Characterization: Curley’s Wife in Of Mice And Men Essay

With colorful statements like “She had full, rouged lip area and wide-spaced eyes, intensely made up. Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled groupings, like meat. She put on a natural cotton dress and red mules, on the insteps of which had been little arrangements of red ostrich feathers” (John Steinbeck, 31), Curley’s wife is one of the more strongly portrayed heroes in Of Mice and Men. Though Steinbeck leaves almost nothing towards the imagination regarding this woman, this individual chooses to consistently consider her because ‘Curley’s Wife’ rather than providing her a name or possibly a nickname just like he has done with a lot of the other personas.

Through roundabout and direct characterization you discovers that woman was not simply a ticket to trouble such as the workers on her father-in-law’s hacienda believed, but a girl caught up in a life where she didn’t belong. Curley’s partner, who was amazingly lonely, was always ‘heavily made up’ even when she lived for the ranch where George and Lennie worked well. Although generally she was thought of as a floozy, her talk with Lennie revealed that the lady was used to the high life. When her parents forbade her to go in to the acting organization, as the girl so wanted, she committed Curley, the first gentleman who offered her something other than stardom, in order to get far from her overbearing family (Steinbeck, 88).

Though because of this decision she was forced to use her existence on a hacienda full of underclass workers, the lady still enjoyed to make very little up to continuously remind himself that the lady had experienced the potential being something better. To her, putting on a costume and showing off her products was a mark of position, something setting her apart from the rest of the reduced class, which usually, even today, is definitely not much different. Fashion magazines, tv, and the standard media still lead the general public to believe that style immediately connects towards the amount of wealth or power somebody has.

When fashion trends alter by the day, it is generally thought that from wealth to sophistication is definitely shown once someone has the capacity to keep up with all of them (Appendix A). Curley’s better half considered constantly looking look great as a constant reminder that she experienced once recently been considered sufficient to go in the movie organization and could have already been something a lot better than the boss’s son’s better half. Another reason Curley’s wife was constantly made and wondering around the hacienda was that your woman was lonesome.

With Curley always absent and having nothing in accordance with her, she acquired no one to keep her company and was forced to look for attention among the list of workers, who long since learned to hold away from the boss’s daughter-in-law. “‘Funny thing, ‘ she stated. ‘If I catch anyone man, and he’s alone, I go along fine with him. Although just let two of the guys event an’ you won’t talk. Jus’ simply mad'” (Steinbeck, 77).

Even though Curley was very over-protective of his wife, this individual didn’t often her requires so the girl moseyed around looking for some thing to do or perhaps someone to speak to during the day. And even though all your woman wanted was your attention Curley didn’t offer her, the men in the hacienda knew that talking to her would simply lead to difficulties. “Well, We aint providing you with no trouble. Believe I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?

Believe I like to hang in there the house alla time? ‘” Curley’s partner had each of the spare time in the world, and spends it making herself seem as good as she can (Appendix B) and flaunts her body to anyone who can look. She anxiously seeks focus and acknowledgment that she’s still got the looks that captivated all sorts of males to her before. Steinbeck chose not to provide Curley’s wife a real brand because the lady was hardly ever able to generate a brand for their self; she was forced in a life where she was confined and unable to follow her genuine dreams.

The girl obviously wasn’t happy with her life living inside Curley’s ranch; your woman wasn’t meant to be the typical girl of that time who stays on at home undertaking the cooking and cleaning for her hubby. “…’Well, a show came through, an’ I attained one of the celebrities. He says I could go with that show. Although my ol’ lady wouldn’ let me. States because I used to be on’y fifteen'”(Steinbeck, 88). Curley’s wife anxiously tries to demonstrate Lennie that she was better than this kind of ranch; that she wasn’t common such as the rest of the persons there and that it was by simply fault that she was living wherever she was now.

She needed to leave that hacienda and follow her dreams now that she was old enough to make her own decisions. She needed a ticketed out of the city thus she can go to Showmanship and generate a name for himself (Appendix C). Although Curly’s wife’s personality was portrayed completely by simply John Steinbeck, she was never given a full term because her character isn’t full. The girl was lacking something; your woman wasn’t in her rightful place.

Curley’s wife wasn’t meant to live her lifestyle on the farm, and her character wasn’t completed as a result of it. Steinbeck showed this the only tangible way this individual could, together with the lack of a name on her behalf. She wasn’t like the rest of the people around the ranch, which has a name or nickname; the lady was termed as ‘Curley’s Wife’.

She stood out by fact that the girl was the simply woman within the ranch, she was the only one who attired to impress, and she was your only person without a complete name. She didn’t belong and if she had were living she hardly ever would.