why was curley's wife dream important to her

We see her loneliness when she wanders across some of the men. John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in order to express his social views about America in the 1930s, focusing throughout the book on the themes of the predatory nature of human existence, the loneliness and the urge for companionship and finally the impossibility of the American dream (Americas ethos that with hard work your dreams can come true). She is seen as always looking for trouble and flirting with the men on the ranch, Well she got the eye, this makes the other ranch workers wary of her, as they do not want to anger Curley due to his status on the ranch. She symbolises the reflection of the American Dream in turmoil at the time of the Great Depression, where everyones dreams of a better life never came to reality, including George and Lennies. Steinbeck used his personal experiences heavily to represent the characters on the ranch. As she talks to Lennie, she hurries through what she has to say, before her listener could be taken away, truly showing her desperation for interaction and companionship. In truth she is as pathetic as the men who sit before her, as she seeks out the sources of their weakness and enjoys elevating herself by putting others down. Discuss and Explain Your Own Impression of Curleys Wife.

With a dull relationship with her husband and as the only woman on the ranch, her life is lonely.

Standin here talkin to a bunch of bindle stiffs because they aint nobody else. Everyone on the ranch sees her as trouble, even her husband. This material is available only on Freebooksummary, We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. She also overcomes her insecurity by covering herself up through the way she expresses herself publicly, masking her true identity and emotions. In the writing after her death Steinbeck places a measure of blame on Curelys Wife for her own death. This part of the novel demonstrates her humanity and shows the reader she has her own ambitions. Steinbeck illustrates perfectly the atmosphere of abuse and disregard that perhaps led her to misbehave in the first place. During this time America was facing its second economical recession in 8 years causing the population to lose full confidence in its recovery. Thus she leads him on. Curleys wife shortly appears and insists on talking with Lennie, this ensues to Lennie stroking her hair, which leads to the destruction of all of Lennies dreams and Curleys wifes death. The workers perceive her as jailbait and tart. In addition she is accused of dressing like a whore, affirming she is open to revealing herself to others, strongly demonstrating her desperation to be noticed. This leads to quick and unfair judgments of her character when in fact she just wants someone to talk to as a result of her isolation on the ranch.She is very misunderstood and this contributes extensively to why she is disliked on the farm. Curleys wife also blames others for the failure of her aspirations, particularly her mother, My ol lady wouldnt let me If Id went I wouldnt be livin like this you bet. Ultimately, Curleys wifes dream revolves around what her life could have been and what she still intends it to be. In this period, mainly all migrants were dependent on their dreams and personal needs to get through in a time of complete isolation and poverty. She refuses to accept her dream has no chance of happening as she states maybe I will yet. This is heavily interlinked with the novel when George, Lennie and even Curleys wifes dreams never come to fruition. She then laughs up the idea of George and Lennies dream, before responding to Crooks request of her leaving the room by telling him I could get you strung up to a tree so easy. The word weak is closely related to the scene as Curleys wife ruthless and threatening behavior highlights the bleak and harsh nature of society where the weak attacks the weaker. On the other hand, the fact Curleys wife is not given a name indicates that Curley sees her as a possession, and displays how women were oppressed during the post modern era. In the novel, Of Mice and Men, the author, John Steinbeck bases the book on personal experiences of his own. The characters used in the novel help represent every level of society and Curleys wife is an important part of the novel as she represents all the main themes in the book. Also, she uses evocative and amorous body language, she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward. She tempts Lennie into touching her hair, this could be interpreted as a sexual advance. Red, the colour of her makeup and the way she presents herself suggests some sexuality. In a better world, Crooks, Lennie, and even Curleys wifes differences for which society considers them inferior, would bring them together. However truthful these complaints may be, her seductive figure in the scene leads to her death. Although the point has some validity as Steinbeck once wrote, she is a nice girl and not a floozy. She was a kind-hearted girl who had been mistreated all her life along with constant negative life experiences including her dream being crushed which contributed largely to how she acted throughout the novel. She behaves in this manner because her sexuality is her only weapon to gain attention, which she craves due to the solitude of her marriage. Some would argue though, she feels empowerment when she is the centre of attention, which in turn boosts her confidence and her sense of existence helping her feel her life has a sense of purpose. Steinbeck cleverly reinforces the power of the Jim Crow laws in this section too. As she lays motionless in the barn, Candy begins cursing at her dead body, calling her a, tart, and a, tramp. Even her own husband fails to sadden in her death and is seen nothing more than a scapegoat by George and Candy. The fact that Curleys wife wishes always contain a link to men, highlights the male dominated society in which she resides and her dependency upon them as a woman hoping for a better life. Of Mice and Men: in a Letter .John Steinbeck Wrote of Curleys Wife: Shes a Nice Girl and Not a Floozy. Furthermore, she puts the offer forward by complaining of loneliness and dissatisfaction in her marriage. The story presents a bleak view of the motivations behind the actions of humanity, which is supported by Curleys wifes behaviour towards others in the story. No one has time to read them all, but its important to go over them at least briefly. Curleys wife threatens Crooks life and there is nothing he can do about it, emphasising the unfairness of society in that generation likewise we see Curleys Wife manipulative side as she uses anything she can get to her advantage. This intriguing and emotive story is a genuine reflection of American society painted by Steinbeck, who wrote this novel in 1937. Lennie and George then meet Curleys wife and Lennie is mesmerised by her features. Curleys wife displays extreme vulnerability in this section of the novel, willingly confessing her loneliness and unhappy marriage. Essay on Curleys Wife of Mice and Men John Steinbeck. She instead perceives his conflict with her husband as simply her husbands rival and a harmless admire. We see an ignorant approach and attitude towards her dream, I coulda made something of myself. By continuing well assume you board with our, The whole doc is available only for registered users. As she enters the room, she immediately attacks Lennie, Crooks and Candy, They left all the weak ones here. Steinbecks description of Curleys wifes corpse is that in death she finally found her peace but only when the trials and tribulations of living in an anti feminist society were free from her soul did we then begin to see her inner beauty. She is unable to apprehend the danger and vicious power of Lennie despite the evidence of her husbands disfigured hand. Overall, her flirtatious attitude can be seen as her way of keeping a form of interaction and coping with the reality that her dream of being an actress will never come true. The story of Curleys Wife and the other main characters help portray a microcosm of society in the ranch, each particular character helps represent different groups of society. Luckily, FreeBookSummary offers study guides on over 1000 top books from students curricula! How about getting full access immediately? Crooks portraying the effects of racism, Lennie living in a world not fit for the mentally impaired and Curleys wife reflecting women Oppression.Overall Steinbeck ideas and concepts involving women are expressed through Curleys wife. Continuing on, Steinbeck describes Curleys Wife as having more life and beauty after her death, the meanness and the plannings.. and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. ' Curleys wife uses her dream as an escape from her loveless marriage and miserable life; she is deluded that her dream may come to plan and hopes she can still have a better life. In the novel, Curley is constantly questioning where his wife is, suggesting to us that their relationship has trust issues. The final time we encounter her corpse we can fully realise the anti feminist portrayal of Curleys wife emphasised by the ranch workers.

We see the emotional effects the laws on a coloured man and the complete power whites had during that era. In section 4 of the novel, Curleys wife enters Crooks room and displays a vicious and authoritative figure. During the Great Depression, Steinbeck encountered many migrant workers and learnt of the daily hardships ranch workers had to face. As all characters have their hopes and aspirations taken away from them it can be seen as Steinbeck interpretation of the overwhelming and gloomy feeling of an American society in doubt of ever seeing a better future and life. Steinbeck grew up and worked on a ranch in Soledad close to where the book is set. She both talks and acts playfully with the other ranch workers. The title Of Mice and Men was chosen from a poem by Scottish poet Robert Burns, the poem summarises how the best laid out schemes do not always prevail. She says, What am I doin?

On the ranch, however, they are opposed against each other. We first acknowledge Curleys wife when the workers on the ranch give their opinion of her to George and Lennie. In the later stages of the novel, Curleys wife finally begins to open herself up. The average student has to read dozens of books per year. Throughout the novel, the other ranch workers present her as a tramp and a temptress, always looking to cause some trouble.

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