OMAM Meaningful Quote

 Steinbeck shows the reader that women were treated unfairly during the 1930s. George and Lennie arrive at the ranch and are still getting use to living there and starting to get to know the people on the ranch. George is in the bunkhouse with Whit and Whit talks to George about Curley’s new wife while they play cards. Whit describes Curley’s wife as being promiscuous: “Why, Curley’s new wife.” “Yeah, I seen her.” “Well, ain’t she a looloo?” “I ain’t seen that much of her,” said George. Whit laid down his cards impressively. “Well, stick around an’ keep your eyes open. You’ll see plenty. She ain’t concealin’ nothing. I never seen nobody like her. She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody” (Steinbeck 51). This shows us that the men on the ranch see women as being objects and not actual people. Steinbeck never gives Curley’s wife a name in the novel. The men on the ranch always refer to her as Curley’s wife and never by her real name. When Steinbeck does this, the reader is able to understand that the men on the ranch do not see Curley’s wife as a real person but as Curley’s property. Steinbeck also made the character describe Curley’s wife as being promiscuous and indecent when in the novel he never writes about Curley’s wife ever doing anything with any of the ranchers. The men on the ranch see Curley’s wife as being promiscuous solely because of the fact she is a woman that looks for attention because she’s lonesome.  Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife as a symbol of an outcast. Curley’s wife is very much an oucast on the ranch full of men. In result of being an outcast she is treated inequitable. Women were treated as outcasts during the 1930s especially in places where men were more present.