Curley’s Wife’s Dream
Curley’s wife’s big dream before she married Curley
To become a movie actress.
Curley’s wife is so lonely on the ranch because...
She is the only woman and has no one to talk to except men who judge her.
Curley’s wife’s story show the American Dream is broken
Her dream dies because of social limitations and circumstances beyond her control.
Curley’s wife’s hair symbolize
Beauty and attraction, but also temptation and societal judgment
Chapter 5 takes place in...
In the barn
Curley’s wife describing her dream when talking to Lennie
She talks about how she “could’ve been in movies” if she had the chance.
Her loneliness affects her actions by...
She seeks attention and connection, sometimes misunderstood as flirtation.
Compare Lennie’s and Curley’s wife’s dreams.
Lennie’s dream is hopeful and alive; Curley’s wife’s dream is lost and unattainable.
The dead puppies symbolize
Fragility of dreams and innocence.
The tragic event that happens in Chapter 5
Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife.
Her dream is considered unattainable
Society blocks it — she is trapped in marriage and isolated on the ranch.
The only character who listens to her in Chapter 5 is...
Lennie
This moment in Chapter 5 symbolizes the death of her dream
Her death; she is finally at peace, but her dream is gone forever.
Lennie’s handling of the puppy foreshadow Curley’s wife’s death
It shows that strength combined with innocence can accidentally destroy what’s fragile.
Curley’s wife first interacts with Lennie by...
She tries to talk and confide in him about her dreams.
Her dream shows that her personality is...
Ambitious, hopeful, and that she wants freedom from her limited life.
Her lack of power impacts her life by...
Showing she cannot control her circumstances, her opinions are ignored, leaving her trapped.
Curley’s wife’s experiences challenge the idea that hard work guarantees success
Despite her ambition, she cannot escape her circumstances, showing that the American Dream is not equally attainable.
The barn symbolizes her life and dreams
It represents isolation, confinement, and where her dream ultimately “dies.”
Her death affects Lennie and George’s dream cuz...
It destroys the hope of owning a farm; their shared dream ends.
Steinbeck uses Curley’s wife’s dream to comment on women’s roles in society by...
Her dream shows that societal expectations and gender inequality prevent some people from achieving the American Dream.
Steinbeck uses her loneliness to connect to the theme of the American Dream by...
Her isolation emphasizes that companionship is necessary for pursuing dreams; without it, her dream fails.
Steinbeck uses her 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 her death symbolizes...
The unattainability and destruction of the American Dream for some characters.
Steinbeck uses the climax to show the fragility of dreams
The death of Curley’s wife demonstrates how one tragic event can shatter multiple characters’ hopes and the American Dream.