Misogyny In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Superior Essays
At first glance Of Mice and Men is a heartbreaking American Classic revolving around two partners taking on the post depression world. Although it may seem like this timeless novel possesses little plot that revolves around misogyny, when analyzed under a feminist lens elements that belittle women are elucidated. The feminist lens identifies the inequality portrayed between genders. This includes unfair representation, disparity of rights, and any other discrimination that women are subjected to. Through this lens one can see the misogyny that takes place in literature and other forms of media. So when analyzing Of Mice and Men through this lense, Steinbeck illuminates that when men perpetuate a disparity between men and women, women will struggle …show more content…
Curley’s wife is constantly searching for Curley who always seems leave her behind. The lack of attention from her husband causes her to search for alternatives to compensate. Angrily, Curley’s suspicion of this behavior is exhibited when some of the men were resting in a room. “Curley burst into the room excitedly. ‘Any of you guys seen my wife?’ he demanded. ‘She ain't been here’, said Whit. Curley looked threateningly about the room. ‘Where the hell's Slim?’” (Steinbeck 53). Curley's concerns allow the reader to infer that he suspects that his wife may have had a history of suggestively promiscuous intentions with Slim. Her intentions can stem from Curley’s negligence to attend to her needs. Additional evidence for her attention hungry nature is the ease in which she gives her affection and her disregard for modesty. An example of this occurred when her character is first introduced. Curley’s wife came into the barn looking for Curley but when she saw Lennie staring at her she said, “Nobody can’t blame a person for lookin’” (Steinbeck 31). She disregards modesty when displaying her body and even encouraging people to stare at it. This desperate and abnormal need for attention can be once again traced back to Curley’s apathy towards his

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