Portrayal of Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men

Of Mice and Men is a novel written by John Steinbeck, set in California in the early 1900s, during the Great Depression. At this moment of the novel, Curley's wife is introduced for the first time, and Steinbeck describes the atmosphere and reactions of Lennie and George upon seeing her. This essay will explore in detail the ways in which Steinbeck portrays the different feelings of the reader about Curley's Wife through the use of vivid imagery, characterization, metaphors, comparisons, and its themes showing how it was to be a woman at that time.

Discomfort

To start with, one of the main feelings Steinbeck generates in the reader is discomfort. Through the use of characterization, Steinbeck introduces Curley's Wife with 'rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers'. The author is presenting the only woman on the farm by describing her makeup and outfit, giving readers an impression of a 'tramp'. There is great emphasis on the 'red' color, which is given in different languages - 'rouge', red in French - which we can associate with love and passion. Hence, portraying this image of a woman who does not fit in the farm just by the way she is dressed. In addition, Steinbeck describes Curley's Wife's gestures and movements: 'She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door-frame so that her body was thrown forward'. This seductive behavior in front of lonely men, and she being the only woman in that place, makes her be seen as a prostitute by the other characters and therefore, reinforcing the feeling of discomfort among readers.

Disappointment

Another feeling that Steinbeck induces in readers is disappointment. This can be seen through the theme of discrimination in which women are treated as objects, as belongings. From the moment one of the main characters is not given a name, she is always referred to as 'Curley's wife', the author portrays that she has no identity, she is no one, she only belongs to her husband. Moreover, discrimination is clearly shown when Steinbeck compares her to 'jail-bait'. This metaphor portrays the role some women had at those times and also gives her a significance of a meal for men. In addition, 'Lennie's eyes moved down over her body', also reinforces the idea of women as a seductive object. All in all, this feeling of disappointment is created on how the author placed the stereotype of women, how they were treated, and how society saw them at that time.

Loneliness

The reader also feels sorry for Curley's Wife because of the loneliness this woman suffers. By being the only woman on the farm, she is always trying to call men's attention and to seduce them because she is trying to be accepted by everyone. Curley does not really give her all the attention she needs and demands, and that is one of the main reasons for her way to seduce everyone on the farm. As everyone tries to avoid her and no one cares about her, it makes her feel more lonely and sad, 'I don't care of what she says or what she does'. As she is described as a 'bitch', it reinforces the idea of women being seductive; she is trying to have everyone's eyes on her, and by this, discrimination is one of the most important themes of this novel.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Steinbeck vividly portrays the powerful feelings of pity, disappointment, and discomfort by introducing Curley's wife to the novel.