Also I believe that Curley's wife obviously knows that Lennie broke Curley's hand and therefore that shows that Lennie is shown as powerful and I think that Curley's wife likes a powerful man and finds that attractive hence the reason why she chose Curley to marry in the first place as he's quite powerful as we know. Curley objectifies his wife by threatening the other men, monitoring her movements, and dismissing her individual needs. George slapped Lennie in the face repeatedly and still Lennie held on. 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. 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. Is it right to blame anyone for their own death on themselves when they were murdered for doing nothing wrong? Also, when George and Lennie were talking to each other at their camp spot George said, I could get along so easy and nice If I didnt have you on my tail. By saying this, it shows his willingness to give up some good in life for another person. The reactions to her death start a manhunt against Lennie. What does curley's wife tell Lennie about her past? George is not being deliberately hurtful to his friend, however, he simply sees the danger that the two interacting could pose. The death of Curley's wife is ultimately unimportant to the novel's outcome since it is clear that George and Lennie were never going to achieve the American dream and live on a farm of their own. Lennie experiences two visions in this last scene. What happened that made George stop playing tricks on Lennie in Of Mice and Men? Curley's wife comes into Crooks's room because she's lonely. 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. Lennie responds absently with concern about his dream farm and the rabbits he will have. 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. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. This quote shows that George is killing Lennie for Lennies own good. Lennie would not fare well in a prison setting, nor would he be able to defend himself if Curley or the other men attempted to hurt him. 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. What does Curley's wife say she could have done to Crooks? The protagonists of the novella, George and Lennie, are heading to work at a ranch after fleeing from their last job.. Summary and Analysis He does not take responsibility for being too rough with the puppy and begins to worry about Georges reaction. fella". When George claims that they might find Lennie first and bring him in and lock him up, Slim explains that Curley will want to kill him, and even if he doesn't, how would Lennie like being locked up and strapped down like an animal in a cage? He grabs a hold of her hair and muffles her screams. Latest answer posted December 07, 2020 at 5:10:16 PM. 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. Lennie, who gets frightened and uses his strength to hold on to objects, is just like a child. Why does Curley's wife offer to let Lennie pet her hair? What did Lennie do to curleys wife? bookmarked pages associated with this title. He tells Candy to give him a minute to go to the bunkhouse before telling the other men; then George will come along as though he had not already seen Curley's wife. In the John Steinbeck novel of Mice and Men, everyone is lonely and will try or do anything to stop being lonely. Alive, she is connected to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# 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. My opinion towards Curleys Wife, is that she can be a little too flirty at times. Curley's wife is terribly lonely. She is extremely lonely and views Curley as mean-spirited. 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. Indeed, the gentle giant's final downfall is caused because of the vain wife. What are the Physical devices used to construct memories? The four people responsible for Lennies death are George, Curleys wife, Lennie, and Curley. She is extremely lonely and views Curley as mean-spirited. When Lennie started touching her hair, she got upset and started screaming. George has no family, so having a friend with him gives him purpose in his troublesome life. She consoles him, and starts to talk. The most ironic thing about this scene is that her death is that it is preceded by a moment of human connection. Although Curleys wife is beautiful and young, she is naive and dangerous as George knew from the beginning. Since Lennie did something to Curley's wife, and his hand Curley had the motivation to shoot him, and make him suffer. George first shows that hes caring when he and Lennie run away from Weed because Lennie touched a girls dress. Lennie is responsible for killing Curley's wife because he did it. They treat her wrong because in this novella they only calls her Curleys wife they never called her by her name so no one will ever know what it was. George is immediately alarmed by this, and with uncharacteristic vehemence, he instructs Lennie to stay away from her. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Essential Quotes by Character: Lennie Small. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. As Lenny and Curleys wife connect deeply, she lets him touch her soft hair; however, Lennie would not let go. George has lied about the Luger because he has taken it; he does not want to admit this act as the men will believe he is involved in Curleys wifes death and hurt him, too, and he will not be able to accompany the men and intercede for Lennie when they find him, or to take action on his own. Although Lennie is the one who physically kills Curley's wife, Of Mice and Men consistently shows that Lennie is not to blame for her death. Being the only woman on the farm and her past, resulted in her being depressed and lonely. The death of Curley's wife is also symbolically important and represents the futility of dreams. Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# Multiple time throughout the book she is insulted by the men, who call her things such as a tramp, or a tart. Both of them start to talk, and Curley's wife launches into a discussion of her own failed dreams. He did this . She starts talking to Lennie and then lets him touch her hair because it is soft. He also says Im gonna shoot the guts outta that big bastard myself, even if I only got one hand. These quotes prove that Curley doesnt care if he kills someone, or how that person feels. George had a different idea for Lennie. George has no responsibility to take care of Lennie, yet George is willing to do anything for Lennie. when she did not receive a letter from 'producer of the movies', Immediately he remembers to hide in the brush until George comes. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. More books than SparkNotes. She wears too much makeup and dresses like a "whore" with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Why does Lennie become angry with Curley's wife? Curley's wife is lonely as we know, and we know that she is childish she says "sometimes when I brush my hair I like to stroke it for a little while". She insists that she could have been an actress. Now George has no dream, and he will end up working like the other ranch hands and spending his money in a poolroom or "some lousy cat house.". She knows she can get Lennie to talk with her while the other men are playing games outside. Lennie has a soft spot for touching soft things, this has caused him to make outrageous action like killing Curleys Wife: "I like to pet nice things with my fingers, sof' things." (Page 90). 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 is a critical character in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. He shakes her violently, telling her to keep quiet so that George doesn't hear her. The novella contains many iconic characters that serve as a metaphor to our societal standards. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Curley's wife begins to struggle, which sends Lennie into a panic. http://www.gradesaver.com/of-mice-and-men/study-guide/summary-chapter-five. However, right before and after her death, we see a softer woman who was a dreamer, and still retained her innocence. Curley's wife tells Lennie of her life and her missed opportunity to travel with the show that came through her hometown. 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. She lies dead on the hay. What are the Physical devices used to construct memories? 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. George, realizing Lennie's fascination, warns him to stay away from her. She lets Lennie stroke her hair, but she panics when she feels his strength. She complains about nobody talking to her and then, thinking Lennie is like a child, lets Lennie pet her hair. George also made Candy feel better when his dog died. She stays, however, and again asks him what he is covering up. When she continues to struggle, Lennie grows angry. On page 98 Curley says Hes got Carlsons Luger. This adds extreme tension to the story. Who scolds Lennie after he kills Curleys wife? George and Candy call her by other names such as "jailbait" or "tart." He tries to make her stop screaming and kills her by accident. If George and Lennie hadnt run away, Lennie could have suffered a terrible fate.