Character questionnaire
The character I chose to analyze was Curley's wife from the novel Of Mice & Men written by John Steinbeck. Throughout the book she is referred to by many names. Some are not appropriate. The ranchers call her trouble but she usually goes by Curley's wife. She tends to wear a ton of make up and dresses very promiscuously with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. As I imagine her, I see long auburn hair tied up into a pony tail with very dark brown eyes that when you look into, expose her true loneliness and misery. To match her deep hopeless eyes I picture she has penciled in unnatural eyebrows with pale skinny lips that she covers with heavy lipstick but has a sense of beauty to her. I also see a poorly done rose tattoo on her upper bicep that increases her intimidation. Curley's wife is viewed as mean and seductive temptress. She is obviously married to Curley but that is the only long relationship she has ever had yet she is unhappy. She feels trapped and cannot escape the presence of her husband. However, she finds sanction in being around the other ranch workers. Flirting with the other men on the farm distracts her from her unhappy marriage. Curley's wife is like the snake in the garden of Eden. She temps men with something they cannot resist. She is manipulative and cruel but intriguing. However, she is unhappy and feels a constant loneliness. Curley's wife wishes she not actually Curley's wife. She wishes there was a way she escape her life and live another one, one where she could love who ever she wanted and live wherever she desired. She would probably pick Hollywood. Her dream was to be in a show. When she was younger she supposedly had multiple job offers to be a professional actress in show however she was not allowed too because she was too young. She eventually tried to pursue that career farther but when that failed, she married the wealthy Curley committing herself to a life on the ranch. Curley is a petite man with a large ego and thirst for fighting. Curley and his wife have clashing personalities. He constantly wants to know where his wife is and can be very protective of her while she is quite aloof and tries to spend more time with other ranch workers than her husband. Multiple times in the novel when she becomes angry or lonely she visits with Crook and Lennie. However she doesn't particularly like them, she just wants someone to visit with. At one point she even threatens to get Crook hung up on a tree; by his neck. The real question that this books leaves is, was Curley's wife a miserable and evil manipulator or a victim of her own circumstances?