In addition to her already dismal first impression, the significance of her threat is further stressed by Steinbeck’s clever use of colour imagery. She makes her entrance with “full, rouged lips”, “red mules on the insteps of which were little books of red ostrich feathers” and her “fingernails” were the colour red too. Our initial perception of Curley’s Wife as being promiscuous can be attributed to the “heavily made up” state that implies she invests much effort into her appearance as a result of craving attention – therefore, indicating the first tangible sign of her loneliness. The frequent “red” colour that surrounds Curley’s Wife associates her with danger, the warning signs are evidently everywhere and this is what makes the reader wary of her posing a risk and also corroborating George’s use of the term: “jailbait”. Alternatively, this strongly links to the girl in Weed, where Lennie was condemned for clinging onto her dress – which is also red. Evidently, this is an emphasis of the fact that the story is a cruel cycle that these ill-fated characters cannot escape from.
Another way in which dislike mounts in the reader’s mind for Curley’s Wife is through the use of derogatory terms employed by the male characters on the ranch to describe her. These terms make us prejudiced towards her – portraying the effects of gossip rich with dirt – because this “lousy tart” that “has got the eye” represents the “poison” that Eve, the temptress, succumbed to and lead to Man’s descent. This is precisely what generates further dislike for her as the reader perceives her to be the storm that will gradually engulf and gradually cloud George and Lennie’s vision of paradise – their “own lan’”.
Alternatively, it can be argued that the derogatory terms mark a possible beginning of the reader’s journey towards sympathy for Curley’s Wife; as it highlights the unjust ramification of being a woman in the patriarchal society of the 1930s. On the mere basis of being a woman, the men denounce Curley’s Wife by branding her with these slanderous terms – despite the fact that she has not actually caused any trouble. Steinbeck accentuates the theme of predatory nature of humanity as the men prey on Curley’s Wife by treating her like a second class citizen and diminishing her intrinsic value. From the very beginning, they objectify her as a “bitch”, “tart” and “rattrap” and consequently a sense of inequality and discrimination becomes palpable. The reader’s witness Curley’s Wife’s degradation amongst the men but the baseless accusations of the prejudiced workers is what results in sympathy for the only woman who is confined on a ranch teeming with misogynistic men.
Once again, our feelings of sympathy and dislike for Curley’s Wife wrestle with each other when she unceremoniously vents out a vicious revenge on Crooks. Steinbeck integrates the recurring theme of power with a detestably manipulative side of Curley’s Wife. This is vividly illustrated as she directly commands Crooks, “you keep your place then, Nigger”. The key use of the word “Nigger” is integral to demonstrating effectively how Curley’s Wife is aware of the social hierarchy that exists on the ranch but the fact that she also acknowledges how she can exploit Crooks low position in the racist society of America is what represents a malignant type of manipulation – thus, building dislike. Furthermore, Steinbeck shocks the reader into disliking Curley’s Wife as she threaten to get him “up strung on a tree” – accordingly, portraying how Curley’s Wife manipulatively exploits her position in the hierarchy as a white woman in society and seeks out Crooks’ weakness in an attempt to belittle the men and assert the very little power she has for self-satisfaction. In the reader’s eyes, she matches the pathetic “bunch of bindle stiffs” that sits before her, as threatening to frame Crooks and have him hanged for the sake of gaining leverage, is beyond immoral and her use of this particular threat portrays her as calculating, hostile and dangerous.
Due to the fact that segregation and racism were at their height during the setting of this book, the effect of shock that the underlying theme of prejudice has on the reader is strengthened to a point that great dislike for Curley’s Wife does begin to mount. Furthermore, this correlates to the theme of misogyny as Steinbeck presents her as the completely ruthless destruction of Crooks’ potential to continue to dream because he later resides in his place as a “Nigger”.The significant threat that she poses to our protagonists generates animosity for this figure.
On the other hand, Steinbeck seems to sow sympathy for Curley’s Wife into our subconscious by simply not giving Curley’s Wife a name. To elaborate, her very title exposes her for what she is: the product of a broken dream. Steinbeck has assigned her such an empty and meaningless label in order to reflect the complete lack of individual identity and to emphasise that she is a two-dimensional object – an object to be owned rather than understood. Hence, her title displays her insubstantial worth in the patriarchal world and as a result, the reader feels sorry for this woman who cannot be distinguished between a mere object and a human. Moreover, denying her the very basic aspect of a name contradicts the fundamental existence of the American Dream because it emphasises that the idea conflicts with the hierarchy of reality – a place in which she is unworthy. Yes, she “coulda made somethin’ of” herself but her current situation of being with such a “swell guy” and prohibited from talking “to somebody ever once in a while” exemplifies the loss of opportunity that she heartbreakingly suffered because she “never got that letter”. Steinbeck utilises this key “letter” to symbolise Curley’s Wife’s American dream. Curley’s Wife’s own version of the Dream consisted of the Hollywood life and to treasure the luxuries that were accompanied by being put “in the pitchers”. However, Steinbeck portrays her situation in such a heartbreakingly pathetic manner that parallels the glamour of Hollywood in order to evoke the reader’s sympathy and realisation that the American dream is at a major fault for providing nothing but false hope.
In moments of emotional revelations, Curley’s wife gains the reader’s sympathy when Steinbeck captures a moment in which rejection is defined very strongly against her as, “she looked from one face to another, and they were all closed against her”. Steinbeck creates an image of a very desperate “girl” that searches for support and companionship but is rejected even the slightest modicum of comfort from the surrounding men as they were “closed against her”. Of equal importance, Steinbeck captures the way in which the dominating theme of loneliness heavily influences Curley’s wife’s state of vulnerability as she constantly “looked” for compassion from the men due to her broken marriage, the impossibility of her dreams and the ultimate failure of her life. Loneliness plagues Curley’s wife – its effects on her are heightened in the reader’s perspective when Steinbeck reminds them that she was the only woman on the ranch in the midst of the Great Depression which hardened those around her – thus, the reader pities this character as she is confined in solitude by men who are driven by baseless prejudice in a sexist society.
Surrounded by the brutal atmosphere of isolation and instilled prejudice; but protected by a tenacious outer shell layered with manipulation, promiscuity and a cold defence mechanism, Curley’s Wife proves to be quite the challenge when deciding whether to sympathise or despise. Steinbeck has created a complex character whom, ultimately, dislike for her is quite temporary as the book progresses because he portrays the woes and heartbreaking reality of being a woman in a time where paradise was a purpose designed and considered achievable only for men. Most importantly, there is a tangible transformation during the entirety of the book from what we perceive as “tart” to a “sweet and young” character that falls prey to a cruel twist of fate. Ultimately, this summarises Steinbeck’s intentions for the reader to feel compassion for Curley’s Wife and I, for one, certainly climbed from the depths of dislike to a more forgiving stance.
