Curly’s Wife
Curley’s Wife
Steinbeck only refers to the character through the possessive noun “Curley’s”. By leaving the her unnamed and limiting her status to his wife, the author suggests to the reader she is powerless and lacks the ability to create her own identity.
Interestingly, her ambition to star in the “pitchers” and become famous would see her name splashed across magazines and flashed out on lights. She wants to make a name for herself!
First Impressions Count
Without any authorial intrusion, Steinbeck initially presents Curley’s Wife through the men’s biased opinions and they are quick to comment on her appearance and sexuality. In chapter two, Candy says “I think Curley’s married… a tart” and George calls her a “tramp”. A “tart” is a girl who dresses provocatively to tease men and “tramp” also suggests promiscuity because she supposedly wanders around looking to sleep with people.
Candy tells George about Curley’s “glove’s fulla of Vaseline” and how “he’s keeping that hand soft for his wife”. Curley’s Wife might expect support from her husband in this misogynistic, male-dominated world. However, even he brags about their physical intimacy.
When Slim greets her as “good-lookin” in chapter two and, in the next chapter, Whit uses the slang “looloo”, meaning an attractive woman, both men are objectifying her in terms of her beauty.
Good-looking
The men set up this intriguing picture of Curley’s Wife and she does not disappoint the reader because Steinbeck creates a simple but effective and exotic description of her appearance that allows us to visualise the character and her beauty.
When she first appears in the gloomy bunkhouse, the writer mentions her “full, rouged lips” and the fact “her fingernails were red”.
Lipstick draws attention to her lips, which are considered a sensual part of the body. Nail polish achieves the same impact. By highlighting them, she wants to make herself more attractive and kissable. Using the French word “rouge” instead of the mundane “red” also suggests how she is using cosmetics to be more exotic and attractive.
In terms of her physical beauty, she had “wide-spaced eyes”, her “hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages” and “her voice had a nasal, brittle quality”. The “wide-spaced eyes” and “nasal, brittle” voice are considered attractive, especially in 1930s America. The simile comparing her hair to “sausages” might seem odd to a modern reader, but this look was in vogue during this period. She certainly appeals to the “male gaze”, grabbing the attention of the men on the ranch.
Finally, she is “heavily made up”. Curley’s Wife might be naturally attractive, but she emphasises her looks through make up. She is lonely and powerless on the ranch, so she tries to exploit the only leverage she might have on the men.
Clothing
Her femininity is clear in the simple “cotton house dress” which doesn’t sound provocative but, to these lonely men, it is enough to call her a “tart”. For example, in chapter three, Whit comments to George “You’ll see plenty. She ain’t concealin’ nothing”.
She wears “red mules” with “little bouquets of red ostrich feathers”. Red is obviously a traditional symbol of passion and love. She wants to look colour coordinated and glamorous on this loveless ranch, but it also foreshadows her death.
Each she appears three times in the story, she is similarly dressed. Sadly, it seems they are her best clothes.
The Seductress
When she talks to George and Lennie in chapter two, “she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward”. Her movement is sexually suggestive because she deliberately positions herself in a way to emphasise her body and curves.
By enabling the reader to picture Curley’s Wife so vividly, we become more aware of the character’s desire for attention.
