How does Steinbeck use Curleys wife to communicate key themes

in the novel?
Although somewhat overlooked, Curleys wife shows some of the
most prominent themes in of Mice and Men perhaps the most
strongly of all characters especially that of dreams. She is also
shown as a symbol of the role of women at the time; leading a
controlled, problematic life and showing further themes of loneliness
and discrimination.
The most significant theme conveyed by Curleys wife is that of
dreams. Perhaps her only significant speech in the novel is that in
the barn with Lennie, when she tells of her dream, however in her
description of this it can be seen that it was never real and merely a
childish fantasy which helped her to stay happy. A key statement
which shows this is a guy told me he could put me in the pitchers.
From her description of this night, it can clearly be seen that
Curleys Wife was being used; lead by an unrealistic notion, however
when [she] never got that letter she blames her old lady
stealing it and married Curley to escape. However, as childish and
unrealistic as this dream may have been, it still goes to show that
every character in the novel had a dream; none of which would or
could come true but which perhaps made their lives a little easier.
Another theme which Curleys wife is a prominent demonstration of
is loneliness. Although she should be considered the least lonely
character in the novel, due to her being married to Curley and being
settled at the ranch, it can be seen later in the novel that as
mentioned above, she married him to escape from another place
and has found herself in what could be considered an even more
lonely and restricted situation and this links to her attention
seeking nature which causes her to be called such things as a flirt,
tart and a loo loo. This loneliness is revealed to the reader also
in the scene in the barn with Lennie, where Curleys wife describes
her existence as awful lonely and states I cant talk to nobody
but Curley. Curley is portrayed as angry and controlling throughout
the novel, and it is due to this that other characters avoid talking to
Curleys wife as they dont want no trouble. This behaviour leads
to Curleys wife seeking attention and trying to break this barrier,
leading to her being dubbed a flirt and a tart, with other
characters saying she got the eye. In a way, this almost leads to a
vicious circle whereby her loneliness is multiplied; meaning she
could be considered the loneliest character in the novel confined
to herself and a husband which she cant stand.
A final theme communicated by Curleys wife in the novel is
discrimination. Curleys wife is the only female character in the
novel, and is used as a symbol of women at the time showing how
they were treated as inferior to men and almost as possessions. The

most obvious way in which this is shown is through the fact that she
is not given a name and is merely referred to as Curleys wife. This
could portray her as both a meaningless object of Curleys or it
could represent the divide between men and women at the time in
which the novel was written as women were seen as less important.
Her being treated as a possession like this also links to a cause of
her loneliness and attention seeking manner as described above
it is because of marriage that Curleys wife can be discriminated
against like this and which causes all of the discontent in her life,
which can seemingly only be solved through her inevitable death
after which it is described in this passage: and the meanness and
the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all
gone from her face.
Overall, Curleys wife could be considered almost a personification
of most of the key themes in the novel loneliness, dreams and
discrimination, and it is due to all of these that she lives such a
miserable life. This passage shows her finally being brought to
peace, as well as revealing what she felt and who she was
underneath the red fingernails and sausage curls.