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How Is Curley's Wife Presented In Of Mice And Men

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The novella “Of Mice and Men'' took place during the Great Depression which left many people jobless, homeless, and without a family. In John Steinbeck's novella there is an inside look to how desperate people are for work and how differently people are treated. Sexism, a ruling theme in Of Mice and Men, is clearly shown through Curley's wife's interactions with the migrant men, her loneliness, and her American dream being overlooked. Though the migrant men are there working to survive, they constantly neglect the idea of Curleys wife and her loneliness due to their fear of losing the only job they have. Curley's wife's death creates the thought in the men that she is not as bad as they thought and did not deserve to die, but this does not …show more content…

In an article comparing similarities of Curley’s wife with then men by Sandra Beatty, it is more deeply exposed to how they are both dealing with complete loneliness (“A Study of the Female Presence ''). While the workers have nobody to talk to, they refuse to engage in fear of Curley’s wife making moves on them. With no one to talk to, Curley's wife is isolated and desperate for some human interaction. In the novella “Of Mice and Men '', while Curley’s wife is in Crooks room she calls out the present migrant workers, “If I catch any one man, and he’s alone, I get along fine with him. But just let two of the guys get together an’ you won’t talk.”(Steinbeck pg.77). This is significant because it shows how time periods like the Great Depression force people to live on their own in loneliness so they can simply survive and get the outcomes they are working …show more content…

The inequality between genders has not been outgrown though. In today's day and age, women have to deal with lower pay wages in many fields of work. In the article, “The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap”, it is stated that women get paid eighty-three cents for every one dollar a male makes (AAUW). Proven by these statistics, it is a direct example of how even after eighty years since the Great Depression, sexism is still a world-wide problem taking power away from women. As presented through the articles, it is revealing because though over time women have gained more individual rights, it is still being limited by pay wages. Women need to be able to believe the words that we are all equal and that they truly have all their

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1360 Words | 6 Pages

Matt McQueen Mrs. Lutrell English 11 5 February 2018 Curley’s Wife In the novella, Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck creates a story about main characters George and Lennie that takes place during the Great Depression. All the characters in the story have different disadvantages, including Curley’s wife, the only women.

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278 Words | 2 Pages

1. In the novel Of Mice and Men, it strongly sets a devastating scene towards the end, yet what was done was necessary. As Lenny sits in the barn staring at the dead pup he did not mean to kill, Curley’s wife comes in and sympathises with Lenny. Although Curley’s wife is beautiful and young, she is naive and dangerous as George knew from the beginning.

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175 Words | 1 Pages

Curley’s wife begins to regret living on the ranch with Curley. She starts to regret living there because of the way they treat her. And also because she could be doing better in her life instead of sitting around being bored and only being able to associate with Curley. Curley’s wife states “ I tell you I aint used to livin’ like this, I coulda made somethin’ of myself.” (Steinbeck 88).

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1136 Words | 5 Pages

The novella Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, tells of the story of how individuals were alienated during the Great Depression, including an unnamed farm wife married to a man named Curley. She is simply identified as “Curley’s wife.” Being the only woman on the farm has caused her to be a sexualized object, have a great sense of loneliness, and feel that she will never live up to her dreams. The characterization, actions, and treatment of Curley’s wife depicts how women were kept from achieving their own American Dream in the sexist society of the 1930s. Through the characterization of Curley’s wife a reader can see that she is sexualized, desires to be dominant, and has suffered throughout her life.

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1183 Words | 5 Pages

In John Steinbeck's novel "Of Mice and Men," Curley, the boss's son, is portrayed as an unpleasant character. From the very beginning, Curley's aggressive behaviour, confrontational attitude and his sense of entitlement due to being the bosses son makes him a disliked character among the other ranch workers. His abusive actions towards his wife, as well as his disrespectful and belittling behaviour towards the other characters, further adds to his negative portrayal in the novel. In this essay, I will examine the reasons why Curley is an unpleasant character and how his actions contribute to the negative image that is portrayed of him. When we are first introduced to Curley in section 2, we learn of his rigid appearance

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997 Words | 4 Pages

Of Mice and Men Curley Essay The novella ‘Of Mice and Men’, which was written by John Steinbeck, was set in the 1930’s midst the Great Depression. This was a time of severe unemployment, where the longest and deepest economic disaster in history occurred. The result of this novel being written was due to Steinbeck’s own experiences, working as a nomadic worker on several farms throughout the United States. Furthermore, the character ‘Curley’ could have been someone he encountered during his travelling.

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1353 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout this novel, nearly all characters in Of Mice and Men are lonely, seeking a connection or bond with other characters. Personally, I found Curley’s wife’s situation particularly interesting because of how her character is affected by wanting more affection and love from others. She is an example of a person who can’t find good company and is seeking someone that makes her feel belonged. Because she is the only female on the ranch and her husband forbids anyone to talk to her, she lacks a sense of belonging and is often lonely. This loneliness causes her to seek out other men for companionship.

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652 Words | 3 Pages

Curley’s wife throughout Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is discriminated by the men on the ranch because she is a woman. Curley’s wife is the only woman in the ranch and has no one to talk to and is left out because of her gender, and for being considered a threat. Curley’s wife gender separates her from the others because when she tries talking to the other men she pushes them way from her because they’re scared of losing their job, knowing that Curley is the boss’s son. “ I get lonely, she said.

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1149 Words | 5 Pages

The Stienbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men demonstrates Curley’s wife being so invisible that she’s not even given a name and her only identity is being owned by Curley. John Steinbeck’s social realistic novella Of Mice and Men takes place during The Great Depression in Salinas Valley, California and describes the lives of two migrant workers Geroge Milton and Lennie Small who travel from place to place pursuing The American Dream. George takes care of Lennie who has the mental capacity of that of a child who is unaware of his incredible strength. This leads to the accidental deaths of animals and eventually Curley’s wife, which results in Lennie’s death by George’s hand. George was presented with the moral dilemma of killing Lennie mercifully

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651 Words | 3 Pages

In the novella Of Mice And Men, sexism is prevalent throughout the course of the story. One significant character who has been affected by sexism is Curley’s wife. This is clearly demonstrated when she is referred to throughout the novella as “Curley’s Wife”. Rather than being known as an individual with emotions, she is objectified and her identity is robbed from her. Sexism is also shown towards Curley’s Wife when she is constantly misunderstood and is suspected to flirt with others by all the men on the ranch.

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1719 Words | 7 Pages

During the decade long Great Depression of 1929 to 1939, there were great afflictions upon men leading to tragedy, loss, and despair. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the significance of these afflictions is only brought to attention because of the book’s setting, the Great Depression. The Great Depression itself emotionally affected many of these men, and Steinbeck writes characters that resemble the lives of migrant workers. In his rural setting, Steinbeck focuses upon the lives of his characters, the emotions they undergo, and the following wishes to depart from their unfulfilling lives. For Steinbeck's readers, the themes and writing techniques augmented by the setting, help the readers understand the setting’s importance.

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850 Words | 4 Pages

Steinbeck’s of Mice and Men is a novella portraying the lives of two men - George and Lennie - two itinerant workers living amidst the Great Depression in 1930s America. The story takes place on a ranch in Soledad California with George and Lennie joining the ranch together. The novella is riddled with themes of oppression and loneliness and explores companionship between the two main characters George and Lennie in an isolated world with the purpose of living for the “American Dream”. Steinbeck's portrayal of people marginalised due to skin colour, gender, or disabilities reflect the book's explicit lonely setting by growing resentful and cruel. Curley's wife is a good example of this.

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1240 Words | 5 Pages

In Of Mice and Men, women were treated as less than men and are constantly demeaned and excluded. Their treatment during the Great Depression played a main role in their overall loneliness and solitude. Being the only woman on the ranch, Curley’s Wife longs for companionship and desperately wants someone to talk to or acknowledge her. She is ultimately ignored by everyone because of their fear of Curley’s jealousy and the repercussions that might follow if they are seen with her. Her loneliness is seen in Steinbeck's description of her physical appearance.

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670 Words | 3 Pages

As a result of his large ego, Curley’s wife seeks friendships with other men on the farm. This conflicts with the workers and Curley because Curley expects his wife to be

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734 Words | 3 Pages

I enjoyed reading these two chapters and still am continuing to enjoy this novel. I look forward to reading more to see what else happens in the story. The two characters who make me the most angry would have to be curley and his wife. Curley is a mean, tempered man who I noticed in the first two chapters was an angry person and he continues to be this way through the third and fourth chapters. His temper and anger is particularly evident in the third chapter when he tries to pick a fight with Slim and ends up getting in a fight with Lennie who has still done nothing to him.

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