Explore the ways minor characters are presented in “Of Mice and Men” "Of Mice and Men" is a novella written by John Steinbeck and published in 1937. It tells the story of George Milton and Lennie Small, two itinerant ranch workers seeking work during “The Great Depression” and trying to fulfil their American Dream. Curley’s wife is the only female in the novella. She has no name and is initially seen as the possession of her husband. However, she knows that her beauty is power and uses it to flirt with other men on the ranch. She brings evil into men’s lives by tempting them in a way they cannot resist, which is why George and Candy label her as “jailbait” and “tart”. “She ain’t concealin’ nothing. I never seen nobody like her”. Curley’s wife wears too much makeup and dresses like a "whore" with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Steinbeck's preliminary portrayal of Curley's wife shows her to be a mean and seductive temptress. The audience’s initial impression of Curley’s wife is negative. She is seen as flirtatious because of the way she carries herself and hangs around the men in the bunkhouse. At the beginning, Curley’s wife is presented to us as quite slutty, flirtatious and vulnerable. There are many different words that the men use to describe her like “bitch”, “tramp”, “poison”, …show more content…
An interesting part about her character is explained by irony used skilfully by Steinbeck. Her dream of being in the limelight is unrealistic as all she does is attract negative attention. When she enters the barn the "sunshine in the doorway was cut off" not only representing her as a negative influence, but this also foreshadows her bleak end in the barn. Although, as she slowly opens up to Lennie, despite his lack of interest, the reader gains more and more knowledge about the truth of Curley's wife's personality, her innocence and desire to fulfil her Hollywood