Loneliness In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses Curley's Wife as a vehicle to demonstrate that loneliness drives one into making irrational decisions. Loneliness constantly kept Curley's wife seeking attention from anyone on the ranch. With the only people there being men, she had to keep their attention by flirting. Her loneliness-driven irrationality gave the wrong idea to the men about what she really wanted. Curley's wife blurted out to the men, "Ever'body out doin' som'pin'. Ever'body! An' what am I doin'? Standin' here talkin' to a bunch of bindle stiffs- a nigger an' a dum-dum and a lousy ol' sheep- an' liken' it because they ain't nobody else'"(Steinbeck 78). Throughout the story, Curley's wife is constantly found flirting with men other than her husband.…show more content…
She attempts to alleviate her loneliness by engaging with other males on the ranch. This comes off as flirting even if that was not her intention. Curley's wife is never provoked, with many of the men on the ranch avoiding her. Her loneliness drives her into flirting with the other men which is completely irrational. Curley's wife's loneliness did not only cause her to flirt, however, it drove her into engaging with people who are not good for her well-being. Curley's wife affirmed "'you’re a kinda nice fella. Jus’ like a big baby. But a person can see kinda what you mean. When I’m doin’ my hair sometimes I jus’ set an’ stroke it ‘cause it’s so soft.' She took Lennie’s hand and put it on her head. 'Feel right aroun’ there an’ see how soft it is'"(Steinbeck 90). Even after witnessing Lennie kill a small creature because he did not understand the extent of his strength, Curley's wife still engaged with
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