1)
Introduction
a) Most
significant because…
b) She affects
most of the characters as she is the catalyst for Lennie’s death
c) She is seen
as a risk because of her promiscuity and her position on the ranch
d) She is
greatly affected by the theme of loneliness due to her marginalisation
e) This is the
source of her need for attention, good or bad
2)
Key
Features of CW’s character
a)
Promiscuous – most prominent aspect of her character ‘She
had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made up. Her fingernails
were red. Her hair hung in little rolled clusters, like sausages. She wore a
cotton house dress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets
of red ostrich feathers…Her voice had a nasal, brittle quality.’ ‘She put her
hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was
thrown forward.’ ‘She said playfully.’
b) Shallow –
lack of description for personality
c) Lonely –
only women on ranch and marginalised (attention-seeking) ‘”Think
I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while”’
d) Dramatic –
wanted to be an actress + uses this to her advantage
3)
Key events
involving CW
a) Despite her
efforts to force her presence upon the men, she is not involved in many
significant events
b)
The only times we see her are when she intrudes on the
men – she has no purpose so she just appears randomly ‘For
the rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off’
c) The most
significant event she is involved in is her death – but only because she died
4)
Interactions
with other characters
a) She is
attention seeking
b) tries to
force her presence upon the men – they see through her feeble attempts at
befriending them
c) when in the
company of the ‘weak ones’ she takes advantage of Curley’s position of power on
the ranch as she can’t enforce her
miniscule bit of authority on the more powerful characters ‘”Listen,
Nigger... I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny”’
d)
e) she loves
to be in control as she does not often get the opportunity
f) when in the
company of the ‘weak ones’ she expresses her frustration
g) she takes
advantage of her aspiring actress skills to manipulate the weaker characters
h)
the workers see her as a risky character to interact
with – George refers to her as ‘jailbait’ (‘I
seen ‘em poison before, but I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her’)
i) she creates
tension between the other men
5)
Key themes
connected with CW
a) Loneliness
– she is the only women on the ranch and has no friends or companions as her
relationship with Curley is purely sexual
b) Marginalisation
– she is marginalised because of her gender
c) Shattered
Dreams – she wanted to be an actress though her dream was shattered when her
mother would not let her go ‘”Coulda been in the movies and had nice
clothes.”’
d) Sexism – in
the 1930s, women were still discriminated against
e) Anger
(frustration) – she is frustrated and angry with her life and situation, she
could’ve had a better life as she tells Lennie
6)
Conclusion
a) The most
significant character in the novella
b) She affects
the lives of most of the other characters and is the cause for the main event
in the novella
c) She poses a
constant threat to their jobs and well being
d) The main
theme affecting her is loneliness as she is marginalised by the other
characters
e) This is the
theme that drives her to be so promiscuous and intrusive on the men
