Who Is Curley's Wife

In the book, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the character Lennis is a big, tall man who is described as a "big baby" because he has a mental condition that makes him act childish. The character referred to as Curley 's wife, is a petite and pretty lady. She is known to be a troublemaker and does not act the way a "normal" wife would. Although the two characters are very different, they share the feeling of being left out and alone. Often, Lennie feels left out due to his condition; he is told not to talk by George, but most people do not talk to him anyhow. Not conversing with people can cause Lennie to feel left out because he does not get to interact with the people he works and lives with. George tells Lennie not talk to the boss because

Similarly to Lennie, Curley’s wife also feels left out and different from everyone else. She is not considered a “normal” wife, or have a “normal” hope for her future. Most people during this time hoped to get married and become a housewife; Curley 's wife aspired to be an actress and only married Curley when it did not work out. Curley’s wife told Lennie, “I ast her if she stole it, too, an’ she said no. So I married Curley (Steinbeck 88).” She thought her mom had stole the letter she was waiting for from an agent who could get her into her career; she assumed her mom stole it because she thought her mom would have wanted her daughter to do what “normal” women do. Also, she is not considered a “normal” wife; “normal” for that time meant she was supposed to stay inside and do chores and cook. Instead, she goes around, talks to the men working and hides from her husband. Curley’s wife is lonely because no one talks to her to prevent trouble. George said to Lennie, “well, you keep away from her, ‘cause she’s a rat trap if I’ve ever seen one (Steinbeck 32).”

Undoubtedly, the two characters Lennie and Curley’s are very contrasting characters; nonetheless they both share the feeling of being different and alone. Lennie is different due to his mental condition and Curley’s wife is different because she does not act like other women do. Lennie cannot control his mental condition and Curley’s wife cannot help her desires; therefore although they feel different, there is nothing