Examine how Steinbeck presents the character of Curley's wife in 'Of Mice and Men'. (30)

Throughout Steinbeck's novella, 'Of Mice and Men', the character, Curley's wife, is portrayed in varying lights, from first appearing a floozy, to later being presented as an innocent woman. The audience are first introduced to Curley's wife through the use of colour imagery, describing her profile. Curley's wife is described as having "full rouged lips", and "red fingernails", with the colour red embodying her character. Red can be seen to symbolize danger, and also indicates the possibility of bloodshed, which could foreshadow the fate of Lennie later in the novel, or suggest to the reader the possibility of blood appearing of her hands. However, the colour red could also be seen to symbolize the idea of love. We learn how Curley's wife was keen to be a movie star, with her appearance also showing this. Steinbeck's use of the simile "like sausages" to describe her hairstyle thus shows how she styled herself like movie icons in America during the 1920s and 1930s. However, the use of 'sausages' could also suggest how men viewed her as a piece of meat; the fact that Curley's wife is the only unnamed character, and the only female character, shows how females were treated in an undermining manner in this time.  Another important aspect of the introduction to Curley's wife is how she is presented in the doorway. She is described as cutting off a "rectangle of sunshine in the doorway". With dreams and aspirations being an underlying motif in the novella, especially the idea of the American Dream,  this imagery is important, as it shows how her character directly blocks sunlight and thus sends the room into darkness. In relation to dreams, this shows how she is perhaps blocking dreams of the other characters in the room, such as George and Lennie's dream of owning their own farm and leading a better life. With the use of the action 'cut off', the abrupt nature suggests these hopeful dreams ending suddenly, which further implies the danger of her charcater, as well as the red embodying this warning. However, one cannot forget the way her charcter is also presented in an opposite light, in a way that makes the audience feel sympathy for her. Curley blatently has possession of his wife, and his character appears to use her for sexual enjoyment only. Candy makes this clear when describing to George and Lennie hows Curley's glove is "fulla vaseline", implying his hand is kept soft in a serious manner, with the glove being physically shown off to exemplify his masculine pride.