In chapter 4 this hostility is intensified during the scene between Curley’s Wife and the ‘Weak one’ Lennie, Candy and Crooks. She refers to them as the ‘Weak ones’, ‘They left all the weak ones here’, but she is also referring to herself as being one of societies ‘weak ones‘. The woman, the mentally challenged, the old and the negro are all people who everyone in society seems to have forgotten about.
When she enters Crooks’s room Curley’s Wife, is at first, her usual self, flirting with the men and wanting to talk. But as the men become more and more uneasy towards her she turns aggressive. Steinbeck starts to present her a as a violent and threatening figure, like a predator towards Crooks her prey. ‘She turned on him’, ‘She closed on him’. This is a reminder of the nature of society where even the week prey on those weaker than themselves. Crooks has an even lower status then Curley’s wife due to his race and this is shown by the way in which Curley’s Wife dominates the scene and makes Crooks almost cower in fear. She uses threatening language ‘you know what I could do?’ and ‘she stood over him’ reinforcing her superior position. Steinbeck does this to make the reader really dislike Curley’s Wife and reinforce their hostility towards her.
In chapter 4 Steinbeck has created a character with whom the reader has little sympathy, but in chapter 5 this is changed when we are shown that Curley’s Wife has dreams, just like the others and in many ways she is a victim of society just like Lennie, Candy and Crooks.
Near the start of the chapter Curley’s Wife enters the barn where Lennie is. She is described as ‘Her face was all made up and the little sausage curls were all in place.’ This makes the reader feel that Curley’s Wife’s appearance is like a uniform as the same features are referred to throughout ‘red ostrich feathers’ and ‘cotton dresses’. The makes the reader realize that her appearance is important to her and perhaps it makes her feel special.
Steinbeck continues to make the reader feel more sympathetic by her saying ‘why can’t I talk to you?’,’I get awful lonely’. Steinbeck also shows a different side to Curley’s Wife ‘she consoled him’,‘she spoke soothingly’. Here she is showing sympathy towards Lennie who she previously insulted in chapter 4. The verb consoled and the adverb soothingly really enforce to the reader her change of character. Her conversation with Lennie reveals her desperation to be with somebody which is shown by the fact that she is prepared to talk to Lennie, or she is doing it to be kind which makes the reader realize that perhaps she was only cruel in chapter 4 because she was frustrated and upset. Steinbeck is creating a link between the reader and the character because everyone has a change in character when they are frustrated.
Curley’s Wife then starts to tell Lennie her story of the traveling show men who offered her a job in hollywood but her mother wouldn’t allow it. Curley’s wife’s story is a tragic one and shows us how she is trapped and innocent. She is prayed upon by men even when she is young and Steinbeck makes the reader recognize that she was lied to and cheated by the traveling actors. We also realize that she is only young, innocent and trying to gain attention in the only way she knows how. We also learn that the only thing she could do was get a husband which is why she married Curley. All of this makes the reader recognize that she is just like George and Lennie in the fact that the only thing keeping them going are their dreams, hers of going to Hollywood and Lennie and George’s farm. ‘I coulda been in the movies an had nice clothes - all them nice clothes like they wear.’
Her death comes as a shock to the reader but not fully unexpected thanks to Steinbeck’s hints of imminent disaster throughout the story. The reader is immediately sympathetic, a feeling which is not shared by Candy and George when they find her. They are more concerned about their pot of land than Curley’s wife and Candy blames her for ruining their dream. ‘I s’pose you’re glad. Everybody know’d you’d mess things up.’ ‘I could of hoed in the garden and washed dishes for them guys.’ This reminds the reader of the mens attitude towards her, the only character who seems sorry for her is Slim, the rest just see it as a bit of excitement ‘the men burst into the barn.' Slim however is the only one who shows sympathy ‘Slim went quietly over to her’ ‘he turned quietly to George.' Curley responds very differently, he sees her death as an excuse to hunt down Lennie ‘I'll kill the big son of a bitch myself.' This is another reminder of their extremely unhappy relationship. Slim again tries to show respect by getting Curley to stay with his wife but he still wants to ‘shoot the guts outta that big bastard.' This is a final reminder of the horrible, selfish man she married and how desperate she must have been to marry him.
In Of Mice and Men Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife to present the theme of loneliness. Her real name is never revealed in the story, showing that she has never been considered as a real person with an identity of her own. Steinbeck gives us a last reminder of this when ‘Candy squatted down in the hay and watched the face of Curley’s wife “poor bastard” he said softly.’ Even in death she is still Curley’s wife, no name just a ‘poor bastard'.
