Curley and his wife Flashcards
(16 cards)
How does Steinbeck use the characterisation of Curley and his wife to reflect 1930s gender roles?
Steinbeck presents their relationship as one of ownership, not equality. Curley’s Wife has no name, showing she is a possession, not an individual. This reflects 1930s America, when women were legally and socially treated as male property, with limited rights and domestic expectations.
What does the quote “glove fulla Vaseline” suggest about Curley’s view of marriage?
It’s a grotesque symbol of sexual possession. Candy says Curley keeps his hand soft “for his wife”, highlighting his obsession with masculine status and sexual bragging, not emotional connection. Reflects toxic masculinity and how men in the 1930s were pressured to prove dominance.
Why is the fact that Curley’s Wife is never named significant?
It reinforces her lack of identity beyond being Curley’s property. In 1930s America, women were often seen as extensions of their husbands, with no personal autonomy. Steinbeck uses this to critique patriarchal erasure of female identity.
How does Steinbeck show that Curley and his wife’s relationship is emotionally empty?
Curley shows no grief when his wife dies – he “came suddenly to life” only to chase Lennie. This shows he cares more about revenge and pride than about her as a person. Their marriage is loveless, exposing how emotional needs were neglected in a status-driven society.
How does Steinbeck contrast Curley’s marriage with other relationships in the novel?
Curley’s marriage is possessive and cold, whereas George and Lennie’s friendship, though flawed, is based on emotional loyalty. This contrast shows how true companionship is rare in a harsh, individualistic society like 1930s America during the Great Depression.
What does Curley’s constant search for his wife suggest about their dynamic?
It shows a lack of trust. He frequently asks “You seen my wife?”, reflecting jealousy and suspicion. This fits 1930s views of female sexuality as dangerous, and reinforces how women were policed and controlled, not respected.
What context is revealed in Carlson’s line: “Why’n’t you tell her to stay the hell home where she belongs?”
This quote shows the belief that women should remain confined to the domestic sphere. It reflects 1930s misogyny where women in public were seen as immoral or threatening. The line justifies Curley’s control and blames his wife for her isolation.
What does Curley’s Wife reveal about her past, and what does it show about her marriage?
She says she “coulda been in the movies” and only married Curley because she thought “he said he was going to put me in the movie”. Her dreams were crushed, and her marriage offered no escape. Reflects how many women were lured by false promises and became trapped in unhappy domestic roles.
What’s the significance of the line describing her face in death: “sweet and young”?
In death, her bitterness and “discontent” vanish – she looks peaceful for the first time. Suggests that only in death is she freed from the emotional abuse and isolation of her marriage. Steinbeck uses tragic irony to show how her life was dominated by male control.
How does Curley respond to his wife’s death and what does it reveal?
He doesn’t grieve but seeks revenge – this shows he sees her not as a person, but as part of his masculine pride. Her death wounds his ego, not his heart. This reflects how men in this society valued women as status symbols, not partners.
How does Steinbeck use their relationship to criticise the American Dream?
Their marriage represents the failure of the American Dream – it promises happiness and security but delivers loneliness and control. Curley’s Wife’s broken dream of stardom mirrors how many people, especially women, were cheated by the myth of success.
What does their relationship say about masculinity in 1930s America?
Curley embodies a fragile masculinity: constantly aggressive, paranoid, and needing to dominate. His marriage reinforces gendered power structures, showing how Depression-era men were taught that control = manhood, even at the cost of emotional intimacy.
How does Steinbeck use Curley and his wife to show the emotional costs of misogyny?
Both are victims of the system: Curley is paranoid and insecure, while his wife is lonely and voiceless. Their toxic relationship shows how misogyny leads to emotional isolation, not just for women, but for men too.
