Curley's Wife Dominance

Despite being the only female on a ranch full of foul-mouthed men, Curley’s wife exploits both her sexuality and her status to demonstrate power throughout the novel. After Candy said that Curley’s wife was a tart, she walked in and stood in the doorway, her stature displaying her body for all to see, showing off her assets; “She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward.” (31) In this scene, Curley’s wife shows her dominance, simply in the way she stands whilst speaking to the men. Angling her body to appeal the them, the men do not flirt back with Curley’s wife, but at the same time, they do not look away from her body: keeping their attention on her. When all eyes are on Curley’s wife she is in control so she tries to keep the men entertained for as long as she can. …show more content…
I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” (81) In this case, Curley’s wife responds cruelly to Crooks making him revert back into