How Does the Role of Women Affect the Novel? Essay

In this essay I will be discussing and analysing how the role, or roles, of women affect the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. The novel is set in the 1930’s during ‘The Great Depression’ and features three women: Curley’s wife, who lives on the ranch and is representative of the stereotypical suppressed wife, Susy the brothel owner who represents the role of women as solely sexual objects and whores, and lastly, Aunt Clara – a mother figure to Lennie. These are the three archetypal women in the novel and in this essay I will be evaluating their influence on the novel. It is not immediately apparent that women are not vital to the novel. However, the three women help the reader understand how life was for them. Curley’s wife confuses and plays with Lennie’s immature and insane mind with her flirtatious comments, and seductive body language. ‘She moved closer to him’ suggests their actions became out of control. Curley’s wife could have lived her dream as an actress but instead she stood by Curley, ‘I coulda went with the shows’ Her actions demonstrate her love for Curley at the time and how she gave up her dream for him. Curley’s wife allows us to appreciate the role of women in the novel and women at that time that had to suffer from great loneliness in the ranch, outnumbered by a large number of men. ‘Think I like to stay in that 6 by 4 house listening to Curley?’ Her pitiful relationship with Curley or even the agony of her loneliness results in her playful, engaging behaviour. Curley’s wife 1 resembles the stereotypical wife on a ranch in the 1930’s. Deciding on whether his wife is a tart or victim is significant to understanding the real message behind the novel and enables the reader to understand the role of women on such ranches. Susy is immensely different in contrast to Curley’s wife as she is a working woman, owner of a brothel so she is surrounded by friends of both sexes constantly ‘Old Susy’s a laugh’ Unlike Curley’s wife, Susy isn’t as pivotal to the plot but through her we can see and grasp the typical working woman in the 1930’s furthermore the sexual discrimination suffered where women were valued as mere sexual objects. Aunt Clara presents a completely contrasting character to Curley’s wife and Susy. Firstly she presents herself as maternal character ‘her hands on her hips, and she frowned disapprovingly at him.’ this suggests, Aunt Clara must have looked after Lennie like a mother figure when he was younger. ‘I told you’ This is a demonstration of her guiding influence over Lennie and how she was an important character in his life. Aunt Clara is a typical mother and helps the reader value the role of a mother and how it influences the novel. All three women are crucial in the development of the plot and have a great impact on the reader. Their roles help to raise awareness of the women during the ‘Great Depression.’ Women can be seen in a triad of roles; wife, mother and whore. The novel exposes sexual discrimination, sexism and the hierarchy of male over female on the social ladder.