Being the boss's son, Curley does have power. He can essentially do whatever he wants without the fear of being fired. However, this power is indirect. It is actually his father's power. But Curley uses it nonetheless.
Curley is a small man and he is insecure. He tries to be intimidating in order to compensate for his insecurities. His insecurity is his weakness. In other words, he tries to appear more powerful than he really...
Being the boss's son, Curley does have power. He can essentially do whatever he wants without the fear of being fired. However, this power is indirect. It is actually his father's power. But Curley uses it nonetheless.
Curley is a small man and he is insecure. He tries to be intimidating in order to compensate for his insecurities. His insecurity is his weakness. In other words, he tries to appear more powerful than he really is. The swamper describes Curley's behavior and strategy:
S’pose Curley jumps a big guy an’ licks him. Ever’body says what a game guy Curley is. And s’pose he does the same thing and gets licked. Then ever’body says the big guy oughtta pick somebody his own size, and maybe they gang up on the big guy. Never did seem right to me. Seems like Curley ain’t givin’ nobody a chance.
Curley's insecurity, his feelings of powerlessness, lead him to act out in this way. So, he picks fights with people in a pathetic attempt to prove himself.
Curley also has little control over his wife. Whit talks about this and we see a number of times when Curley's wife is always looking to the other ranchers for companionship:
Ever’ time the guys is around she shows up. She’s lookin’ for Curley, or she thought she lef’ somethin’ layin’ around and she’s lookin’ for it. Seems like she can’t keep away from guys. An’ Curley’s pants is just crawlin’ with ants, but they ain’t nothing come of it yet.
Curley is important to the extent that he is the boss's son. And after Lennie kills his wife, George is forced to do something he would never want to do, and this is to avoid Curley's wrath. So, Curley is significant to the plot and to George's and Lennie's lives. But Slim, George, and Lennie do not care for him at all. And given his wife's tendency to avoid him, he may not be that important to her either. She probably married Curley for financial stability. In the chapter where she talks with Lennie and Crooks, she reveals her dream of being an actress. So, while she has a home and life with Curley, she clearly shows regrets and her restlessness at the ranch suggests she looks for opportunities to get away from Curley.
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