Discrimination of Women in Mice and Men

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In Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men women are portrayed as discriminated. In the times John Steinbeck lived in women were not held in high regard but they were just present to serve men. However, they still tried to yearn for a better future by exploiting men.

The character Curley's wife in the novel is a victim of society and her dream. She is married to Curley who neglects her and so because of her loneliness she is always seeking attention. She wears too much makeup and dresses like a "whore" with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Steinbeck uses this imagery to portray her as provocative. Curley's wife knows her beauty is her power, and she uses it to flirt with the ranch hands and to make her husband jealous.

Steinbeck's initial portrayal of Curley's wife shows her to be a mean and seductive temptress. She is paralleled to Eve in the Garden of Eden. The same way Eve tempted Adam, Curley's wife shattered the dream of George and Lennie owning a farm.

However, even Curley's wife needed to dream and hoped for a better future. She dreamt of becoming a Hollywood actress. Her beauty would have helped her in her dream which this makes her more vulnerable since she was not successful. In the last scene, when she dies, she is described as innocent. Steinbeck shows us that even the people who are portrayed as the worst, may have some humanity in them.

Steinbeck also refers to other women in the novel apart from Curley's wife. Although not much mentioned, the girl in Weed is also of significance in this novel. It was due to her that Lennie and George had to flee from their job in Weed. One can conclude that the girl in Weed and Curley's wife are both temptations that encouraged his curiosity and that he could not resist.

Just like Lennie could not resist to pet soft objects that reassured him, ranch men could not resist seeking immediate gratification. Susy's brothel house shows clearly that women were just objects in the hands of man which makes them victims of society. Many of the ranch workers used to go there and participate in bordellos. It is clear that women in the novel are used and discarded. They had no importance. In fact Curley's wife's name is not even mentioned. She is the one left behind and she was the one who created most tension in the ranch. Nevertheless she had fear of her husband.

In spite of all the evil associated with women Steinbeck also gives us a maternal vision of Aunt Clara, whose role is later taken up by the good character of George. Therefore, in the novel we are also made aware that some form of goodness within woman does exist.

However it seems as if there can never be any peace in the world where women are present because once Eve corrupted Adam in the Garden of Eden, the world has remained tainted forever.



(Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-role-women-play-mice-men-3387290.html?cat=38)