|
- 'His hands closed into fists'- defensive; suggests he feels threatened by Lennie (and George)- Steinbeck portrays Curley as self conscious, trying to prove his masculinity and show that he is "tough"
- 'His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious'- immediately the reader senses that Curley is looking for trouble- he's looking for a quarrel with G+L, Lennie in particular, and from his 'fists' we sense that he's not just out for an argument. Steinbeck uses this portrayal to reiterate that Curley is self conscious- his pugnacity comes from a desire to be perceived as tough and powerful, the power that his position implies he ought to possess.
- 'Any you guys seen my wife?' (Curley Section 3) , 'Thinks Slim's with his wife, don't he?' George section 3 - Curley's own speech shows that he is controlling of his wife; he wants to know where she is at all times and domineers over her own actions, who she is allowed to talk to, where she is allowed to go etc. Also implies that their relationship is dysfunctional and full of mistrust- if Curley trusted his wife and they truly loved one another, surely he would have no concerns regarding knowing her whereabouts, after all on the ranch there is only a limited amount of places she could be. Through George here, Steinbeck yet again reiterates that Curley is insecure and shows the reader that the relationship between him and his wife is one of mistrust and suspicion, on his part anyway. However, Steinbeck also subtly hints that Curley is jealous of Slim. Curley believes that Slim has attracted and is pursuing a relationship with his wife, and has a majestic air of natural authority which means the ranch hands hold him in a position of upmost respect. Curley craves this authority desperately, and tries to distinguish the supposed authority which comes from his position (Boss's son) through his 'high heeled boots' which mimic those The Boss wears, yet to no avail. The ranch hands do not respect Curley at all, they refer to him as 'handy', seemingly menial, Candy says he 'picks scraps with big guys' suggesting he is petulant and insecure and they disrespect his wife- his abuse of the little power he has means that he is not respected hence his power and position are rendered useless.
- Curley is defined by stereotypes. He is 'young', implying that he is naïeve and lacks experience, and short (Candy- 'he ain't a big guy') which implies that he is inferior to 'tall', powerful characters like Slim and even Lennie. Curley's 'short' stance stereotypes him as 'scrappy', as Candy describes him in s3, and suggests his inferior power and authority. Curley conforms to the Napoleon Complex-
- 'You answer when you're spoke to' - Curley is somewhat mean to Lennie upon their first encounter and attempts to frighten him and assert his authority. The reader feels concerned for Lennie after Curley says this- whether or not Curley knows it, Lennie does not possess the mental capacity to fully comprehend Curley's threats and avoid him, Lennie relies purely on George's instructions and when these go awry, as happens in this section, Lennie does not know what to do and panics, often meaning he resorts to violence as a primitive instinct to defend himself.
- 'Curley stepped over Lennie like a terrier'- Curley tries desperately to render authority over Lennie and terrify him, yet rather than appearing vicious and frightening, he is described as a 'terrier'. Terriers are small, wiry dogs which are often though as yappy and feisty. Despite Curley's best efforts to render authority, he still comes across as petulant and weak- he is small and mischievous rather that large and threatening. It is a humorous description, a small yapping dog attempting to bewilder a huge, strong man- Steinbeck uses satire to mock the American dream through this description as this small, disobedient 'terrier' is somebody who has gained the status so many dream of and has a powerful position, yet all of his power comes from nepotism and he is seen as inferior to all the other characters. This simile is used by Steinbeck to reinforce Curley as a character who cannot gain authority due to his lack of respect and also implies that his readiness to fight is like that of a dog- a small petty scrap before being dragged away by his owner.
- 'Curley was flopping like a fish on a line'- Steinbeck uses this simile to show that Curley is defenceless, he is prey just like a 'fish on a line'. 'Flopping' connotes clumsiness, weakness and even failure (the word 'flop' is often used to describe a play or film which has been unsuccessful)- Steinbeck cleverly uses this choice description not only to show that Curley is weak and vulnerable, but also to show that in his own eyes and that of every other character he is a failure, a 'flop', who has failed to live up to the preconceptions and expectations of the ranch hands which come from his birthright to power.
- Curley's hand is a symbol for crushed dreams. In Section 2, we learn that Curley is wearing a glove 'fulla vaseline' to keep his 'hand soft for his wife.' In section three, Curley's hand is crushed by Lennie. Curley's attempts to keep his hand soft represent his hopes for a fulfilling marriage complete with a fulfilling physical relationship. Steinbeck cleverly disguises Curley's inherent human dream of sexual and romantic fulfilment, which he also hopes will bring him respect from the other men because his wife is physically attractive, in a somewhat vulgar and dirty description to show the reader that the image Curley portrays to the other ranch hands of masculinity is merely used to cover his 'soft', emotional and sensitive side. Again, this demonstrates Curley's insecurity, a key aspect his character, which is used by Steinbeck to criticise the nature of society and the unfair expectations it imposes on every individual and also to criticise 1930s American society in general; those, like Curley, who are born into power are so wrapped up in appearing powerful and important that they abuse their power and end up losing it through lack of respect, whereas the other characters have no birthright to power yet are fair minded and by large are sensible and just- Slim is an example of this- he considers himself the same as the other men yet has far greater power and authority than Curley, all of which derives from his skill and fairness.
- 'Im gonna get him. Im going for my shotgun.' - Rather than being distraught at the sudden death of his wife after just weeks of marriage, Curley is eager to get revenge, and not revenge for his wife- revenge for his hand. It seems as if Curley is almost pleased that Lennie has killed his wife, he is not upset in the slightest, as it grants him the opportunity to go after Lennie and impose the ultimate authority over him by ending his life. Steinbeck uses this portrayal of Curley to criticise the nature of American society and power in the 1930s- those who have power, like Curley, exert their power over others, perhaps who they secretly fear or perceive as weak, to get over their own personal convictions. Curley outright abuses his power and uses it to disguise his insecurities and follow his own personal convictions; it is obvious he should not be allowed to exert any power at all over others, he is unfair, mean and vengeful, yet his birthright means that he can almost do as he pleases whether the other men respect him or not.
|
- Steinbeck uses Curley as a vessel to criticise the lack of social mobility in 1930s America. Curley wears 'high heeled boots' to distinguish himself from the other workers, suggesting that he has to prove his authority and hinting that in actuality, with the exception of his family name, he is no different from the other ranch hands with regards to his respect or skill. Steinbeck suggests that Curley hasn't earned his status; his status comes from nepotism and this is the reason why he is not respected by the other men- Curley does not deserve his power in their eyes, he isn't a born leader, he has no incredible skill; he is merely a product of the inequalities which exist in 1930s American society. In this way, Steinbeck also criticises the American dream. Lack of social mobility is the polar opposite of the freedom which is supposedly inherent to American society, yet this is exactly the reason that this insecure and unjust man has power over others.
- Because Curley has no power, he turns to violence and threats in an attempt to prove his authority and masculinity. Steinbeck describes Curley as 'calculating' and 'pugnacious' and he clamps his hands 'into fists' when he meets George and Lennie. Curley attempts to intimidate the new arrivals, his manner towards them is confrontational and it seems as if he is picking a fight. Through Curley's violent personality, Steinbeck again criticises American society- whilst the ranch hands are stuck in the monotonous cycle of working simply for their fifty and found then blowing their money on alcohol and prostitutes then moving on somewhere else, from which they can never escape, Curley has his own house, expensive clothing, he is the heir to the ranch, which one must presume is a somewhat profitable enterprise, but what has he done to earn it? Curley doesn't bust a gut bucking barley, Curley isn't skilled in a trade like Crooks or Slim, Curley would never have had the initiative to set up his own ranch as his father did! Without the element of nepotism inherent in Capitalist society, Curley would be nothing, just like the other men, and he wouldn't even have a great element of humanity or kindness to him. Curley's position is bipolar to the philosophy of the American dream- he doesn't work like the other men, yet he is powerful and somewhat prosperous. The American Dream is completely futile is men like Curley can gain power and affluence from doing nothing, whilst other men work hard day in and day out but to no avail. Curley's violent and pugnacious nature is the first, almost prophetic, sign of trouble for George and Lennie- his violent temper and unprovoked anger make the reader feel uneasy and we quickly grasp that this insecure man, who from the outset is full of irate and vengeful hate towards our protagonists, will be only to eager to enact his revenge to the tall guys, who he so desperately longs to be one of, of society who threaten him so greatly.
|
|
- The only element of Curley which develops throughout the novella is his desire for revenge against and hatred for Lennie. In Section 2, upon Curley's introduction, he is cold and bitter towards Lennie, but by Section 5, when his wife has been killed by Lennie and (more importantly to him), his dignity has been destroyed by Lennie's crushing of his hand, he leads the witch-hunt against Lennie and is only to eager to be the one to end his life.Curley's development of anger links to the theme of dreams and in particular the futility of the American dream, because he seeks out and targets Lennie merely because he is is a 'big guy' and threatens him. Lennie, despite his size, is childish and defenceless and Steinbeck portrays him as the most hopeful character in the novella- he is fixated on the idea of 'living offa the fatta' the lan'' and inspires the dreams of Crooks and Candy, whilst also maintaining George's dream of their own farm. However, Curley is ultimately the man who spells the end for Lennie- Curley's vindictive and ruthless witch-hunt for Lennie in Section 5 means that there is no way forward for him, leading George to kill him in the hope of him having a more merciful ending. Curley's instructions that Lennie must die bring about not only the end of Lennie's own dream, but the end of George and Candy's dreams too- this demonstrates the futility of the american dream because the one dream in the book which had the potential to become reality is instantly destroyed all because one man ordered it to be so- how can anyone do achieve anything if their dreams are reliant on their superiors and people who don't always want them to become a reality?
- Curley's lack of development as a character also reflects his loneliness. The other major characters of the book display different elements to their character and change in each section, but Curley remains the same- vindictive and pugnacious. Curley already has all he needs- money, his own house, power. He has no need to change, he has no need to dream for more; he has already achieved all he could require through nepotism. This means that his character does not change- he is not affected by the economic crisis, he needn't work, he needn't form alliances with other men or get to know them, after all he considers himself superior to them- which isolates him from the other men. Curley's lack of change paired with his unjustified violence and pugnacity isolate him from the other men- he doesn't understand them, they don't have anything in common as they always need to develop and work out how to survive, but Curley has everything he needs to survive handed to him on a silver platter, even in the Great Depression, and his needless and random outbursts of anger mean that the other men don't want to associate with him or find themselves at the receiving end of his vicious temper.
|
- Curley wears 'high heeled boots' to try and distinguish himself from the other men. He has no natural authority so goes to lengths to distinguish himself from the working class, whom he sees himself as superior to.
- Curley 's hair is 'tightly curled'- this description makes his hair sound almost like springs. Through this comparison, Steinbeck emphasises Curley's volatile temper- just like a spring, he could explode at any moment.
|
Comments
Report