Curley’s Wife’s Dream
Curley’s wife’s big dream before she married Curley was...
To become a movie actress.
Curley’s wife feels so lonely on the ranch because...
She is the only woman and has no one to talk to- except men who judge her.
How does Curley’s wife’s story show that the American Dream can be skewed?
Her dream dies because of social limitations and circumstances beyond her control, relating to not just her but other in real life.
Curley’s wife’s hair symbolizes...
Beauty and attraction, but also temptation and societal judgment
Chapter 5 primarily takes place in...
The barn
How did Curley’s wife describing her dream when talking to Lennie?
She talked about how she “could’ve been in movies” if she had the chance.
Curley's wife's loneliness affects her actions by...
Causing her to seek attention and connection, sometimes misunderstood as flirtation.
Compare Lennie’s and Curley’s wife’s dreams in the beginning of this chapter.
Lennie’s dream is still hopeful and alive; Curley’s wife’s dream is (as it has been) lost and unattainable.
The dead puppies symbolize...
Fragility of dreams and innocence.
What is the major tragic event that happens in Chapter 5?
Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife.
Why is Curley's wife's dream considered unattainable?
Society blocks it — she is trapped in marriage and isolated on the ranch.
The only character who listens to Curley's wife in chapter 5 is...
Lennie
As we all know, Curley's wife is accidently killed by Lennie. What does this moment symbolize?
The death of her and her dreams; Curley's wife is finally at peace, but her personal dream is gone forever, never to be seen again.
How does Lennie’s handling of his puppy foreshadow Curley’s wife’s death?
Lennie's inability to control his own strength and his habit of harming fragile things (he accidently killed his mice and puppy) shows what's to come later on in the book, as he was clearly capable of doing that kind of thing again (to Curley's wife).
Curley’s wife first interacts with Lennie before tragedy strikes by...
Talking to and confiding in him about her dreams.
Curley's wife's dream shows that her personality is...
Ambitious, hopeful, and that she desires freedom from her limited life.
Curley's wife's lack of power impacts her life by...
Trapping her, showing she cannot control her circumstances and her opinions are ignored.
Curley’s wife’s experiences challenge the idea that hard work guarantees success. Why might this be?
Despite her ambition, she cannot escape her circumstances, showing that the American Dream is not equally attainable. "Hard work" was never even an option for her at the time.
How does the barn symbolizes Curley's wife's life and dreams?
It represents isolation, confinement, and where her dream ultimately "dies".
Curley's wife's death affects Lennie and George’s dream because...
It destroys their vision of owning a farm; their shared dream ends.
Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife’s dream to comment on women’s roles in society by...
Illustrating that societal expectations and gender inequality prevent some people from achieving the American Dream.
Steinbeck uses Curley's wife's loneliness to connect to the theme of the American Dream by...
Emphasizing that companionship is necessary for pursuing dreams; without it, dreams fail.
How exactly does Steinbeck use Curley's wife's story to critique the American Dream in general?
He shows that social limits, gender roles, and lack of opportunity can destroy even the most ambitious dreams.
In the context of chapter 5 Curley's wife's death symbolizes...
The unattainability and destruction of the American Dream for some characters.
Steinbeck uses the climax of the story to show the fragility of dreams. How exactly does he do this?
The death of Curley’s wife demonstrates how one tragic event can shatter multiple characters’ hopes and the American Dream, as it did to George and Lennie.