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Symbolism in John Steinbeck
Of mice and men character analysis essay
Of mice and men character analysis essay
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John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men follows two migrant farmers and their experiences working towards their dream. The story takes place in the Salinas Valley during both the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, when jobs were few and far between. George and Lennie have a dream of owning land, which is inhibited by these conditions. On the farm they come to work on, they meet the sultry wife of the Curly, the boss’ son. She was deprived of achieving her dream or stardom, and is left constantly craving attention in any way she can get it.
Most people would describe me as strong and bulky, but sometimes I don’t realize how strong I really am. I never mean to hurt people or animals, I just enjoy touching them because they are soft and I love that feeling. When I do hurt things I always try hiding it from George because he doesn’t like me keeping dead animals. I was alone in the barn when Curley’s wife came in and tried talking to me. I was ordered by George not to talk to her, but she said that it was fine, that nobody would see us.
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.
In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Curley seeks revenge on Lennie and wants to Lynch him for ruining his reputation of being a tough guy. Curley is an angry, evil, little guy who is also the boss's son. Around the ranch he's known as being "pretty handy"(26). We see this part of his reputation demonstrated when he fights Lennie. When Lennie breaks Curley's hand, and Slim and the others blackmail him and tell him, "I think you got your han' caught in a machine.
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.
CHARACTERS GEORGE George is the protagonist in the story, he is hardworking, has a temper with Lennie and is ambitious. CURLEY Curley is small, mean and doesn't like his wife talking to other guys. LENNIE Lennie is the antagonist in the story, he is dull, kind and strong. CURLEY'S WIFE Curley's Wife is lonely, likes to talk to others, and is unhappy with her marriage.
Curley’s wife is a complex character that is portrayed as a flirtatious, lost, and naïve woman in the novel, ‘Of Mice and Men’. Throughout the novella, Curley’s wife is engrossed in her own beauty, eventually leading to the inevitable death by letting Lennie touch her hair. Steinbeck doesn’t give Curley’s wife a name in the novel showing that she’s insignificant yet she holds the important role of being a danger to Lennie. She does have a particular role in the novella and is presented as the trophy wife of Curley.
In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck two brother like men, Lennie and George, take off looking for a job to come up with the financial help for their life long dream of owning a small farm and food plot. They soon find themselves in california, on the banks of the Salinas River cussing and cursing at the old bus driver who had dropped them off miles away from their desired destination. They go to the ranch and end up meeting the workers, Candy, Slim, Carlson, Curley, the boss, and Curley’s wife. Curley’s wife Flirts with all of the workers which makes Curley mad and wanting to pick fights with everyone. Curley ends up getting into a quarrel with Lennie, who then destroys his hand.
“ ‘Well, I ain’t giving you not trouble. Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in awhile? Think I like to stick in that house alla time’ “ (pg.77). Curley’s wife is always trying to find anyone to talk to. She hates being stuck in the house.
The instinct to immediately put his hand over the mouth of the wife is an example of how terrifying human are. The surges of panic Curley’s wife feels conveys that Lennie is the true villain in the book, not the protagonist. After Lennie kills Curley’s wife, she lays, “with a half-covering of yellow hay. And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.
Being on the Other Side of the Fence Throughout the novel Of Mice and Men, the characters do everything in their power to fit in. Lennie was struggling because he knew he was an outsider. Lennie covered up his own personality because he thought he had to belong. Curley’s wife, just like Lennie, wanted to fit in. She wanted everyone to love her.
This in turn causes problems for George and Lennie. Curley’s wife is an antagonist because of her relationship with Curley and her potential for causing trouble with the other men. Curley’s wife’s interest in Lennie becomes a problem for Lennie and George. When Lennie was alone
Curley’s wife has many unrealized dreams. Before her death, Curley’s wife confesses her desire to become a movie star, “Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes-all them nice clothes like they wear... An’ all them nice clothes like they wear. Because this guy says I was a natural.” p.89
The characters in Of Mice and Men all have original and unique characteristics inside of them, but no matter how different, they all have the same reactions of giving up when thinking about dreams. The main characters George and Lennie, recently unemployed migrant workers, move to a new ranch for work. Thrown into a cruel, misshapen life that doesn’t end well for the majority of characters, George and Lennie find themselves in a dilemma that seems all too familiar. John Steinbeck uses the characters in Of Mice and Men to show that dreams are fragile and they need friends to support them.
(87) More specifically, the other men on the ranch refuse to talk to her because Curley’s position of power on the ranch portrays him as having the ability to have any man on the ranch lose their job. Furthermore, when Curley’s wife was conversing with Lennie in the barn and confided in him, she said: “Well, I ain’t
