Melek Iskandar

Michael Denhardt

English 1201

29 April 2022

Women On the Ranch

“I could get along so easy and so nice if I didn’t have you on my tail. I could live so easy

and maybe have a girl,” (Steinback, 7). George raves about how his life would be better without

having to look after Lennie, and that he may even have a lady. His rants seeking a life of his own

represent his emotions of loneliness. From looking at this piece of text most readers my infer that

George might treat women pleasantly, however he does not. John Steinbeck wrote the novel Of

Mice and Men in which it tells the story of two displaced migrant ranch laborers. Those

including George Milton and Lennie Small, who wander from place to place in California in

quest for different job prospects. Including George, many other men on the ranch treat women

aggressively and not like how they should be treated.

Steinback uses Curley’s Wife to demonstrate how gender inequality affects women. The

demonstration of women in Of Mice and Men portrays women like objects. They are treated

extremely different than men. Throughout the novel, women come across harsh treatment.

Steinbeck frequently portrays women as troublemakers who disrupt men's lives and distract

them. Curley's wife, a temptress who wanders the ranch, appears to be a great illustration of this

potential. Curley also seems mad every time he mentions her or asks for where his wife wanders.

In the book it states, “Just as they reached it, Curley bounced in. ‘You seen a girl around here?’

he demanded angrily,” (Steinback 36-37). The words “bounced” and “angrily” show that Curley
wants to find his wife as fast as he can. Curley's nasty temper has only become worse since they

married, due to Curley always worrying wear his wife roams and whether she talks with other

men or not.

Curley’s Wife does not enjoy Curley yet remains married to him. "I tell ya I ain't used to

livin' like this, I coulda made Somethin' of myself," Curley's wife says. (Steinbeck 88). She states

this because of how everyone else on the ranch, including her spouse Curley, treats her. She talks

about how she isn't used to the lifestyle she got married into. She dreamed of starring as an actor

when she was little. When she tells Lennie that she might have become an actor, she says this,

showing how unfair Curley's Wife saw the situation. Later on, despite the fact that she has a

husband, she began flirting with the other guys on the ranch. Curley's wife understands that her

beauty is her power, and she utilizes it to make her husband jealous by flirting with the ranch

employees. George and Candy refer to her as "jailbait," (Steinback 26) or "tart,” (Steinback 18)

among other things. She overdoes the cosmetics and dresses like a "whore" with dark red

fingernails and ostrich feathered red shoes. Intrigued Lennie, can't keep his gaze away from her.

"She's purty," (Steinback 17) he says repeatedly. This shows Curley’s Wife’s power because she

knows most of the men fear her due to Curley. However, even though Curley’s Wife flirts with

the men on the ranch, she ends up lonley.

Women were occasionally treated disrespectfully in this manner due to power. Many men

believed they should be the ones controlling the women, rather than the women ruling the men.

When Lennie accidently killed Curley's wife, Curley was more concerned with hurting and

murdering Lennie than with his dead wife. “Well I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I

ought’n to, I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella” (Steinbeck 89). This piece of text connects
back with the importance of power in the ranch. Curley’s Wife clearly does not like Curley, yet

still remains married.

All in all, many other males on the ranch, including George, treat women violently and in

ways that they should not be treated. The classic Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck,

follows the narrative of two homeless migrants but also demonstrates the way women were

treated on the ranch. One of the women being Curley’s Wife. However, Curley’s Wife does not

enjoy being Curley’s wife yet remains married to him showing the importance of power. Due to

power imbalances, women were occasionally treated in this manner.