Two Faced

          When you are nondescript to everyone, including your own husband you become lonely. People tend to push limits to satisfy the attention they crave. Curley’s wife attends “Of Mice and Men” as a character drenched with a reputation as a pretentious whore. In reality, her life’s ambition is to be treated like she matters to someone.

            In the beginning, Curley’s wife appears to be self absorbed, coming off as stuck up. When she ended up not receiving the letter from this guy who told her she would be a GREAT actress, she settled with Curley soon after hoping for attention this way. Steinbeck is expressing her importance by emphasizing her demand for respect from everyone on the farm. This is clearly shown when she belittles Crooks because he must not realize what she “can do to him.”

            Curley’s wife was quickly obsessed with the idea of continued adoration. She didn’t care if a bad reputation was included on this deal, she wanted to be noticed. Just like when Lennie first saw her, he was “fascinated”, and she loved it. Curley’s wife was accused of giving some of the workers “the eye.”  Even if she did, it was because it made her feel good about herself. She came looking for Curley in the barn when she entered “she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so her body was thrown forward.” This is her way of crying out to someone. If she can’t get attention by being herself, that only leaves one option.

            Last, Curley’s lady isn’t whoever one made her out to be. Lennie was the only person on the farm who looked at her, so she took advantage. The few encounters she has had with Lennie, he listened without judgement. She told him the story about becoming and actress “to see if she was impressing him.” Even though he didn’t make conversation, he didn’t ignore her completely which temporarily satisfied her thirst.

          In the deep dark abyss of her heart she just longed to be loved just like her childhood fantasies. She wants to exist to someone. Obviously she never had the feeling of someone caring about her opinions or her thoughts, so she went about fulfilling that by flirting.