Curley OMAM Quotes

Curley, Intro (2)

“high-heeled boots”
“calculating and pugnacious”

Curley, Violence (4)

“fighter”
“handy, God damn handy”
“God damn punk”
“his hands closer into fists”

Curley, Toxic Masculinity (3)

“like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys”
“I know who done it… I’ll kill the big son of a bitch myself”
“Slim don’t need to wear no high-heeled boots”

Curley, Women (2)

“glove fulla gasoline” in order to keep his hand “soft for his wife”
“I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.”

Curley, Intro Context (3)

Steinbeck told the NY Times in 1937: “The characters are all composites to a certain extent.”
Steinbeck wanted to document the suffering of people he worked with. We can see this when he said “I am trying to write history - a visceral documentary.”
The ranch acts as a microcosm for American society in the 1930s and this is clearly the case for Curley who represents the unfairness of inherited power and authority.

Curley, Violence Context (1)

Steinbeck exposes the instability and insecurity experienced by a large proportion of society in 1930s America.

Curley, Toxic Masculinity Context (1)

Steinbeck critiques the hyper-masculinity in Curley which is representative of many men in 1930s America.

Curley, Women Context (2)

Steinbeck reveals the restrictive and confining institution of marriage in 1930s America.
“An’ I bet he’s eatin’ raw eggs” which refers to a belief in the 1930s that eating raw eggs would improve sexual performance.