1.1. “I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.” // “They left all the weak ones here” // “I seen more guys than you could imagine, but nobody could ever get me a drink.”
1.2. Curley’s wife looks for company throughout the novella but never finds it because none of the other characters are willing to speak to her. Her simple sentence structures reflect her sparse and limited life on the ranch. The word ‘awful’ shows us how sad her life is. // She explains, indicating that she feels marginalised and alone from the men on the ranch. // which shows her frustration with her situation and her attempts to reach out
2. Isolated
2.1. “Sat’iday night. Ever’body out doin’ som’pin. Ever’body! An’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs.” // “I’m just lookin’ for Curley.” // “I’m just a girl”
2.2. Curley’s wife is made to feel alone on the ranch because the men do not speak to her and she has a bad relationship with her husband. Curley’s wife is bitter here, insulting the only men left on the ranch (Lennie, Crooks and Candy) while the others are out, by referring to them as ‘“bindle stiffs”, meaning tramps. She repeats “Ever’body” to show how alone she feels. // Her search for her husband underscores her isolation as she often feels the need to seek him out for connection. // This self-indication reveals her recognition of her marginalised position in a male-dominated society
3. Makes the men feel uncomfortable
3.1. “I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her. You leave her be” // “I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” // “You know what I can do to you if you open your trap” said by Candy // “Curley’s Wife”
3.2. The men talk about Curley’s wife defensively worried that she could get them into trouble. George emphasises his mistrust of Curley’s wife by saying that he has “never” seen another woman as likely to get a man into trouble before. George warns Lennie to get away from her, suggesting she is dangerous and untrustworthy. // This threat highlights her power over the men, making them feel threatened and uncomfortable in her presence. // it shows how they feel threatened by her presence. // her being referred to as “Curley’s wife” which highlights her lack of identity beyond her relationship with Curley.
4. She is a victim of name calling and bullying from the ranch workers
4.1. “She’s a rat trap.” // “She’s a tart” // “That bitch” // ‘She’s got no place here”
4.2. This quote shows how the men view her as deceitful and dangerous, reducing her to an object rather than acknowledging her humanity. // The term “tart” is used to shame her for her perceived promiscuity, further isolating her from the men and reinforcing their power over her. // This derogatory term expresses hatred and disrespect, highlighting the bullying nature of the men’s attitudes towards her. // This reflects the ranch workers’ desire to exclude her, reinforcing the idea that she doesn’t belong in their male dominated world
