"OMAM"

4/22/15


Book: Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck

Prompt:Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse. Be sure to include characteristics of different characters that were formally or informally introduced to us in this chapter. Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.

Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name?   What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck  trying to send by not giving her a first name?  Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.

                  The atmosphere of the Ranch house can be friendly, or unfriendly. It's friendly when Carlson and Slim met Lennie and George. They were getting along pretty well. They should get along throughout the whole book. However, it is unfriendly when Curly was trying to get under Lennie's skin. Curly may try to turn people against George and Lennie by fighting them and loosing on purpose to make it seem like they jumped him. The boss also can be friendly or unfriendly, depending on his mood.


                   Curly's wife does not have a name because of the time period the book takes place in. Back then, women didn't have all the right they do today. You can even say they were mostly used as property before. Therefore, she must have not been given a name or she is not allowed to use it. George calls her a "rat trap" and other insulting names by the other workers.



               I think the author's message is women didn't really have respect for themselves back then. Either embarrassed,ashamed, or never experienced respect from another person. Some of the men in the Ranch, including George and Lennie, were calling her disrespectful names. Therefore, she must be used to it, just giving her body away because she doesn't know how to respect herself. She doesn't respect herself because she never felt it respect from another person.