º Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name? What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck trying to send by not giving her a first name?
I would say that the atmosphere of the bunkhouse would be tense. I think this because before Curley came into the bunkhouse, it was fine but since a bit later in the book we discover that Curley doesn't like big men. Since Lennie is big Curley tries to intimidate him which causes George to get mad, "He glanced coldly at George and then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists He stiffened and went into a slight crouch. His glace was at once calculating and pugnacious. Lennie squirmed under the look and shifted his feet nervously." This means that since Curley doesn't like big men he immediately tried to be mean by curling his fists and going into like a fighting position like if Lennie did something to show a threat, he would attack. Even after Lennie does get scared and wants to leave, George becomes like a brother and tries to calm him down. This makes that tense mood that stayed even after Curley left. I think that the atmosphere of the ranch is mostly Tense as well, as we don't see that much of the whole ranch in the first one to three chapters.
I think that Curley's wife doesn't have a name because since shes the only girl there, and is to be married to Curley it would be reasonable for everyone just to call her Curley's wife, as the book refers to her as. I think this because since back then women where seen as possessions there would be no need to give her a name as she could just be called "Curley's wife". In the story it says "He got married a couple weeks ago. Wife lives over in the boss's house." Which just states that they don't bother calling her by her first name if she even had one because now she is Curley's wife, its more practical to just call her that. I think that the message John Steinbeck is trying to say is that back then women where considered possessions and it didn't matter if she had a name or not.
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