The Girl With No Name
Doug Calhoun
For Mr. Calhoun’s English 3, 2nd Period
Some readers may find it unusual that John Steinbeck, in his Depression-era novel, Of Mice and Men,
included only one female character and that he intentionally chose not to give her a name. There are several
possible explanations for this omission. Not giving Curley’s wife a name may have been a simple reflection of
sexist attitudes of the writer. However, leaving her nameless may have been intentional and for literary
purposes. He may have neglected the name because he wanted her to be less human to avoid sympathetic
feelings toward her. And finally, Steinbeck may have wanted her to act as a simple foil for the protagonists
and considered naming her unnecessary.
The first explanation that we will explore is that John Steinbeck didn’t name Curley’s wife simply
because he was influenced by a sexist attitude. The plausibility of this theory is strengthened by the fact that
the author was swayed by the era in which he lived. Women were not held in as high regard as they are
today. Some may say this sexism is obvious in the way Steinbeck writes about her. Descriptions of her as a
“tart” and her habit, according to Candy, of “giving everybody the eye” hint of sexism. Certainly her own
behavior and language, created by the author, also support the sexist theory. She was certainly not a shy
character and often used innuendo and flirtation in casual conversation with the boys on the ranch. Her
character can be viewed as a no-brained fool with only one thing on her mind.
Another theory that can explain her namelessness is that Steinbeck intentionally did it for purely
literary reasons. The first of which is that she be dehumanized so the reader would not give her sympathy. If
he had given her a name, as a writer he could have penned sympathy into the text that would translate to the
reader. There is a hint of sympathy toward her in the narrator’s description of her immediately after her
death. If more of this occurred, she would have been a much more important character. Some would say
Steinbeck didn’t want this. This opinion could also be supported by the other end of the spectrum. Steinbeck
didn’t want the reader to hate her as much as Curley. By dehumanizing her without naming her, she doesn’t
come off as detestable as her antagonist husband.
Another literary explanation for Curley’s wife being without a name is that Steinbeck wanted her to be
a simple, objective foil in the story. A foil is defined as a force or unwitting character that gets in the way of
the protagonists’ goals. There are several foils in Of Mice and Men, including Lennie’s disabilities and the
economic conditions during the Great Depression. By not naming Curley’s wife, she becomes more like these
two uncontrollable forces rather than a flesh and blood character.
Dropped in the middle of a cast of colorful male characters is Curley’s wife. This pivotal character
remained nameless because of author John Steinbeck’s willful pen. She is a character that raises several
questions, one of which is: What was Steinbeck’s motivation for creating the girl with no name?