Curley's Wife

Question 1

Red:

“rouged lips”
“red mules”
fingernails were red”

Answer 1

• Red is a sexualized colour which suggests that she is immediately viewed as a promiscuous person
  -It is indicative of the danger that she holds both as an object of lust and also as a catalyst for the destruction of their aspirations.

Question 2

“the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off

Answer 2

-The use of the verb ”cut off” to highlight how the light had been eradicated implies that it is an eternal and inevitable consequence of her entering the men’s life.

Question 3

“Curley’s Wife

Question 4

“her body was thrown forward”

Answer 4

The metaphorical language “thrown forward” suggests that she was deliberately attempting to draw attention to her body and seduce the men

Question 5

“she bridled a little”

Answer 5

This suggests that despite her actions, she is still uncomfortable with her persona and resents that her circumstances has put her in a position wherein she has to use her body as a weak grapple for control and validation.

Question 6

the lexis “girl”

Answer 6

Reminds the reader that she is not an woman but rather a child with an undeniable vulnerability and potential to be exploited

Question 7

‘Jail bait’
‘Rat trap’
‘Tart’
‘Poison’
“Got the eye”

Answer 7

The use of the lexis tramp implies that he instantly equated her to a prostitute- a role that was often considered humiliating and shameful- despite her lack of truly sexual actions and the minute amount of time he has spent with her.
Moreover, his use of the term “jail-bait” highlights his objectification of Curley’s wife despite her young age and implies that because of her beauty she should take the blame for any actions that around committed against her without her consent.
This is indicative of the condescending way that the men viewed her as instead of being recognized as a person to respect, she is perceived as an object to be discarded lest they be tempted by her attractive appearance.

Question 8

Points

Answer 8

• Juxtaposition between child-like naivety and sexual persona as a result of being a “woman” in this period
• The start of the destruction/downfall of the character’s dreams
• A person trapped in a life without friendship or love,.
• A victim of the men’s mysoginistic attitude towards her, with her dreams being reliant on the men that surround her

Question 9

Context

Answer 9

• women at that time were constrained by a patriarchal system that socially accepted derogatory attitudes towards women and was often compelled into changing themselves so that they could be accepted by men