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

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

As George and Lennie are seen to be freshly settling in, Curley helps to eliminate all sense of remaining hope they have that their life on this ranch could be any better, by creating a hostile and tense atmosphere. Therefore, the fact that Curley wears high-heeled boots, like the boss, immediately creates a negative impression of him for the reader through his unpleasant traits of being domineering and insecure.

We can also see through Curley’s treatment of his wife how he is an unpleasant character.

Curley's treatment of his wife is indicative of the patriarchal society which they live in, where Curley sees his wife as an object which should be possessed and controlled by him.

We can see this in section 2, when an enraged Curley walks into the bunkhouse and questions George and Lennie, “you seen a girl around here?” This indicates how Curley is constantly keeping tabs on his wife’s whereabouts and also shows his constant suspicions around the other men on the ranch due to his lack of confidence in his relationship with his wife. This helps to creates a negative and volatile atmosphere in the ranch and shows

Through Curley’s desire to kill Lennie, the reader is given a clear indication of his unpleasant and ruthless character, through his cruel nature and his lack of empathy for Lennie.

Despite Curley primarily being portrayed as an unpleasant character, however there is short-lasting moments in which the reader can be made feel pity for Curley. We can see this after the fight scene when Steinbeck uses animal imagery to describe Curley as ‘flopping like a fish on a line’. This simile suggests Curley’s weakness in the moment. This can make the reader feel a sense of sympathy towards him as Curley resonates so much of his character with the feeling of being in control and in power and to have all that taken away would be humiliating for him. We can also see how Curley is then pressured into Slim’s commands, as he once again is being replaced as an authoritative figure, as the men see Slim as morally superior compared to Curley who believes he is entitled to his superiority.

In conclusion, it is clear that Steinbeck presents Curley as an unpleasant, ruthless bully throughout ‘Of Mice and Men’. However, many would argue that a character like his