Curley Flashcards
What are the 4 qualities of Curley?
Powerful
Violent
Neglectful of his wife
Insecure
What 3 quotes demonstrate Curley being powerful? State them and their meaning.
‘boss’s son’ - will inherit his father’s land one day, makes him powerful and privileged
‘high-heeled boots’ - symbol of power but could be seen as artificial: he has to wear them to demonstrate authority while Slim is more of a natural leader
‘won’t ever get canned’ - sets him apart from other workers so his position isn’t as precarious, makes reader anxious over him as he can afford to cause trouble unlike George
What is the context behind Curley being powerful?
Represents the landowners of 1930s - viewed as exploitative of itinerant workers by Steinbeck
Unemployment rates reached record highs due to Great Depression - employers felt no need to treat their workers well as they could be replaced easily
Farmers cut wages and caused workers to live in horrid camps, workers’ demonstrations were brutally crushed - Steinbeck felt the corporate farm interests were ruining agricultural life having been to California
Explains contrast between him and Slim - Slim, the archetypal cowboy, is moral and likeable but Curley, spoilt landowner’s son, is cruel and pathetic
Steinbeck believed capitalism placed power into the wrong hands and disrupted the natural order
What 3 quotes demonstrate Curley being violent? State them and their meaning.
‘head of tightly curled hair’ - symbolises how tightly wound Curley is: he is a liability, reader should feel uneasy when he’s present
‘hands closed into fists’, ‘into a slight crouch’ - indicates that he’s always ready for a fight, stance seems extremely defensive to suggest insecurity
‘slashed’, ‘smashed’, ‘slugging’, ‘swinging’ - His assault on Lennie is incredibly aggressive, emphasised by Lennie’s non-verbal response, allows us to pity Lennie and reinforces our hatred of Curley, a privileged man exploiting the weak
What is the context behind Curley being violent?
Cruelty to the weakest members of the ranch draws parallels to the exploitative nature of rich landowners
Could symbolise brutal world created by capitalism - highly competitive world creates need for power and to defend it, resulting in oppression of society’s weakest members
What 2 quotes demonstrate Curley being neglectful of his wife? State them and their meaning.
“I’m lookin’ for Curley” - reveals how lonely his wife is, further supported by the fact he chooses to go to Old Susy’s rather than be at home with her
“came suddenly to life” - juxtaposes expectations of loving husband’s reaction, revealing this as a loveless marriage, seems to be excited as he rounds up the men to chase Lennie down
Her death doesn’t spark sadness but rather revenge and a desire to reestablish his authority
What is the context behind Curley being neglectful of his wife?
Poor treatment of his wife reflects the patriarchal world in which they live
Women seen as weaker sex - constantly objectified
His wife’s death isn’t seen as a loss to him, rather an attack on his personal property that he must avenge
What 3 quotes demonstrate Curley being insecure? State them and their meaning.
‘terrier’ - likening to small dog breed known for viciousness mirrors his character well, he is pugnacious, could be argued it stems from his small size rather than fearlessness
“He has a ‘glove fulla Vaseline’ to keep his ‘hand soft for his wife” - contrasts starkly to neglectful husband we see in the novella, could indicate impotence and incapability of pleasing his wife, could explain why his wife desperately seeks out other male attention
All bravado or just something he does to impress the other men?
‘I just thought you might of saw her’ - unfounded suspicions suggest lack of confidence in his own ability to please his wife
What is the context behind Curley being insecure?
Rigid image of what men should be in the 1930s - strong and a provider, violence also seen as masculine
Curley feels he needs to prove his masculinity at every instance due to lacking the body type of the ‘typical’ man
Having a straying wife badly reflects on the husband - suggests he is incapable of controlling the weaker sex
Doesn’t fear his wife having an affair because it will cause him pain but rather fears looking weak in front of other men
What are the 3 components of Steinbeck’s overall message told through Curley?
Negative depiction of capitalism
Commentary on capitalism and the power, insecurities and need to oppress others it creates
Commentary on masculinity and the violence and insecurities it creates
