Curley’s wife is the most misunderstood character in the novel ‘Of Mice And Men’ this is clear when you study the book from her point of view. She is innocent, lonely and defensive in a way that readers see it as mean and tart. In real life we should not judge or exclude someone because of a first impression, yet that is exactly what happens in this book.
Curley’s wife is innocent and only wants someone to love her, for example, after she is killed, Steinbeck writes, 'The meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young'. The words Steinbeck uses in this quote, such as 'pretty' and 'sweet', show the reader how Curley's Wife …show more content…
This is especially shown in chapter 4 of the novel in a tense conversation between Curley's Wife, Candy, Crooks, and Lennie, as she snaps to Crooks, 'Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny'. Curley's Wife is portrayed as a mean character in many readers minds, but when Steinbeck was writing he was envisioning her to be hardened from her tough childhood, but innocent. When she is first introduced in the novel, she is meant to be a round character sort of like a candy, hard on the outside, soft on the inside. When she is first introduced into the novel aside from being flirtatious, she is actually very kind to George and Lennie. The two ranchers, on the other hand were not very nice in return which made the reader believe she was the antagonist right away. She also uses the offensive and hostile term 'nigger'. Although the other ranch workers have utilized this word too, the reader interprets that it is even more disrespectful when it comes from her because in the 1930s ladies were much inferior to men and should behave politely. But for every action there is a reaction, and others may interpret Curley's Wife's harsh words as her reaction to being judged and treated so badly by characters like Candy and George prior in the novel. Her words could also be interpreted as a « monkey see monkey do » scenario - if everyone in your surroundings are acting in a certain way, than surely some of the attitudes can rub off or influence you. Curley’s wife is therefore not a mean character in the novel and is only being influenced by
Curley’s wife is innocent and only wants someone to love her, for example, after she is killed, Steinbeck writes, 'The meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young'. The words Steinbeck uses in this quote, such as 'pretty' and 'sweet', show the reader how Curley's Wife …show more content…
This is especially shown in chapter 4 of the novel in a tense conversation between Curley's Wife, Candy, Crooks, and Lennie, as she snaps to Crooks, 'Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny'. Curley's Wife is portrayed as a mean character in many readers minds, but when Steinbeck was writing he was envisioning her to be hardened from her tough childhood, but innocent. When she is first introduced in the novel, she is meant to be a round character sort of like a candy, hard on the outside, soft on the inside. When she is first introduced into the novel aside from being flirtatious, she is actually very kind to George and Lennie. The two ranchers, on the other hand were not very nice in return which made the reader believe she was the antagonist right away. She also uses the offensive and hostile term 'nigger'. Although the other ranch workers have utilized this word too, the reader interprets that it is even more disrespectful when it comes from her because in the 1930s ladies were much inferior to men and should behave politely. But for every action there is a reaction, and others may interpret Curley's Wife's harsh words as her reaction to being judged and treated so badly by characters like Candy and George prior in the novel. Her words could also be interpreted as a « monkey see monkey do » scenario - if everyone in your surroundings are acting in a certain way, than surely some of the attitudes can rub off or influence you. Curley’s wife is therefore not a mean character in the novel and is only being influenced by