How is Curley’s wife presented in the novel Of Mice and Men? In Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is presented as a calculated temptress that craves the attention of the men on the ranch, but is also the victim of loneliness. Before the extract in which Curley’s wife is first formally introduced, Candy describes her as naturally flirtatious, saying she has ‘got the eye’ and goes on to describe her as looking at other men before eventually calling her a "tart." This is then confirmed when Steinbeck describes her ‘full rouged lips’ and eyes ‘heavily made up’; the use of red lipstick, with the colour often considered provocative, and too much make-up for daytime use on a ranch, further shows Curley’s wife’s the symbolism of