The Outsider (Of Mice and Men)

George, especially foreshadows future problems between Lennie and Curley’s wife because Lennie got into trouble in Weed from trying to touch a lady wearing a red dress. As the story progresses, we learn more about Curley’s wife. We learn that her husband does not trust her with the other ranch workers, being isolated from the community in the ranch and because of that, must feel really despondent and alone. Curley’s wife is given a reputation of creating trouble between the different characters in the novel.

Most of the men in the ranch rarely sees females, only recognizing females who go to town to a “whore-house”. This then reveals the stereotypical view on women as that of a “whore”. Curley’s wife states “I never get to talk to anyone. I get awful lonely”. This shows that being the only female leaves her with the lack of companionship especially when she is being disliked by other characters in the novel and not being truly loved by her husband.

There is no mutual trust between Curley and his wife, as we see that he starts a fight when he thinks that there was something going on between his wife and Slim.

We also learn the prejudice side of her when she goes to Crooks’ door on the Saturday night where everyone goes to town. From this we see the bitterness and seclusion in her. She knows that Curley has gone out to town, and this is when we get to see the reality of her life on the ranch.

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She enters Crooks’ room with the excuse of looking for Curley to talk to him, Lennie and Candy. When Crooks suggests that she “go(es) along to your (her) own house” and that they didn’t “want no trouble”, she tries to convince them to talk to her and expresses her loneliness. “Well, I ain’t giving you no trouble.

Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time? “This then draws the reader’s sympathy towards her as we realize how forlorn she is, even being ostracized by Crooks, a Negro. However, the sympathy we have for her soon becomes washed away when she reveals the cruel side of her, intimidating people with her status. When Crooks told her to leave the room for the 2nd time, she gets angry and shows the contemptuousness she feels for Crooks, Lennie, and Candy, referring them as a “nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep”.

The situation worsens when she also threatens and reminds Crooks of his status as a Negro, removing Crooks’ pride and dignity, when he dares to demand her to leave his room. “Listen, Nigger, You know what I can do to you if you open your trap? ” This then causes the reader to recognize both the lonesome and malevolent side of her. She also mocks and puts people down when it comes to the dreams of other people. “I seen too many of you guys. ” Dreams are a major reoccurring theme in the novel “Of Mice and Men”. When Lennie tells Curley’s wife of his and George’s dream, she mocks them saying its “Baloney”.

However, we then find out that she has a dream of her own, revealing the ambitious side of her. She indulges in a different fantasy, far less likely of fulfillment. As many young women do, she aspires to stardom in films. She claims to have met an actor when she was 15, and was being told that she was a natural in acting, but her mother forbade her to pursue her dream. This is shown when she says “Well, a show come through, an’ I met one of the actors. He says I could go with that show. But my ol’ lady wouldn’ let me. She says because I was on’y fifteen. But the guy says I coulda.

If I’d went, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet. ” From this it shows how unsatisfied she is with her mother’s decision and how she really wished she had been able to pursue her dream. She thinks her talent is merely waiting for an opportunity and that her mother has stolen the letter which represents her chance for fame. Steinbeck describes precisely “the small grand gesture” with which she demonstrates to Lennie her supposed talent. This shows how nai?? ve she is to believe that her mother has stolen her contract, which was obviously never written.

When she received no letter from the actor, she married Curley. However, she has always wanted to make some accomplishments and loved attention. Throughout the novel she constantly wanders around the ranch, creating trouble. When she was killed by Lennie, her dreams ended. Lennie, Candy and Curley’s wife were not capable of having their dreams come true but stayed hopeful. From the many incidents that the characters in the novel encounter, it is shown how big dreams often cause tragedies and are sometimes unrealistic. In the novel as a whole, she is represented as the marginalized and disempowered part of society.

She uses her status and power to intimidate people in the ranch. Overall, Curley’s wife is presented as a flirtatious, lonely young woman who is very discontented with life. Readers who read the book would evoke sympathy for her because of her sad situation and cruel husband, but also dislike her because of her flirtatious and mean attitude. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.