In of mice and men, Steinbeck set us up to feel Pity (sorry) for Lennie although he ended up committing a murder. Lennie rely on George for approval on anything he’s going to do, and he’s also scared of the repercussion when he does things without George’s approval. When Curly’s wife approached Lennie in the barn, and engage in a conversation with him, he said “George said you’re trouble to stay away from you”, and she replied by saying “why does everyone think I’m trouble”. If we play close attention to the way Curly’s wife is portrayed, that’s another set up by Steinbeck for the readers to be the judge on her. She’s pitiful too but it was up to her to describe her on pity. She broke down her unhappiness to Lennie who is not paying attention to anything she’s telling him, because of his intellectual disability. He’s more focus on the puppy he killed, prior to her coming to the barn, and the repercussion behind it. She said to Lennie “ you know a director told me I can be a star in Hollywood?” but my parents forced me to marry Curly.” This is a woman trapped in a marriage that she’s not happy and she has no one to talk to. The best opportunity she has to talk to someone, he seem to be not interested in her conversation at all. After pausing and asking Lennie a couple of question about her story, he intend ask her “do you think George will let me tend to the rabbits”? She chuckled and said “you’re so silly”, but continue to tell him the story anyway. This explain how relief she felt finally letting everything out, it doesn’t matter who she’s telling it to.
