Jeanne Elliott
English 11
Lutrell
February 5th, 2018
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men, chronicles the life of the main characters George and Lennie. George is a poor man who jumps from job to job alongside Lennie, a mentally handicapped character. Travelling with just one another they arrive to a new job on a farm in Soledad, California. Through their storyline they establish the theme of the American Dream during the Great Depression (1930’s). However, secondary characters are carefully threaded into the storyline to heighten the particular theme. These characters all suffer from their own disenfranchisement whether it’s being poor or being segregated, ruining their chance to obtain the American Dream. Curely’s wife is one …show more content…
Steinbeck sets up Curely’s wife as a tramp that solely lives to seek the attention of all the men. Through her body language, “she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe,” (31) the men begin to judge and create their own opinions about the motives of this woman. She does not leave the grounds of this ranch yet she would not be caught without being heavily made up, red fingernails and her hair hung in rolled clusters (31). This characterization of her character leads the men to further dehumanize her. Lennie commented to George about how pretty Curely’s wife was after she came in for the first time and George angrily snapped back, “Don’t you even take a look at that bitch… I seen em’ poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her…” (32) George came to the conclusion that she was just looking for trouble because of the sexualized nature Steinbeck gave her character. Making her just a piece of jailbait not even a human. However, George said he never seen one worse than her denoting that ALL women are just in fact jailbait as well. Not only that he says she is poisonous and gets men in trouble, as if it is all her fault that men want her. This demonstrates that men have no control of their own actions. Society as a whole believes women should control themselves so men don’t have to. Although all the men see her as nothing more than a beautiful and deceitful face, she does not see herself that way. In chapter 5 it is revealed to the reader her personal motives and
English 11
Lutrell
February 5th, 2018
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck’s, Of Mice and Men, chronicles the life of the main characters George and Lennie. George is a poor man who jumps from job to job alongside Lennie, a mentally handicapped character. Travelling with just one another they arrive to a new job on a farm in Soledad, California. Through their storyline they establish the theme of the American Dream during the Great Depression (1930’s). However, secondary characters are carefully threaded into the storyline to heighten the particular theme. These characters all suffer from their own disenfranchisement whether it’s being poor or being segregated, ruining their chance to obtain the American Dream. Curely’s wife is one …show more content…
Steinbeck sets up Curely’s wife as a tramp that solely lives to seek the attention of all the men. Through her body language, “she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the doorframe,” (31) the men begin to judge and create their own opinions about the motives of this woman. She does not leave the grounds of this ranch yet she would not be caught without being heavily made up, red fingernails and her hair hung in rolled clusters (31). This characterization of her character leads the men to further dehumanize her. Lennie commented to George about how pretty Curely’s wife was after she came in for the first time and George angrily snapped back, “Don’t you even take a look at that bitch… I seen em’ poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her…” (32) George came to the conclusion that she was just looking for trouble because of the sexualized nature Steinbeck gave her character. Making her just a piece of jailbait not even a human. However, George said he never seen one worse than her denoting that ALL women are just in fact jailbait as well. Not only that he says she is poisonous and gets men in trouble, as if it is all her fault that men want her. This demonstrates that men have no control of their own actions. Society as a whole believes women should control themselves so men don’t have to. Although all the men see her as nothing more than a beautiful and deceitful face, she does not see herself that way. In chapter 5 it is revealed to the reader her personal motives and