Her and Lennie as he acts like a child and likes to feel soft things. Steinbeck's initial portrayal of Curley's wife shows her to be a mean and seductive temptress. George goes to the bunkhouse. she says Well, a show come through, and I met one of the actors. She consoles him, and starts to talk. Curley's wife says he can get another one. Curly's wife married him because she wanted to escape her mother. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. Curley's wife comes by the bunkhouse and does a bit of flirting with George, Lennie, and any other males within viewing range. One is Aunt Clara who scolds Lennie for letting George down and not listening to him. Carlson follows Curley out of the barn, going for his Luger. What happened to lennies puppy? George and Candy call her by other names such as "jailbait" or "tart." She wears too much makeup and dresses like a "whore" with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Curley's Wife Flashcards | Quizlet My feelings about her throughout the book did not change, I didnt like her at all from the beginning. Curley's wife did not know that day in the barn would be her last. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. Latest answer posted August 09, 2017 at 8:49:59 AM. Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, takes place during the time of The Great Depression; an era extremely difficult for women. She also states that the reason for her current life is that In the first chapter of Of Mice and Men, what does George say to Lennie about how his life could be better without him? . Lennie is crying because he has killed his puppy. He will do whatever George tells him to: "Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie's hand". In chapter five, George suggests to put Lennie in jail, but Slim, a jerkline skinner, quickly shot that down by saying that it would not be right if he was strapped down, and locked up in a cage, (5,9). I chose Curley, George, and Curleys wife , because I thought they were the most interesting characters in this book. She wasnt aware that being friendly and kind would take a turn for the worse. In the book Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there are some characters who are good, and some who are bad. This quote shows that George is killing Lennie for Lennies own good. In order to prove that society makes it impossible for certain people to attain The American Dream, Steinbeck objectifies, sexualizes, and kills Curleys wife to show that women cannot reach The American Dream. The text states, "'That big son-of-a-bitch done it. "tend them rabits" if he talks to her. Lennie experiences two visions in this last scene. I chose Curley for no empathy because, Curley didnt care about anyone except for his wife, and I think that Curley didnt even care about her wife, it was just lust. Lennie begins to feel her hair and likes it very much indeed, which leads him to pet it too hard. Summary and Analysis She starts to wish that she would have lived somewhere else and became an actress. And then about a year later when Lennie accidentally killed Curleys wife, the whole farm was after him. Many of the male characters on the ranch feel threatened by her, calling her jailbait because she is flirtatious. Lennie becomes angry with Curley's wife because he is afraid she will tell the other men that he touched her and he will get in trouble. Everything that George did or tried to do was always influenced by Lennies wellbeing. Candy says they need to let Lennie get away because Curley will lynch him, but George realizes how hopeless escape would be. Curley's Wife Loneliness - 1469 Words | 123 Help Me Curleys wife is introduced just like any other; however, the emphasis on her feminine features are metaphoric to where women stand in society. Lennie observes that he has "done a bad thing" (100) and covers her body with hay. Although Lennie is the one who physically kills Curley's wife, Of Mice and Men consistently shows that Lennie is not to blame for her death. He does not take responsibility for being too rough with the puppy and begins to worry about Georges reaction. She insists that she could have been an actress. Curley's wife observes that Lennie is "[j]us' like a big baby" (99) and invites him to stroke her soft hair. George knows that he has to kill Lennie in order to protect him. When Lennie is holding the dead puppy, he looks at it and says, You aint so little as mice. Why does Lennie kill Curley's wife? Also I believe that Curley's wife obviously knows that Lennie broke Curley's hand and therefore that shows that Lennie is shown as powerful and I think that Curley's wife likes a powerful man and finds that attractive hence the reason why she chose Curley to marry in the first place as he's quite powerful as we know. Of Mice and Men is about the American Dream, Of Mice and Men is about the loss of innocence, George and Lennie's dream of owning a farm, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-does-curleys-wifes-death-symbolise-mice-men-284566. When she begins to scream, Lennie covers her mouth with his hand. Of Mice And Men Curley's Wife Character Analysis | ipl.org She told Lennie that she didn't like Curley and that she had had other opportunities to go places and make something of herself, but she couldn't take advantage of them, so she married Curley as the next most likely way to get out of her hometown. Lennie tries not to be drawn into a conversation with Curley's Wife, and tells her it's because "George says you'll get us in a mess." Both of them start to talk, and Curley's wife launches into a discussion of her own failed . Curley's wife is the only female character who is directly featured in the novel. companionshipt with Lennie. When she continues to struggle, Lennie grows angry. George has no responsibility to take care of Lennie, yet George is willing to do anything for Lennie. He can't stop but she wants him to stop and she screams. When she continues to struggle, Lennie grows angry. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. What does the title Of Mice and Men mean? 2022 - 2023 Times Mojo - All Rights Reserved Not affiliated with Harvard College. Curleys wife explains that she hates Curley because he spends all his time sayin what hes gonna do to guys he dont like, and her marital dissatisfaction manifests as flirtatiousness with the other men on the ranch. Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife by shaking and breaking her neck. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. Curley's wife is lonely, Lennie is mentally slow, Candy is old and without a right hand, and Crooks is black in a sad time when that is not extremely acceptable. OMAM Chapter 5 Story Questions Flashcards | Quizlet She starts to regret living there because of the way they treat her. In fact, Curley's wife leads to all of the trouble Lennie has on the ranch. Curley's wife, like the other players in the drama, is simply a character type and the only woman in the plot. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. Picking up the dead pup, he leaves to go to the hiding place. He goes out and gets George, who asks him to give him a couple of minutes so the other men don't think he was involved. What happened to Lennie's puppy? In Chapter 5, Lennie is sitting alone until Curley's wife enters. This one dream has influenced George by so much that it began to take most of his freedom, and in the process, becoming an aspect of his life. Well, I can go away, said Lennie. Lennie's worst enemy is his own strength. How far do you agree with He thinks that Curleys wife. And it's her who. and that times women were treted not as they are treated now .She Lennie easily lets down his guard. Lennie is physically very strong (so his name is ironic), but cannot control himself, leading to escalating acts of accidental violence through the book. George shot him in the temple of his head for a quick and painless death. Even Lennie is guilty of crimes and petty cruelty, and no one is above being awful to others. This is largely due to his intellectual disability, which makes it difficult for him to understand other people or anticipate the consequences of his actions. Why did curleys wife come to see Lennie? - Answers Lennies death paralleled Candys dogs death because they were both considered burdens. He tells Candy to give him a minute to go to the bunkhouse before telling the other men; then George will come along as though he had not already seen Curley's wife. out of anger she blamed her mother and hastily rushed into a In the barn scene, however, Steinbeck softens the reader's reaction to Curley's wife by exploring her dreams. Her death at Lennie's hands means the end of George and Lennie's companionship and their dream. And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face. 2 Pages. She starts talking to Lennie and then lets him touch her hair because it is soft. George looks after Lennie by preventing him from getting into trouble. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. First, Curley's wife insists on talking with Lennie even after he warns her that he "ain't supposed to" because "George's scared [he'll] get in trouble." Then Curley's wife invites Lennie to pet her soft hair, but when he gets too rough, she " jerked her head sideways, and Lennie's fingers closed on her hair and hung on As she tries to get her hair away from Lennie, he becomes scared and holds on more tightly. Removing #book# He made Lennie think that their dreams could come true to make him happy, even though George knew that it wasn't possible. she tells him she lost her virginity at the age of 15. Curleys wife states I tell you I aint used to livin like this, I coulda made somethin of myself. (Steinbeck 88). When he first meets her, he says that she is "purty," and then soon thereafter says, "Gosh, she was purty.". In the letter, Steinbeck explains the character from his perspective. Upon meeting Curly's wife, Lennie is immediately attracted to her, calling her "purty." George is immediately alarmed by this, and with uncharacteristic vehemence, he instructs Lennie to. Why did Curley's wife come to see Lennie in Chapter 5 of - eNotes Why was the decision Roe v. Wade important for feminists? Someone once said, A villain is just a victim whose story hasnt been told. The character known as Curleys Wife in Of Mice and Men is portrayed in John Steinbecks writing as an antagonist. He then, at her invitation, starts stroking her hair, commenting "that's nice," before he accidentally breaks her neck after she starts screaming when he strokes too hard. Lennie would not fare well in a prison setting, nor would he be able to defend himself if Curley or the other men attempted to hurt him. As the story continues, there are many hidden indications that she could be seen as a much simpler, innocent presence, rather than an evil. fella". When Lennie started touching her hair, she got upset and started screaming. The swamper says that Curley keeps a glove full of Vaseline on it to keep his hand "soft" for his new wife. She lies dead on the hay. Got kinda used to each other after a little while. (40) George takes care of Lennie because Lennie is his friend; George does not have to, but he wants to. He is mad at the puppy because it died and he throws the puppy at the wall. Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife by shaking and breaking her neck. What does curley's wife tell Lennie about her past? She gets angry because she doesn't understand why she cannot talk to anyone besides Curley. She lies dead on the hay. Curley's wife enters the barn and asks Lennie what he has. To be honest I hate her. Curley's wife begins to struggle, which sends Lennie into a panic. What are two examples showing how Lennie is discriminated against because of his disability in the book Of Mice and Men? Steinbeck reiterates this impression by portraying her innocence in death: Curley's wife lay with a half-covering of yellow hay. As Lenny and Curleys wife connect deeply, she lets him touch her soft hair; however, Lennie would not let go.