Power Shift In Curley's Wife

The last pair of characters who experience a power shift is Curley’s wife and Lennie. At first Curley’s Wife has intellectual power over Lennie. One afternoon Lennie is in the barn and Curley’s wife walks in. Lennie tells her to go away because George would be mad if he finds out. Lennie says he won’t be able to tend the rabbits. Curley’s wife convinces Lennie to stay and talk to her because the guys are playing a horseshoe tournament outside and none of them would leave until it was over. Lennie is still uneasy and tells her to go but she changes the subject to his dog and Lennie talks to her even though he is not supposed to. She keeps him talking even though he isn’t supposed to. She tells Lennie about her dream to become a famous actress. She uses her power to keep Lennie talking and when he tries to talk “she went on with her story quickly before she should be interrupted(pg. 88) Lennie doesn’t want to talk to her because it could get him in trouble but she uses her superior intellect to keep

He says he like to pet soft thing so she invites him to touch her hair. He pets it too hard and she says to stop or he’ll mess it up. He keeps petting it and she tells him to stop again. In a panic, he holds on tighter and she starts screaming so Lennie goes into a panic and puts his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. He tells her to stop it or else he won’t get to tend the rabbits. She keeps trying to break free so he shakes her trying to shut her up. However he shakes her too hard and “she was still, for Lennie had broken her neck.” (pg. 91) Lennie now has physical power over her because he has broken her neck. Lennie was stronger than her so he was able to break her neck. Curley’s wife had intellectual power over Lennie but then when Lennie starts assaulting her she loses all of her power because he now has physical power over her. He has physical power over Curley’s