He thinks that killing the puppy has more consequences. In the barn scene, however, Steinbeck softens the reader's reaction to Curley's wife by exploring her dreams. Candy asserts that he and George can still have their farm, but George realizes that it will never happen. George gets him out safely and gets him a new job. In the depression stricken 1930's, George Milton and Lennie Smalls are saving money until they can buy their dream homestead. He then, at her invitation, starts stroking her hair, commenting "that's nice," before he accidentally breaks her neck after she starts screaming when he strokes too hard. As Lenny sits in the barn staring at the dead pup he did not mean to kill, Curleys wife comes in and sympathises with Lenny. And then about a year later when Lennie accidentally killed Curleys wife, the whole farm was after him. When Lennie started touching her hair, she got upset and started screaming. Lennie, who gets frightened and uses his strength to hold on to objects, is just like a child. He enjoys "pettin'" soft things, puppies, rabbits and mice but he is so strong that he kills them with his fingers as he did in chapter one whilst George and Lennie were walking along. She believes that there is both a lack of reason to truly hate this woman, and the undeniable urge to do so. I myself find Curley 's wife to be a bit misunderstood. What does curley's wife tell Lennie about her past? Describe Curley's wife. Lennie easily lets down his guard. Why do George and candy give up on their dream Why cant they accomplish it without Lennie? The person most responsible for Lennies death is George. He is worried that he won't be able to tend te rabbits. George sacrifices the chance to have a better and more fulfilled life to stay with Lennie. Hearing the horseshoe game outside, he understands that someone will come in sooner or later and discover the bad thing he has done. Log in here. According to the text All the time he coulda had such a good time if it wasnt for you. Curly's wife has many reasons for being lonely. On page 11 George says If I was alone I could live so easy. The novella contains many iconic characters that serve as a metaphor to our societal standards. He then disappears from the barn with the dead puppy in hand. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. In Chapter 5, Lennie is sitting alone until Curley's wife enters. This adds extreme tension to the story. Lennie was touching Curley's wife's hair when he went too far, and touched her too hard. https://velvetblory.co.uk/post/11076202092/steinbecks-letter. He says I could go with that show. "tend them rabits" if he talks to her. out of anger she blamed her mother and hastily rushed into a My opinion towards Curleys Wife, is that she can be a little too flirty at times. This represents the hopelessness of men like them. Are smallmouth or largemouth harder to fight. But in the movie she was in a very different situation. What are the 4 major sources of law in Zimbabwe. Already a member? Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. He is angry and vengeful not only because his wife has been killed, but also because Lennie had gotten the better of him previously, in the confrontation in which his hand was broken. Curley's wife is terribly lonely. Following his comment, Curley's wife chatters on, explaining more about her lost chance to become an actress and how she met Curley. George says, She yells and we got to hide in an irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin for us, and we gotta sneak out in the dark and get outta the country (13). Milton Who is Curley?Curley is the boss's son. Everyone is equal boy are girl, black are white, handicap are not so we should be treated as so. She lies dead on the hay. He will do whatever George tells him to: "Curley was flopping like a fish on a line, and his closed fist was lost in Lennie's hand". treated him as if he was her closest friend ,but Lennie was warried She understands his fondness of soft things. Worried that George will find out and won't let him tend the rabbits, Lennie buries the dead pup in the hay and says that he will claim to have found it dead. After finding Curley's wife dead, Curley had a horrible idea of making Lennie suffer. Why does Lennie kill Curley's wife? On page 90, Curley's wife said When I do my hair sometimes, I jus set an stroke it cause its so soft. To show this she did it, she ran her fingers over the top of her head. Of mice an men film (1992) After Curley finds out that his wife has died, he becomes determined to kill Lennie gruesomely for revenge. She is defined by her role: Curley's wife or possession. The fact that Lennie anticipates the same pattern this time is indicative of his childlike innocence. Immediately after killing Curley's wife, Lennie travels back to his hidden meeting spot by the river and waits for George while Curley leads a lynch mob after him. How I first felt about her in chapter 2 is that, I thought she was kind of bossy and I honestly knew that I was going to hate her. He shakes her violently, telling her to keep quiet so that George doesn't hear her. It's her fault Curley enters the bunkhouse when Lennie crushes the small man's hand. He was her friend because Curley never spend time with her Lennie begins to feel her hair and likes it very much indeed, which leads him to pet it too hard. Curley's wife regrets marrying her husband and strives for attention by flirting with the workers on the ranch. A stomach wound results in a most painful death. Now her rouged cheeks and her reddened lips made her seem alive and sleeping very lightly. This shows that George is caring because he got Lennie out of a dangerous situation. He tells George that she is pretty, and he tells her that he can't talk to her because she'll get him "in a mess," which he tells her again just before he breaks her neck. He keeps repeating "she's purty." Then she had let him touch her hair, causing him to grab on and him basically killing her. Before he breaks her neck, he puts his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams, and says angrily to her that "You gonna get me in trouble." Lennie is responsible for killing Curley's wife because he did it. When Lennie shows her the dead puppy, she tells him it was just a mutt and no one will care, but Lennie explains that George won't let him tend the rabbits because he did a bad thing again. Not affiliated with Harvard College. After all, Lennie is a big man, and Curly figures that fighting him will either raise his stature amongst the men. Picking up the dead pup, he leaves to go to the hiding place. At the end, when Lennie killed Curleys wife, Curley wanted Lennie dead, he didnt care if someone like George will be hurt by killing his own friend, he just wanted him dead. This dream comes to a screeching halt when Lennie kills the boss's son's wife. Lennie is fascinated by her and cannot take his eyes off her. In the first section, George scolds Lennie for petting mice until they die. The reactions to her death start a manhunt against Lennie. when she did not receive a letter from 'producer of the movies', Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? The death of Curley's wife comes as a tragic result of Lennie's ignorance of his strength. Later in the novel, Lennie is in the barn with a puppy that he has Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. How are Lennies two visions indicative of his childlike innocence? In Chapter 5, Lennie is sitting alone until Curley's wife enters. Not affiliated with Harvard College. This quote shows that George is killing Lennie for Lennies own good. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. More books than SparkNotes. Of Mice And Men Curley's Wife Character Analysis. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# In order to prove that society makes it impossible for certain people to attain The American Dream, Steinbeck objectifies, sexualizes, and kills Curleys wife to show that women cannot reach The American Dream. Also, she just wanted anyone who would talk to her and listen to her. Curley's wife begins to struggle, which sends Lennie into a panic. Why does Curley's wife offer to let Lennie pet her hair? To make up for her misery and loneliness, she tries to connect with other people, but finds herself thwarted at every turn. He grabs a hold of her hair and muffles her screams. I aint mad, an I aint now. He accidentally broke her neck while trying to calm her down. Curley's wife is promiscuous and prettyshe dresses in a provocative. Once Curley sees his dead wife, he says he will shoot Lennie in the guts. Who is Katy mixon body double eastbound and down season 1 finale? and any corresponding bookmarks? Latest answer posted November 19, 2020 at 6:35:21 PM. A struggle ensues Lennie panicking and Curley's wife's eyes "wild with terror" until her body flops "like a fish" and then she is still. How does George feel after killing Lennie? Therefore, Curley's wife's death is not crucial to the plot. This one dream has influenced George by so much that it began to take most of his freedom, and in the process, becoming an aspect of his life. Curley's wife comes into Crooks's room because she's lonely. In fact, Curley's wife leads to all of the trouble Lennie has on the ranch. The four people responsible for Lennies death are George, Curleys wife, Lennie, and Curley. She is extremely lonely and views Curley as mean-spirited. Before Curley's wife leaves, what does she notice about Lennie? First, Curley's wife insists on talking with Lennie even after he warns her that he ain't supposed to because George's scared [he'll] get in trouble. Then Curley's wife invites Lennie to pet her soft hair, but when he gets too rough, she jerked her head sideways, and Lennie's fingers closed on her hair and hung on . CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. Curley's wife is always flirting with the ranch hands, because she wants attention that she does not get from Curley. But was she? He did this . Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Report Content | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want" In this quote George talks about all the things he could do if he was alone, he could just abandon Lennie if he wishes too, but he chooses to stay, because he has sympathy for Lennie. Shortly after having thrown the puppy, Lennie picks it up again, stroking it and deciding that maybe George won't care. Curleys wife regrets marrying her husband and strives for attention by flirting with the workers on the ranch. After Lennie kills Curley's wife, George shoots him in the back of the head to protect him from what would have been a horrible death at the hands of Curley and the other men. More books than SparkNotes. Lennie is physically very strong (so his name is ironic), but cannot control himself, leading to escalating acts of accidental violence through the book. she tells him she lost her virginity at the age of 15. He keeps repeating "she's purty." Everyday we are influenced by our goals or dreams. Why did Curleys wife let Lennie pet her hair? He tries to make her stop screaming and kills her by accident. Character Analysis Lennie responds absently with concern about his dream farm and the rabbits he will have. A struggle ensues Lennie panicking and Curley's wife's eyes "wild with terror" until her body flops "like a fish" and then she is still. Curley's Wife Abuse Quotes. Curley objectifies his wife by threatening the other men, monitoring her movements, and dismissing her individual needs. What did Curleys wife tell Lennie? He does, but his big, clumsy fingers start to mess it up, and she angrily tells him to let go. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. In the book Of Mice and Men, the character of Curley's wife best captures the isolation felt by so many characters because she is the only woman on the ranch and her husband has forbidden everyone from talking to her, she really is the loneliest person on the ranch. She was very pretty and simple, and her face was sweet and young. She knows she can get Lennie to talk with her while the other men are playing games outside. The text states, "'That big son-of-a-bitch done it. She consoles him, and starts to talk. She is lonely and 853 words Read More Outline For Of Mice And Men Loneliness Essay Essay Outline Curleys wife states I tell you I aint used to livin like this, I coulda made somethin of myself. (Steinbeck 88). Curley objectifies his wife by threatening the other men, monitoring her movements, and dismissing her individual needs. What happened to lennies puppy? Lennie repeats George's instructions that he is not to talk to her. Curley is mistreated because of his size which causes him to lash out at his wife and the ranch workers to feel like he is in control. She starts to regret living there because of the way they treat her. Curley's wife angrily asks him why he is so obsessed with rabbits, and Lennie thoughtfully replies that he likes to pet nice things. What does the title Of Mice and Men mean? curley's wife tells Lennie that "You are nuts , but you kinda nice fella". Why did George feel like he had to kill Lennie? Curley is so enraged at his wife's supposed infidelity that he runs off, focusing his anger on Lennie. Curley's wife begins to struggle, which sends Lennie into a panic. Before he knows it, he has broken her neck. She is pretty with nice clothes, painted nails, and red hair. He thinks that Curleys wife. George has no responsibility to take care of Lennie, yet George is willing to do anything for Lennie. He was willing to lie about being Lennies cousin to get him a job. As a result, he shakes her and breaks her neck. What happened to Lennies puppy? EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. Curley immediately blames Lennie, saying he will go for his shotgun and shoot Lennie in the guts. This basically proves and enforces the reality that Lennie influences almost every part of Georges life. She is usually described as Curley's possession and is frequently objectified by the ranch hands. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Having a wife shows possession of power and a higher rank., She is objectified and embarrassed by her husband, linking to the lack of respect for women in the 1930s. Also, she just wanted anyone who would talk to her and listen to her. The death of Curley's wife comes as a tragic result of Lennie's ignorance of his strength. Lennie has a mental disability, making him dependent upon George to manage day to day life in the difficult environment in which they live and work. [P2] The death serves as a reminder of the incredible strength Lennie had and shows how he (tragically) misused it. In the letter, Steinbeck explains the character from his perspective. Curleys wife was murdered by Lennie in John Steinbecks story, Of Mice and Men. The most ironic thing about this scene is that her death is that it is preceded by a moment of human connection. She lies dead on the hay. She doesn't have a good relationship with her husband. Curley's wife says he can get another one. In the scene in Crooks' room, she reminds Crooks of his place and threatens to have him lynched if he doesn't show her the proper respect as the wife of the boss' son and a white woman. He doesn't mean to do it; as always with Lennie, he doesn't . George goes to the bunkhouse. This is largely due to his intellectual disability, which makes it difficult for him to understand other people or anticipate the consequences of his actions. He is upset at the puppy for dying. In Of Mice and Men, how and why does Lennie kill Curley's wife? George, realizing Lennie's fascination, warns him to stay away from her. She is utterly alone on the ranch, and her husband has seen to it that no one will talk to her without fearing a beating. 2 Pages. If Lennie hadn't killed Curley's wife, he would have done something else to upset Curley, leading to his eventual death or the permanent loss of his and George's dream. Curley's wife is the only female character who is directly featured in the novel. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: Lennie Small.