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  • Essay / Portrayal of women in Mice and Men by John Steinbach

    Curley's wife, comparable to most of the other characters in the novel, is a character type with few divergences, furthermore being the only woman in the novel . Curley's wife is demonstrated by her position and role. This part, however, is the possession of Curley or his wife. She is heavily insulted and considered inferior: George and Candy call him "jailbait" and "tart", which reinforces the fact that he has no voice and, in fact, no name - being simply called the wife of Curley. Due to her lack of power, she attempts to obtain it by eliminating those who hold power. This leech is described as seducing other men on the ranch who have a large presence like Slim: "Hi Slim" supports a casual and somewhat flirtatious approach towards other men. She seduces others by wearing too much makeup and dressing like a "whore" with "red nails" and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Additionally, Lennie is captivated by her seductive beauty and cannot take his eyes off her, constantly mentioning that "she is pure." George, recognizing Lennie's drunkenness, advises him to keep his distance from this temptress. Additionally, Curley's wife understands that her magnetizing beauty is the main reason for his control and authority, and she deploys it fully to seduce the other ranch hands and make her husband jealous of her, which in turn attracts his attention. However, she is completely isolated on the ranch and her husband has made sure that no one speaks to her without fighting with the man. Subsequently, Steinbeck's first mention of Curley's wife presents her as a vindictive and temptress. Seductively, Steinbeck, using biblical references, connects her to Eve in the Garden of Eden – she brings evil into the lives of men in the middle of a paper ...... saying she "doesn't try." not very strong”; George, on the other hand, treats her like a “prisoner”; he never initiates a conversation, contenting himself with responding “briefly” and literally. Lennie is shown to be fascinated by her femininity and sexuality as his eyes move "over her body"; he is not aware of the risk he is taking. Steinbeck also presents another view of Curley's wife. In his omniscient [form: overall writing technique] description of her, he writes that she "holds back a little" from Lennie's attention; metaphorically, it turns away from fixed attention. Steinbeck also discreetly mentions that she is a "girl"; both observations suggest her innocence and vulnerability. Later, we learn of her isolation and broken dreams and gain a deeper understanding of why she behaves the way she does; we begin to feel sorry for her even though, ironically, we never find out her name.