Curley's Wife Passage Analysis

The passage chosen occurs towards the end of the novel, just as the readers and characters themselves truly believe that they may achieve the ‘american dream’, and appears to be the climatic point, as things drastically change after this point. John Steinbeck allows the readers to see a different side of the characters of both Lennie and Curley’s wife and in turn slightly change the reader’s views on them. The passage explores the theme of death, and how it can alter the way someone is perceived.

To being with, the setting of this passage is incredibly significant in regards to the themes attached to the characters. This passage takes place in a barn, a place of isolation and segregation. This symbolises the loneliness felt by Curley’s wife …show more content…
In life, death is a terrible thing that causes grief to most people, yet it seems as if Lennis does not understand this. In this section of the novella alone, he has accidentally killed Curley’s wife and a puppy, yet his response to this is not sadness but rather anxiety that George will be mad at him. This is seen through the quote “I shouldn’t of done that. George’ll be mad”, where he expresses how he feels after he realises Curley’s wife is not going to wake up. In addition, John Steinbeck describes death as beautiful and peaceful in this case. The language he uses to describe Curley’s wife when she is deceased, such as “pretty and simple” and “sweet and young”, give her the image of a sleeping beauty, a beautiful and kind woman. It is as though death has taken away all the negative qualities that were attached to her, such as manipulative and troublemaker, and left her to be remembered as a pure and innocent …show more content…
Lennie is the only character to speak in this passage. The dialogue makes it clear to the audience that his mood shifts from panic when he is attempting to get Curley’s wife to stop screaming, to calmness when she lays still on the floor, to panic once again when he realizes she is dead. Whilst Lennie is holding her, he is begging her to stop screaming for one reason and that is “George gonna say I done a bad thing. He ain’t gonna let me tend no rabbits.” This shows that Lennie does not understand the impact he is having on her and he is incapable of comprehending that if he lets go of her, she will stop screaming. Shortly after, the audience see a different side to Lennie than ever before in the novella. Lennie had never been described as having any negative emotion towards somebody else, yet in this section he became angry. “He shook her then, and he was angry with her.” Lennie then says something that sounds a little bit more like him. “I don't want ta hurt you”. When Lennie finally recognizes that she is dead he continually repeats the phrase “I done a bad thing.” It is clear that Lennie knows he has done something unforgivable and disastrous, yet it is unclear if Lennie has actually understood what that bad thing