Curley's Wife - Flirtatious

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How Others View Curley's Wife

The men on the ranch seem to have a negative view of Curley's Wife. Lennie seems to be attracted to her.

How others view Curley's wife

Most of the men on the ranch have a generally negative view of Curley’s wife.
They make derogatory comments about her: "Well, I think Curley's married... a tart." (Candy, Section 2).

Curley's wife's appearance

Curley's wife is glamorous and “heavily made up” (Section 2).
She embodies traditional ideas of feminine beauty.

Steinbeck's use of colour

Steinbeck associates the colour red with Curley’s wife because it has connotations of passion and seduction: “Her fingernails were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.” (Section 2).

Lennie's attraction to Curley's wife

Lennie, who is the most naive of all the men on the ranch, is immediately drawn to her beauty: "She's purty." (Lennie, Section 2).

1Context & Overview

1.1Context & Overview

1.1.1The Great Depression

1.1.2Racism

1.1.3The American Dream

1.1.4Of Mice & Men

1.2John Steinbeck

1.2.1John Steinbeck's Life

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Context & Overview

2Plot

2.1Section 1 - Analysis

2.1.1Section 1 - Plot

2.1.2Section 1 - Overview

2.2Section 2 - Analysis

2.2.1Section 2 - Plot

2.2.2Section 2 - Overview

2.3Section 3 - Analysis

2.3.1Section 3 - Plot

2.3.2Section 3 - Overview

2.3.3End of Topic Test - Sections 1-3

2.4Section 4 - Analysis

2.4.1Section 4 - Plot

2.4.2Section 4 - Overview

2.5Section 5 - Analysis

2.5.1Section 5 - Plot

2.5.2Section 5 - Overview

2.6Section 6 - Analysis

2.6.1Section 6 - Plot

2.6.2Section 6 - Overview

2.6.3End of Topic Test - Sections 4-6

3Key Characters

3.1Main Characters

3.1.1George

3.1.2Lennie - Strength

3.1.3Lennie - Innocence & Dependence

3.1.4Slim

3.1.5Curley

3.1.6Curley's Wife - Flirtatious

3.1.7Curley's Wife - Lonely & Heartbroken

3.1.8Crooks

3.1.9Candy

3.1.10End of Topic Test - George & Lennie

3.1.11End of Topic Test - Slim, Curley & Curley's Wife

3.2Minor Characters

3.2.1Minor Characters

3.2.2End of Topic Test - Crooks, Candy & Others

4Themes

4.1Key Themes

4.1.1Hopes, Dreams & Reality

4.1.2Racial Prejudice

4.1.3Loneliness & Companionship

4.1.4The Weak & Strong

4.1.5Women

4.1.6End of Topic Test - Key Themes

5Authorial Method

5.1Writing Techniques

5.1.1Dialogue

5.1.2Imagery

5.1.3Light

5.1.4Sound

5.1.5Symbolism

5.1.6Structure

5.1.7End of Topic Test - Writing Techniques

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