In the novel, Of mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Curley is a rude, quick-tempered, and self-centered man which shows how he is disliked by the people on the ranch. Curley is a rude person which Steinbeck uses to show how Curley is disliked. For example, when George and lennie just got hired, Curley almost immediately starts to be rude to them. "' By Christ, he's gotta talk when he's spoke to. well what the hell you gettin into it for.'(Steinbeck 25). Because of Curley yelling at George and Lennie without letting them speak shows that curley is a rude person. The fact that curley had also just met them and didn't let them respond after taking to them shows a sign of rudeness. Another example is when curley came into the bunkhouse around suppertime and interrupts George's conversation."'You seen a girl around here?' he demanded angrily. 'Well what the hell was she doin?"'(Steinbeck 37). this shows how curley doesn't care what others are doing and will rudely interrupt them for small reasons. Because Curley will interrupt people and act like he owns the place proves that Curley is rude. This proves how Curley is …show more content…
For instance, curley is about to quickly pick a fight against Lennie for laughing. "Come on, ya big bastard. get up on your feet. no son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I'll show ya who's yella"'.(Steinbeck 62).This shows that Curley didn't ask why Lennie was laughing and became quick tempered. this shows how curley is quick-tempered. Another example is when curley found his wife dead and wants to kill Lennie."'I'm gonna shoot the guts out of that big bastard myself, even if I only got one hand. I'm gonna get him."' (Steinbeck 98). This shows how Curley is quick tempered enough to try and kill Lennie because his wife is dead. this shows how Curley wanted to blame someone for his wife's death. Because of this Curley can be considered a quick-tempered
When Curley’s wife dies, Curley, rather than showing the reaction that would be expected of a man whose wife has just been killed. He does not appear to grieve at all in any way, barely looking at the body, or regarding the her death into his immediate future plans. Instead, his first thought is towards seeking revenge and hunting down Lennie. It is perhaps this moment in the novel which epitomises the way in which Curley is aggressive, nasty, and shows no concern
'Of Mice and Men' is based around two main themes; loneliness, and the fragility of dreams. Each main character connects with both of these themes at some stage throughout the novel. Curley's wife is no exception to this. At the beginning of the novel the reader views her as an unpleasant, naive and troublesome character. However, as the novel progresses, the reader is gradually exposed to another side of Curley's wife, one that suggests she is merely a
Curley’s wife is treated with very little respect because of the small amount of power she has, which depicts Steinbeck’s lesson that people with less power are treated differently and then go on to treat others unequally, as well. Curley’s wife has a flirty reputation and often goes to talk to the men on the ranch even though she knows she shouldn't be. Shortly after Lennie and George are first introduced to Curley’s wife, George remarks, “Gosh, she was purty.” George is shocked and fiercely tells Lennie, “Don't you even take a look at that bitch. I don't care what she says and what she does. I seen ‘em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be”(Steinbeck 32). Lennie’s initial reaction of Curley’s wife is not uncommon for the lack of intelligence he has. George’s fierce attitude toward Curley’s wife when he calls her
Finally, John Steinbeck shows off the bullying and meanness as intentional and contrasts it to Lennie’s unintentional meanness, such as when he hurts the puppy (pg 85), the mouse (pg 5), and kills Curley’s wife (pg 91). When Curley wants to fight it is intentional and violent. George explains Lennie’s violence when he says that Lennie "never done it in meanness" (pg 104). Lennie kills because he does not know his own strength – he cuddles or loves to hard. Also, he panics and reacts without thought, such as when he pulled the woman’s dress. (pg 41) Also, showing a contrast in motive is that Lennie is so upset by what he has done, especially to Curley’s wife. He is the only one who shows real remorse.
And if he feels like someone is fooling around or making any funny gestures about it he takes a punkish role just because of his sense of power he has from his never appearing father (this gets his in trouble of course when he tried to fight Lennie, who proceeded to crush his hand). Curleys wife’s insecurity and longing for attention of course gets her kill and ultimately Lennie killed.
This displays Curley asserting his dominance over Lennie as he feels threatened by his height. It can be seen throughout the book that Curley’s body language towards Lennie and the other men taller than Curley is a dominant show of force to the other men to assert his authority over them.
The final part of this answer is the predator that lies within Curley’s wife, the one that preys on other’s disadvantages. This is shown in many scenes, where she takes advantage of Lennie’s mental instability
Steinbeck uses the character’s effect on others to show oppression. In a conversation with George and Lennie, George says, “‘Jesus, what a tramp,’ he said. ‘So that’s what Curley picks for a wife’” (Steinbeck 32). This conversation shows what affect Curley’s wife has on George. The impression that she is a “tramp” shows the kind of oppression that Curley’s wife faces. In another conversation between George and Lennie, George tells Lennie, “... You get in trouble. You do bad things and I got to get you out” (11). This displays Lennie’s affect on George and how it can be degrading to Lennie because he can’t help the fact that he has a mental disability. This can prove that Lennie is being oppressed by George. The effect on the other characters help the readers see the oppression that the characters face.
The reader sees fleeting glances of his insecurities, such as when he runs into the bunkhouse, demanding, “Any you guys seen my wife?”, for as much as Curley may brag about it, his wife is hardly ever by his side (Steinbeck 53). Curley lacks self-confidence, and must bully the other workers to raise his own self-esteem. Picking fights with other men, which is the one thing that saves Curley from his internal lack of confidence, also causes his demise: “Lennie grabs his entire fist in mid-swing, stopping him, and then proceeds to crush Curley's hand” (Bloom). His hand, which he used to beat others, was his only savior, and now Lennie has crushed it, which disables Curley even more and pushes him further away from the tall, confident, masculine fighter he wishes to be. His loneliness stems from insecurity, and his disabilities cause that insecurity.
star, but she has to stay on the ranch on "Sat'iday night" and talk to
Curley's wife is cast out because she is a woman. Curley watches over her carefully since she is his wife and the only woman on the farm. Curley does not allow his wife to converse with the other workers because he is afraid she will be unfaithful. She complains that individually, the men are generally nice, but in groups, they shun her and are sometimes cruel. Since Curley's wife is oppressed, she lashes out at a target that is weaker than she is, which is usually Crooks. He does the same.
One character in the story does not even have a name: Curley’s wife. Steinbeck illustrates her as someone who is a pawn of those around her. On the surface, she is reduced to a rude and selfish woman. But, if one looks deeper, Curley’s wife’s gender and class hinder her high aspirations and reduces her to ridicule. Her husband restricts her contact with others and does not show any affection towards her. She reveals this while
In the novella Of Mice and Men. George refers to Curley's Wife as a tramp. In some respects, both George and Curley’s wife could be considered a tramp. The exact definition of tramp is “A person who travels from place to place on foot.” Curley’s Wife could be seen this way because George thinks that she is traveling from man to man, flirting with everyone.
Curley lives his life with bravado and aggression which may lead people to believe that he is confident when in fact he is unconfident. His bravado and aggression does not mean he’s confident. Curley acts aggressively because he is insecure. Curley is described by Steinbeck
Curley's wife on the other hand is rude without excuse. " `Listen, Nigger' , she said. `You know what I can do to you if you open you trap'" She abuses her position and has no respect for him at all, she doesn't even refer to him by his name, looking down on him with utter contempt and disdain. It is attitudes like hers that have turned him into the bitter man he has become – "Crooks had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego-nothing to arouse either like or dislike"