the American Dream, discrimination,loneliness, and disenfranchisement through its characters. George and Lennie provided the value of the American Dream, to which the leading female role, Curley’s wife, represents how women are exempt from the American Dream, and appeared as less than equal to men. She developed a form of loneliness throughout the course of the novel. The novella seeks to demonstrate the way of which life was like for the characters of all different statuses and backgrounds.

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Of Mice and Men is a story by John Steinbeck, set in early twentieth century California. The book is set during the Great Depression Lennie Small is a hardworking, but mentally disabled man who is friends with George Milton, a man that protects Lennie. Lennie and George are inseparable throughout the book, until Lennie is in trouble due to a woman and George cannot help him. In this novel, there is only one woman who is given lines. She is called names, described vulgarly, and is blamed for situations.

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Curley’s wife, the only main female presented in the novella, is depicted as a harlot. The only other time females are mentioned is when they are mentioned as being ladies in whore houses. This depiction sets the tone for all females presented in the novella. Instead of being seen as a worker, women were mainly seen as man’s companion, and as a symbol for love, lust, and desire. In the novella Curley’s wife’s appearance is described as, “Her face heavily made up.

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In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck portrayed a political statement by looking at mental and physical disabilities through different characters such as Curley's Wife, Crooks, and Lennie. Curley's wife is used to represent how women were treated during the 1930’s and almost treated with a disability. Women were portrayed as the help and they were supposed to stay home and work while the strong brave men went out and got money to support the family. By Steinbeck not giving Curley's wife a name he is showing how she is connected to Curly with an Invisible rope.

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