A classic 1937 novella by nobel prizewinning author john steinbeck, of mice and men tells the story of migrant ranch workers george milton and lennie small and their struggles to make a life for. John steinbecks novella, of mice and men depicts the struggle of two wayward men during the great depression of the 1930s. In john steinbecks book, of mice and men, lennie isnt lonely, but is actually more afraid of becoming lonely if george leaves him. During the great depression, steinbeck encountered many migrant workers and learnt of the daily hardships ranch workers had to face. Curley, the son of the ranchs boss, is a mean and powerhungry individual obsessed with securing the respect and submission of the individuals beneath him. Slim then asks why lennie and george go around together because most of the ranch hands hes seen are always alone and never seem to give. How is curley presented by steinbeck in of mice and men essay. Published in 1937, it tells the story of george milton and lennie small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in california in search of new job opportunities during the great depression in the united states steinbeck based the novella on his own experiences working alongside migrant farm workers as a. The story is a tragedy about two ranch workers called george milton and lennie small. Of mice and men by john steinbeck tells about the lives of american workers during the great depression. Consequently, always having things your way can turn you into a bad person. She wears too much makeup and dresses like a whore with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Curley s wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress, seems to be a prime example of this destructive tendency curley s.
Curley is a thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair. Its not a coincidence that that she ends up dying because she didnt want lennie to mess up her hair. Candy says that like a lot of little guys, curley wants. The first quote is a question curley often repeats. In of mice and men john steinbeck makes each situation have as less details as possible as if to leave the reader to decide whats really happening. Curleys wife, like the other players in the drama, is simply a character type and the only woman in the plot. In fact, women are treated with contempt throughout the course of the book. Of mice and men comparison between slim and curley. Of mice and men band quotes agressive curley of mice and men quotes curleys wife quotes of mice and men book quotes curley quotes omam abraham lincoln quotes albert einstein quotes bill gates quotes bob marley quotes bruce.
The character of curley in of mice and men from litcharts. Slim and curley were characters that portray the best kind and worst kind of. Curleys wife, who walks the ranch as a temptress, seems to be a prime example of this destructive tendencycurleys. Three powerful novels of the late 1930s focused on the california laboring class. A stain covers your heart, and tears you apart just like a sleeping cancer i think is about curleys wife, and how she didnt. Curleys wife is speaking in crooks shed about her husband. John steinbecks of mice and men is a touching tale of the friendship between two men set against the backdrop of the united states during the depression of the 1930s. Terms in this set 16 guys he dont like, and he dont like nobody. Even lennie feels the sense of menace when curley first comes into the bunkhouse. Curley is the bosss son, and because his father only appears once, curley is the main representative in the novella of the landowning class.
The son of the ranch owner, curley is a thin young man with a brown face, with brown eyes and a head of tightly curled hair. Sources of mice and men book of mice and men gcse guide. The grapes of wrath won both the national book award and the pulitzer prize in 1939. Curleys wife, a minor, but significant character in the story, contributes to the theme and is partly responsible for lennies death. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. According to candy, curley is an amateur boxer and is always picking fights, especially with guys. Like his father, curley wears highheeled boots to mark his wealth and status, and most likely to lessen the smallness of his. Curley s wife has a lot of names, but we cant repeat any of them in mixed company.
Curleys wifes obsession with herself ultimately leads to her death. Shes halfafraid of lennie, but she also wants his attention and praise. He is a small man who likes to pick fights with big men. On the most basic level, hands are crucial to the work of the farm these men, after all, live by their labor. Why does steinbeck dismiss women in this book, and how does he do this. Two quotes from curley in of mice and men are any of you guys seen my wife. A stain covers your heart, and tears you apart just like a sleeping cancer i think is about curley s wife, and how she didnt. Of mice and men chapter 2 summary by john steinbeck this chapter starts out with george and lennie being brought to the ranch bunk house and sort of just meeting everyone this chapter. Speaking of the vaselinefilled glove, pay attention to how often and how variedly steinbeck references hands in this chapter and throughout the book. George milton is the somewhat unlikeable protagonist of of mice and men. Of mice and men simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. While lennie small, georges companion, is simpleminded and friendly, george is sharp in every way. What does this show us about race relations in the 20s and 30s. But though the scope is narrow, the theme is universal.
Curley has a napoleonic complex and tries to compensate for his small size by fighting with people who are larger than him. Of mice and mencharacters wikibooks, open books for an. However, she is able to exert her power over a select group of people namely crooks and all black people because of her role in society a white female. Curleys wife how does steinbeck present curleys wifes desires in the book of mice and men. Curley is the son of the ranch boss, so hes got a big headwhich doesnt quite match up with his body. Steinbeck grew up and worked on a ranch in soledad close to where the book is set. How is curley presented by steinbeck in of mice and men. Curleys wife in the novel of mice and men, john steinbeck creates characters that play important roles throughout the story that contribute to themes and connect readers to an overall focus. Out of all the characters introduced to the reader in of mice and men curleys wife appears to be one of the weak ones, because of the social hierarchy that existed in 1920s america. Curley s wife comes in the barn and tells lennie all about who she could have been famous movie. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. The of mice and men quotes below are all either spoken by slim or refer to slim. Slim comments on lennies ability to work hard and mentions that it is obvious lennie is not too bright. George and candy call her by other names such as jailbait or tart.
He is one of those little guys who does not like bigger men, simply because they are bigger than he is. Of mice and men is not kind in its portrayal of women. Georges take on curley is that fighting big men makes curley feel more macho and controlling. Of mice and men how does curleys wife threaten crooks on page 81. The only female character is curleys wife, who is not even give a name. Subtle in its characterization, the book addresses the real hopes and dreams of workingclass america. Curley is the son of the ranch boss in steinbecks of mice and men asked in of mice and men. In the novel, of mice and men, the author, john steinbeck bases the book on personal experiences of his own. There are several characters that you will study as youre reading the book. Published in 1937, it tells the story of george milton and lennie small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, who move from place to place in california in search of new job opportunities during the great depression in the united states. Curley click the character infographic to download.
Maybe using a picture of soft hair for this event is a bit morbid. Curleys wife, a minor, but significant character in the story, contributes to. In the book of mice and men it says that curley doesnt like big guys. Steinbeck generally depicts women as troublemakers who bring ruin on men and drive them mad. He used to be a lightweight fighter, and he just cant let go of the life. Curleys wife of mice and men in of mice and men, character symbolism lets the reader see what life was like in the 1930s. This book is about the adventures of two men, george milton and. Curley is the antagonist, or the character who stands in opposition to the protagonist usually the main character, in of mice and men. Of mice and men is a novella short novel written by john steinbeck. Of mice and men chapter two summary and analysis gradesaver. He says curley has a case of little mans syndrome, that causes him to dislike big men because he is short.
Short in stature, nervous, and yet obsessed with proving his strength and masculinity, curley is constantly being undermined by his flirtatious wife even as he tries harder and harder over the course of the novel to make himself seem. The character of slim in of mice and men from litcharts. Mostly the victims of curleys cruelty were people he didnt like. In which lennie kills his puppy accidentally and worries george wont let him tend the rabbits. Of mice and men chapter 2 quotes flashcards quizlet.
Curley didnt even know if lennie was actually laughing at him or at something else. This book is about the adventures of two men, george milton and the mentally disabled lennie small. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is. Curley s wife, like the other players in the drama, is simply a character type and the only woman in the plot. He lies and says he and lennie and cousins and they left their last job because it was done. Of mice and men curleys wife warning spoilers so i recently read of mice and men for school and though i thought it was a really good book the way they talked about curleys wife really bothered me. It takes place in the 1930s, in california, united states. Although a variety of characters in the story are presented as the out casts of society, curleys wife is perhaps the character in which readers feel. Each one of these characters experience discrimination in the book and it can be related to our lives today. Alone in the bunkhouse, george thanks slim for giving lennie a pup. He travels with george who tells people they are related. Like his father, curley wears highheeled boots to mark his wealth and status, and most likely to lessen the smallness of his stature. If george and lennie are protagonists in of mice and men, curley would have to be seen as an antagonist in steinbecks work curley is the son of the boss of the ranch. This foreshadowing emphasizes how george and lennies sad fate is unavoidable, and also contributes to the novellas broader argument that the lives of workingclass people are cruelly limited by their circumstances.
Apr 12, 2019 in which lennie kills his puppy accidentally and worries george wont let him tend the rabbits. In dubious battle 1936, of mice and men 1937, and the book considered by many his finest, the grapes of wrath 1939. The character of slim in of mice and men from litcharts the. Many of the characters portray a certain person that could have been living in the 1930s. However there are some other characters who are not main characters, but theyre still important because they represent some of the the themes in the novel, and the tell you a lot about what life was like at the time and in the place that of mice and men is set. This essay shall attempt to portray the inequality of women in steinbecks novel.
Candy secretively tells george that curley has been in rare form latelyhe got married a couple weeks ago. Of mice and men events timeline timetoast timelines. The book is based on steinbecks experiences of being a ranch worker. Quotes from and about curley from of mice and men learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. In the book, of mice and men, curley is the antagonist who creates problems for george and lennie. In the novel, women are portrayed either as possessions, seductresses, or caretakers of men. Of mice and men is a novella written by john steinbeck. Oct 29, 2015 of mice and men chapter 2 summary by john steinbeck this chapter starts out with george and lennie being brought to the ranch bunk house and sort of just meeting everyone this chapter. Of mice and men, john steinbeck of mice and men is a novella written by author john steinbeck. Curleys wife comes in the barn and tells lennie all. The novella is a reference to the great depression in california and is set in the 1930s and portrays the way in which despite the consequences of depressed circumstances, human spirit still survives. George and lennie, candy, crooks, slim and curleys wife. Subscribe nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Of mice and men 1992 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
Lennie is tall and powerful, but he has the mind of a child. While the powerlessness of the laboring class is a recurring theme in steinbecks work of the late 1930s, he narrowed his focus when composing of mice and men 1937, creating an intimate portrait of two men facing a world marked by petty tyranny, misunderstanding, jealousy, and callousness. Examples of loneliness in of mice and men 936 words 4 pages. Curley, the boss son, is an evil character in steinbeck s world. How does curleys wife appear to be weak in of mice and men. Jan 02, 2012 the obvious point is that her and curley obviously dont live harmoniously together as a married couple. Discrimination is demonstrated in of mice and men many times throughout the book with lennie, curleys wife, and crooks. Of mice and men s tragic conclusion is heavily foreshadowed from the very beginning of the novella. What page in of mice and men do lennie and curley fight. In of mice and men, candy is not particularly fond of his boss son, curley. According to candy, curley is an amateur boxer and is always picking fights, especially with guys who are bigger than he is. The obvious point is that her and curley obviously dont live harmoniously together as a married couple. I felt like at the end of the book the only person who seemed to give a crap she was dead was slim. The tragic death of curleys wife was foreshadowed by lennies prior actions grabbing the girl in weeds dress, killing the mice, and killing the puppy.
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