To do sympathise with curley or do you condemn her free essay sample

Throughout the 1930s in California, where and when the novel of mice and men was set, women were frequently suppressed and treated as objects. They were put down and often abused. They were forced to do anything their husband says otherwise they were condemned by the family and general public. Several of these issues are reflected in the character of Curleys wife. This character is portrayed in many different ways in the different stages of her life. This character is nameless and is only ever referred to as Curleys wife. I think this may mean that she is not a major part and as a woman is thought of as insignificant and maybe Steinbeck feels that it is not necessary to name her as it was viewed at the time as she does not need or deserve one. This is why I think that she should be sympathised. The men that work on the ranch have a different opinion as they call her a â€Å"tart† and â€Å"jail bait† they call her this because she flirts with the other ranch hands despite being married to curly. We will write a custom essay sample on To do sympathise with curley or do you condemn her or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page By using the word â€Å"jail† it shows that it is like being in a prison for her and she is stuck there. This is our very first introduction of Curley’s wife which makes a big impact on how we view her for the rest of the story. From this point onwards we always think of her as looking for trouble and living up to her name as being â€Å"jail bait†. Different readers would have different impressions of her as they may feel they could connect with her. A woman feels sorry for her because she is stuck at the barn with a load of men and was not able to for fill her dream of becoming an actor. As a man may think that she is just there to cause trouble. Another reason to feel sorry for her is because she is lonely, â€Å"Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by four house and listen to how Curley’s gonna lead with his left twice, and then bring in the ol’ right cross. † This shows that Curley’s wife is very lonely, as are so many people in the novel and is trapped in a loveless marriage. Finally, she could be sympathised for because she had her dreams ruined. She was told that she was going to be put in the movies but she never did. â€Å"He says he was gonna put me in the movies. † By saying she was going to be â€Å"in the movies† is shows that she was going to have a perfect life but not everything turns out right and you can end up with nothing. Although, at some points in the book you have no sympathy for Curley’s wife and you condemn her. An example of this would be when she is horrible to crooks and threatens him with lynching. â€Å"You know what I can do if you open your Trap† This shows that she can be vindictive and she will use the power her status gives her even if it is totally unfair. By using the word â€Å"trap† it shows that once she is there it is hard to get away and she is stuck. When she dies I feel sorry for her as she never meant no harm to anyone and was just looking for company, not for sex, as she had no one to talk to. Another reason why I feel sorry for her I because she died due to Lennie’s incapableness of controlling himself. Another person’s view may be that the death was â€Å"futile†. To conclude, I feel sympathetic for Curley’s wife as she was promised dreams that she never got . She got married to a man that did not love her and she lived her life seeking attention and love which she did not get from her husband, In return all the men turned their noses up at her and thought she was there to cause trouble. A quote, when she dies, which sums her up would be â€Å"she was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. † This shows that she was never really evil and her punishment outweigh all crimes she may have committed.