Curleys Wife Essay -- English Literature

Curleys Wife=============At first, Curleys wife is described to the reader through the comments of the men onthe ranch. Candy tells Lennie and George when he first meets them that she got theeye for the men on the ranch, pull down though she has only been married to Curley fortwo weeks. Candy thinks that she is a tart.We first meet Curleys wife when she comes into the bunkhouse, when Lennie andGeorge are in there. She is apparently looking for Curley but she already knows that unseasoned men have arrived. Steinbeck gives a detailed description of her as she stands inthe doorway of the bunkhouse and talks to Lennie and George. She is heavily madeup, with full rouged lips and red fingernails. Her body language is charged asshe positions herself in the doorway so that her body was thrown forward. Shesmiles archly and twitched her body. The general impression the reader gains is ofa young girl who is pretty and wants the attention of men.Georges answer to Curleys wife, however, make s the reader realize that she is apotential threat to the two men. George sees her as poison and jailbait. He is angrywith Lennies admiration of her shes purty and fiercely tells him that he must stay out-of-door from her. Dont you even take a look at that bitch. Later, when we find outwhat happened at Weed, where Lennie frightens a woman by stroking her dress andthey are coerce to flee the town from a lynch mob, we understand why George is soalarmed that she will be the cause of more trouble for them.Whits opinion of Curleys wife is one of bewilderment, he seesthrough the flirty appearance and just sees a girl trying too seekattention, but he still doesnt understand why she acts desire ... ...only married Curley to get away from home. Shemet him at the Riverside Dance Palais, probably attracted to him because he was theson of a ranch owner. Now, however, the reality is that she doesnt even like him. Heaint a nice fella, she confides in Lennie. When they are talking together she showssome kindness to Lennie when she realizes that he understands little of what she issaying. After she is beat(p) we are shown by Steinbeck a different side of Curleys wife.In death the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache forattention have gone from her face. We see she is just a young and pretty girl.Steinbecks description of her dead body seems designed to make us see her as a victim of life.The best located plans o mice and-------------------------------men gang aft agley. (Robert Burns)Best laid Plans often goes astray.