Of Mice and Men

        Steinbeck also condones Curley’s wife in many ways. Firstly, the writer shows her loneliness when she comes to Crooks’ door when all the men are in town. She knows that Curley has gone to the brothel and knows she doesn’t have anyone to talk to but Curley who talks about “what he’s gonna do to guys he don’t like.” And when Crooks suggests her to leave because he doesn’t want any trouble, she says “think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while.” Here, the reader will realise how lonely she is and wants someone to talk to. Her loneliness is again shown when comes in the barn and starts talking to Lennie. Even though she realises that Lennie is not listening to her, she is desperate to talk and the reader hears how isolated she feels when she talks about details of her life and her dream to become an actress. But Lennie tells her that he’s not allowed to talk to her. So she cries out “What’s the matter with me?” and says “Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody?” She then adds “Seems like they ain’t none of them cares how I gotta live.” Steinbeck goes further when she is dead by giving a description of her dead body to make the reader see her as a victim of her own life. “She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young.”          

         In conclusion, Steinbeck does condemn and condone Curley’s wife at the same time. This is because; the writer wants to balance the ‘good’ side and ‘bad’ side of Curley’s wife.