English Lit OMAM Characters

CURLEY’S WIFE

Misunderstood Obedient Naïve Stereotypical Submissive Lonely Dissatisfied Pretty Seductive Despair Hopeful Mistrusted Flirtatious Restless Self-obsessed Cruel Attention-seeking Insecure Property Feminine

She is the attractive, newly married wife of Curley. She is the only female character in the novel and is never given a name. Appears very showy and flirtatious, which causes tension in the ranch.  Is desperately lonely and is constantly trying to get attention form the men.  She has a dream of becoming a famous actress.  She is naïve and immature.  She represents the female race in the novel.  She is vindictive and will use the power that her status gives her, even if it is unfair.  Her sexuality is the only real weapon that she has.

Crooks key words

• Bitter

• Hostile

• Proud

• Independent

• Intelligent

• Pain

• Prejudice

• Futility

• Indignant

• Frustrayed

• Angey

• Helpless

• Cynical

• Discrimination

• Microcosm

• Insecurity

• Bookish

• Suspicious

• Misery

• Mean

• Realistic

• Sharp-witted

• Disempowered

Crooks context

• He is the only black man on the ranch.

• He works as a stable buck looking after the horses.

• Lives in a room over the barn and not with the other men.

• Is treated badly by the other men.

• Is a lonely character, he spends most of the time with his books.

• Has a crooked back

• He represents what was happening to Blacks in America in the 1930s.