In chapter four of Steinbeck's Of Mice and
Men, Curley's wife does do all of the things the previous editor states. We
also see more of her sympathetic side in the closing pages of the work when she talks to
Lennie in the barn.
However, what she does to Crooks in
chapter four reveals such a negative, manipulative, ignorant part of her character and
her personality that it is difficult to feel any sympathy for
her.
When Crooks stands up to her, she plays, figuratively
speaking, the reverse race card. She threatens him with her ability to get Crooks, a
black man, lynched by saying that he tried something sexual with her, a white
woman.
She destroys his spirit and puts him back in his
place, as both her, and society for that matter, see
it.
This is a despicable example of what Curley's wife is
like. It's hard to feel sympathy for her after this.
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