the identity of curley's wife in carlisle floyd's of mice and men

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The identity of Curley's wife in Carlisle Floyd's Ofmice and menLang, Jacquelinehttps://iro.uiowa.edu/discovery/delivery/01IOWA_INST:ResearchRepository/12730663240002771?l#13730832360002771

Lang. (2015). The identity of Curley’s wife in Carlisle Floyd’s Of mice and men [University of Iowa].https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.nkjb3vzk

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THE IDENTITY OF CURLEY’S WIFE IN CARLISLE FLOYD’S OF MICE AND MEN

by

Jacqueline Lang

An essay submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Doctor of Musical Arts degree in the Graduate College of

The University of Iowa

May 2015

Essay Supervisor: Professor Stephen Swanson

Copyright by

JACQUELINE LANG

2015

All Rights Reserved

Graduate College The University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

D.M.A. ESSAY

This is to certify that the D.M.A. essay of

Jacqueline Lang

has been approved by the Examining Committee for the essay requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the May 2015 graduation.

Essay Committee: Stephen Swanson, Essay Supervisor

Dr. Christine Getz

Dr. William LaRue Jones

Dr. John Muriello

Bill Theisen

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank all of my committee members for their guidance on this project. I would

also like to thank Dr. Jennifer Iverson for her assistance with harmonic analysis of the music

examples presented in this paper.

iii

PUBLIC ABSTRACT The interpretation of Curley’s wife as a temptress and seductress in the novel Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck (1937) has left scholars and audiences divided. Although her part was

expanded in the Broadway play in 1937, there were still questions on her role, even for the

actress portraying the part. In the mid-to-late 1960s the novel would be adapted to an opera

by Carlisle Floyd, with a less ambiguous interpretation of her character. This study compares

characterization of Curley’s wife in the novel with the opera by considering her literary themes

within the context of women’s issues that were influential during the conception of both works.

Analysis of the music will demonstrate Floyd’s subtle changes to her character, and how it

enhances her role as a seductress.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................. v

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ........................................................................................................ vi

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... ……..1

CHAPTER 1. CURLEY’S WIFE IN THE NOVEL ............................................................................... 14

CHAPTER 2. TURNING THE NOVEL INTO AN OPERA ……………………………………………………….…….32

CHAPTER 3. DEPARTURES FROM THE NOVEL ............................................................................ 49

CHAPTER 4. DRAMATICT INTERPRETIVE GUIDE…………………………………………………………………….78

CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………………………..116

APPENDIX A. OPERAS BY CARLISLE FLOYD…………………………………………………………………………..119

APPENDIX B. SYNOPSIS OF THE NOVEL……………………………………………………………………………….120

APPENDIX C. SYNOPSIS OF THE OPERA……………………………………………………………………………….123

APPENDIX D. JONN STEINBECK'S LETTER TO CLAIRE LUCE…………………………………………………..126

APPENDIX E. CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE………………………………………………………………………..128

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….131

v

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Power Struggle Act 1, scene 2 (First Entrance)………………………………………………………….84

Table 2. Dramatic Intent Act 1, scene 2 (Second Entrance)………………………………………………….…86

Table 3. Dramatic Intent Act 2 (Third Entrance)……………………………………………………………………..

................................................................................................................................................... 944

Table 4. Dramatic Intent Act 3, scene 1 (Fourth Entrance)……………………………………………………

................................................................................................................................................. 1066

vi

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Example 1. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 1, scene 2, p. 60, m. 621. ...................... 58

Example 2. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 1, scene 2, p. 49, mm.512-519……….…..59

Example 3. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 1, scene 2, p. 50, mm. 526-534………….. 61



Example 6. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 2, p. 135, mm. 509-511……………………… 66

Example 7. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 1, scene 1, p. 36, mm. 367-368…………..667

Example 8. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 3, scene 1, p. 149, mm. 110-116………… 69

Example 9. Of Mice and Men, orchestral reduction from the conductor’s score,

Act 1, scene 2, p. 187, 181, mm. 2-3……………………………………………………………………………………… 71


Act 3, scene 1, p. 520, 18, mm. 5-6……………………………………………………………………………………….. 72


Act 1, scene 2, p. 202, 109, mm. 2-4…………..………………………………………………………………………….74


Act 1, scene 2, p. 161, 86, mm. 1-2.………….…………………………………………………………………………… 75



1

INTRODUCTION

The enduring success of the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck has made it into a

modern classic.1 The popularity of the story has led to many references to, and variations of,

the characters of George and Lennie in pop culture. Some of the most notable occurrences

include several Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons by Warner Bros., as in the episodes

“Hiawatha’s Rabbit Hunt,” and “The Abominable Snow Rabbit,” and in the episode “The One

with the Chick and the Duck” of the TV series Friends.2 Adaptations of the novel include a play

(1937), three films (1939, 1981, and 1992), a lesser-known musical drama (1958), and an opera

by Carlisle Floyd (1970).

My interest in the story of Of Mice and Men originates from seeing the 1992 film

version.3 I was particularly struck by Sherilyn Fenn’s portrayal of Curley’s wife. I was drawn to

her character largely because at the time I empathized with her dreams. Her tragic and

untimely death horrified me. My introduction to the operatic version was through New

England Conservatory’s Perkins Opera Scenes, the Act 3, scene 1 duet between Lennie and

Curley’s wife, where she is killed, was performed. Her death in this scene equally disturbed me

as the movie, and has piqued my interest in how Floyd treats this remarkable character. As this

essay will illustrate, the portrayal of Curley’s wife in the opera differs significantly from her

1 Anne Loftis, “A Historical Introduction to Of Mice and Men,” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, ed. Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 123. 2 Friends. The complete third season [videorecording] / Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, Warner Bros. Television, created by David Crane, Marta Kauffman, (Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, c. 2003), Season 3, episode 21, Airdate 17 April 1997. 3 John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, screenplay by Horton Foote, produced by Russ Smith and Gary Sinise, directed by Gary Sinise (Culver City, CA: MGM/UA Home Video, c. 1992).

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portrayal in Steinbeck’s book. This essay will discuss the significance of this difference for

characterization of Curley’s wife in the opera.

Floyd’s opera premiered on January 22, 1970 at the Seattle Opera. According to

Thomas Holliday in Floyd’s autobiography, Falling Up, most critics gave it enthusiastic praise

and believed the opera would have enduring popularity. It has continued to be well received by

audiences and critics alike, so much so that it is now a part of the standard operatic repertoire.4

Its first academic performance took place at The University of Iowa in July of 1971. Opera

America’s website lists the most recent performances of the opera at Sarasota Opera (2013),

Utah Opera (2012), Kentucky Opera (2009), Forth Worth Opera (2008), Lyric Opera of Kansas

City (2004), New York City Opera (2003), Florentine Opera Company (2004), Vancouver New

Music (2002), Edmonton Opera (2002), Houston Grand Opera (2002), Nautilus Music-Theatre

(2001), Arizona Opera (2000), Opera Cleveland (1999), San Diego Opera Association (1999),

Utah Opera (1999), New York City Opera (1998), and Glimmerglass Festival (1997). European

performances include a performance at the Bregentzer Festspiele (Bregentz, Austria).5 Opera

Australia premiered the work in 2011.6 A list of Floyd’s operas is included in Appendix A.

Only two scholarly essays have been written on Floyd’s Of Mice and Men. The article by

Sally Chivers, Ph.D., “Disability Studies and the Vancouver Opera’s Of Mice and Men,” focuses

on how Lennie’s disability is portrayed through the libretto as printed in the program and

4 New Works Dictionary Of Mice and Men, in Opera America, www.operaamerica.org, accessed 10 July 2013. 5 Della Couling, “Carlisle Floyd, Interview,” in Opera Now (May June 2002), 21. 6 Media Release, “A literary masterpiece becomes an opera to remember Australian Première of Carlisle Floyd’s OF MICE AND MEN,” 26 November 2011, www.opera.org.au, accessed 9 October 2014.

http://www.operaamerica.org/

http://www.opera.org.au/

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through the performance.7 Chivers suggests that Floyd’s adaptation erases Lennie’s disability,

and any portrayal of it is left up to the director and actor. This article does not discuss the

music.

The article by Stephanie Jensen-Moulton, “Intellectual Disability in Carlisle Floyd’s Of

Mice and Men,” also focuses on Floyd’s representation of Lennie’s disability.8 This article

suggests that Floyd’s treatment of the character of Lennie was influenced by his own

perceptions of mental disability. Additionally Jensen-Moulton discusses music that surrounds

Lennie’s character, providing analysis through discussion of intervals and serial techniques that

the composer employed to create themes and mood. To date, no published material focuses on

Curley’s wife.

There are only a few women mentioned in the novel of Of Mice and Men, however

Curley’s wife is the only woman who actually appears in the story and is the catalyst in the

demise of the men’s dreams. Lennie’s Aunt Clara is mentioned in George and Lennie’s history,

and appears in Lennie’s thoughts. The only other women spoken about are the prostitutes at

Susy’s bawdyhouse—the only female companions to the men at the ranch. (A synopsis of the

novel can be found in Appendix B.)

Curley’s wife highlights the themes of isolation, loneliness, and sexism in the novel. The

men on the ranch objectify her. They degrade her by calling her “Curley’s wife” and not by her

first name (which is never revealed). They make remarks about her body, usually after she

leaves the scene, and characterize her as a “tart” and a “tramp.” She is aware, to some extent,

7 Sally Chivers, “Disability Studies and the Vancouver Opera’s Of Mice and Men,” in Disability Studies Quarterly 23, 1 (Winter 2003): 95-108. 8 Stephanie Jensen-Moulton, “Intellectual Disability in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men,” in American Studies 30, 2 (Summer 2012): 129-156.

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of how the men regard her. Even her husband of two weeks, Curley, ignores her. Driven by

loneliness, she seeks companionship from the other men, but they avoid her, perceiving her as

a temptress and a troublemaker.

In the novel, Curley’s wife is a complicated character who oscillates between innocence

and seductiveness, and sometimes combines the two. Her innocence lies in her age and limited

experience in the world as seen in her interactions with the men. Her seductive quality is a

result from knowing she is attractive to the opposite sex and her use of sexuality to gain

attention from men.

The role of Curley’s wife is the only one to have gone through significant changes

through the adaptations, including the opera. Her confusing nature in the novel leaves the

conclusion up to the reader, which has even sparked controversy among Steinbeck scholars on

the nature of her character. Because Curley’s wife can be interpreted differently, the

adaptations present altered versions of her character. While the bare facts are the same in

both the novel and the opera, I intend to show how in Floyd’s opera the role of Curley’s wife

transforms from a misunderstood, lonely, bored woman into a malicious seductress.

Methodology

My study on Curley’s wife will include the social and literary influences on Steinbeck’s Of

Mice and Men, and the narrative themes most important to understanding her character in the

novel. A discussion on the social and musical influences on Floyd’s Of Mice and Men will aid in

understanding her character through an in-depth comparison of the novel to the libretto,

including character development, themes, and symbols of the drama. Additionally, analysis of

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the musical score will show how Floyd injects his own interpretations and creative choices. The

study aims to show how the differences between the novel and the opera are particularly

relevant to the characterization of Curley’s wife.

An analysis of Floyd’s discordant musical language in the opera will be approached

through basic tonal harmony to illuminate how the music depicts Curley’s wife’s character as a

seductress. Curley’s wife’s leitmotif will also be identified and I will show how it is used to

further the plot. Further analysis of the music for Curley’s wife through text-setting,

articulations, and coloratura will offer insight into Floyd’s adaptation of her character.

The first chapter will present a discussion on of the narrative themes in Steinbeck’s

novel. A discussion on historical issues of the 1930s, influences of Hollywood, and the rise of

glamor will also be included, along with observations of how these are reflected in the

character of Curley’s wife. Furthermore, the discussion will include the scholarly interpretation

of her character. The chapter concludes with information of how the novel was adapted into a

play, three films, and a musical drama and the resulting changes to Curley’s wife’s character.

The second chapter presents the opera and its similarities to the novel. A discussion on

the opera will include the historical issues of the 1960s that affect the portrayal of Curley’s wife,

and the narrative elements that remain from the novel that retain her characteristics as a

young, modern woman of the 1930s. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the

importance of the similarities between the novel and the opera.

The third chapter will focus on the departures from the novel. It will include a

discussion of the narrative elements that deviate from Steinbeck’s novel. Additionally, analysis

6

of the Curley’s wife’s music in the opera and instrumentation will illustrate her depiction in the

opera.

The fourth chapter offers a dramatic interpretative guide, involving a detailed scene

analysis intended for use by directors or singer-actors in preparation of the role. This chapter is

followed by the conclusion.

7

CHAPTER 1

CURLEY’S WIFE IN THE NOVEL

John Steinbeck’s real-life experiences were the background for Of Mice and Men.9 He tried a

variety of jobs and gained insight into workingmen and women’s difficulties and dreams.10 For

example, he worked as a ranch-hand near King City, California,11 and this experience was the

foundation for Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck describes the experience:

I was a bindle-stiff myself for quite a spell. I worked in the same country that the story is laid in. The characters are composites to a certain extent. Lennie was a real person. He’s in an insane asylum in California right now. I worked alongside him for many weeks. He didn’t kill a girl. He killed a ranch foreman. Got sore because the boss had fired his pal and stuck a pitchfork right through his stomach. I hate to tell you how many times I saw him do it. We couldn’t stop him until it was too late.12

Steinbeck received encouragement from his first wife, Carol Henning Steinbeck, to write the

novel, and it was published in 1937. Steinbeck decided to write it in a play-novelette structure

that easily could be turned into a play,13 and he noted that Of Mice and Men was a “tricky thing

9 John F. Slater, “Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (Novel),” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck, ed. Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 87. 10 Indra Deo Tiwari, Steinbeck’s Heroes in his Short Stories (South Gamri, Delhi: Rekha Publishing House, 1992), 23. 11 John Steinbeck, Life in Letters, ed. Elaine Steinbeck and Robert Wallsten (New York: Viking Press, 1975), 5. 12 “Men, Mice, and Mr. Steinbeck,” New York Times, 5 December 1937; reprinted in Conversations with John Steinbeck, ed. Thomas Fensch (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1988), 9. 13 Franklin E. Court, “Of Mice and Men (Play),” in A Study Guide to Steinbeck, ed. by Tetsumaro Hayashi (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1974), 161.

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designed to teach me to write for the theatre.”14 Of Mice and Men aimed to reflect the issues

of migrant laborers, race, and sexism.

John Steinbeck was known to use non-teleological principles in his novels, particularly in

Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck defined “non-teleological” as a “non-casual and non-blaming

viewpoint.”15 The novel, originally intended to be a children’s novel entitled “Something That

Happened,” uses the non-teleological concept where no character is responsible for the

outcome of events.16 This principle is illustrated through the interconnectedness of various

characters and incidents, and coupled with the insignificance of the concepts of morality.17 It

notably occurs in some of the killings that simply happen, like that of Curley’s wife, without a

moral motive.18 Others like Carlson shooting Candy’s dog or George killing Lennie, are driven by

unconventional understandings of ethics and moralities.

A Brief Discussion of Women’s Issues and Influences in the 1930s

The stock crash of 1929 created social havoc in the 1930s. A volatile economy forced

entire families to find work even if it meant moving or splitting the family apart.19 Marriage

14 Diana Fenves, “Of Mice and Men: In print, on stage, and on film over eight decades,” www.seattlerep.org., accessed 10 July 2013. 15 Louis Owens, “Deadly Kids, Stinking Dogs, and Heroes: The Best Laid Plans in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men,” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, ed. Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 224. 16 Warren French, John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited (New York: Twayne, 1994), 72-73. 17 Tiwari, Steinbeck’s Heroes in his Short Stories, 25. 18 Owens, “Deadly Kids, Stinking Dogs, and Heroes: The Best Laid Plans in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men,” 224. 19 Sheila Rowbotham, A Century of Women: The History of Women in Britain and the United States (London: Viking Press, 1997), 204.

http://www.seattlerep.org/

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rates dropped.20 Unmarried women, without the support of a husband, were left seeking ways

to support themselves.21

The laws that came into effect during the Great Depression focused on supporting men.

The National Industrial Act of 1933 raised the minimum wage and lowered the number of

maximum hours laborers could work, and the New Deal of the same year focused on getting

men jobs since they were viewed as the breadwinners.22 The introduction of these laws lead to

a new societal indicator of a man’s level of manliness: how much he earned.23 Even though

more women had entered the workforce after World War I, men were commonly paid more for

the same work.24 Various demonstrations took place in the 1930s, in which women demanded

to be paid the same as men.25

Women experienced legal restrictions on the types of jobs they could hold, and some

states even made it illegal for a married woman to work.26 Most women in the 1930s ended up

in clerical jobs, proprietorships, management jobs, and other white-collar work.27 These jobs

typically were in fields in which men were less interested.28 Some women took employment

that was outside socially acceptable fields, including employment in Hollywood.29 (Prior to the

20 Ibid. 21 Carol Dyhouse, Glamour: Women, History, Feminism (New York: Zed Books, 2010), 29. 22 Rowbotham, A Century of Women, 197. 23 Ibid., 218. 24 Ibid., 207. 25 Ibid. 26 Ibid., 204. 27 Ibid. 28 Linda M. Scott, Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), 200. 29 Robotham, A Century of Women, 204.

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1930s, the older generation viewed women employed as actresses as prostitutes.30) Magazine

and newspaper articles encouraged women to work hard and suggested that a woman’s looks

were regarded as a means to securing a job.31

Hollywood’s motion picture industry appeared to offer steady employment during the

Great Depression, and drew many people to Los Angeles.32 Women sought job opportunities in

Hollywood, such as actresses and writers during the 1930s.33 Eventually the influx of people

seeking to break into movies led Hollywood’s Chamber of Commerce to publish brochures

warning of the slim chances of making it.34 The job-seekers and migrant laborers learned that

California was not the land of opportunity, but could be a hostile world, full of rejection.35

The 1930s also saw a rise in the reporting of sex crimes in the newspapers.36 Stories of

“psychopaths” committing sex crimes created the impression that a sex-crime epidemic was

ongoing.37 The data showed no actual increase of crime, but often gave readers the idea that

men with no family (drifters, the unemployed, and even homosexuals) were extremely

dangerous.38

30 Scott, Fresh Lipstick, 176-177. 31 Dyhouse, Glamour, 29. 32 Leo Braudy, The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Idol (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011), 97. 33 Rowbotham, A Century of Women, 204. 34 Braudy, The Hollywood Sign, 97. 35 Ibid., 128. 36 Rowbotham, A Century of Women, 218. 37 Ibid. 38 Ibid.

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Entertainment in the 1930s consisted largely of going to dancehalls and the cinema,

which were both acceptable places for dating.39 The cinema, however, offered something more

than the dance hall: an escape from daily life.40 Movies attracted audiences by portraying

stories of the American myth—“the desire for self-creation, to be somebody, and to find a place

in the new medium that was making the self-enhancement possible.”41 Cinema offered people

a chance to dream for a better life.42

According to Annette Kuhn in An Everyday Magic: Cinema and Cultural Memory,

women arguably were more influenced by the cinema than men.43 The cinema provided an

opportunity for women to dream of what it would be like to be movie stars,44 who were the

image of upward mobility.45 The portrayal of women in cinema challenged the traditional roles

of women in society, creating the modern woman.46 The characters depicted in the cinema

also made new opportunities seemingly possible for women.47 Yet the films of the era sent

mixed messages on marriage—some films portrayed painful marriages, some conveyed the

message that the ultimate reward for the heroine was marriage.48

39 Annette Kuhn, An Everyday Magic: Cinema and Cultural Memory (New York: I.B. Taurist, 2002), 139. 40 Dyhouse, Glamour, 51. 41 Braudy, The Hollywood Sign, 44-45. 42 Rowbotham, A Century of Women, 212. 43 Kuhn, An Everyday Magic, 110. 44 Ibid., 101. 45 Dyhouse, Glamour, 47. 46 Scott, Fresh Lipstick, 176. 47 Kuhn, An Everyday Magic, 132. 48 Jeanie Basinger, A Woman’s View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930-1960 (New York: Alfred a. Knopf, 1993), 340.

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The Rise of Glamor

During the Depression, physical appearance became a mechanism for self-

preservation.49 Appearance conveyed a person’s level of respectability.50 A woman’s

appearance was regarded as a deciding factor in an employer’s decision to hire her, and could

help a woman receive government aid.51 Unkempt women were viewed as prostitutes52 (and

by 1930 prostitution was a crime53). All details in appearance mattered—right down to the

fingernails. Linda M. Scott, in Fresh Lipstick, cites the Northam Warren files that include

account histories at the Northam Warren Corporation-Cutex, which states around 75% of

American women received manicures (this was a significant trend, since prior to the 1930s only

around 25% of women were receiving them) during the Great Depression.54 Beauty parlors and

salons became the equivalent of the men’s club.55

The word “glamor” was used to describe fashions and a particular feminine appeal

through the provocative, modern leading women of the films of the 1930s.56 This new

“heroine” offered women a new definition of feminity—a “glamourous woman on the make”.57

The new heroine showed an attitude of glamor through her poise, go-getting attitude towards

49 Scott, Fresh Lipstick, 194. 50 Ibid., 193. 51 Ibid., 194. 52 Ibid., 193. 53 Ibid., 216. 54 Ibid., 193-194. 55 Ibid., 197-198. 56 Dyhouse, Glamour, 28. 57 Ibid., 29.

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men’s affections, and by enjoying sex.58 Furthermore, the heroine defined glamour in being

“witty, risqué,” and exuding “devil-may-care” confidence.59

Glamorous fashion of the 1930s was defined by the costumes worn by the heroine in

the films, designed with sexual imagery in mind: glitter, furs, slinky dresses, exotic flowers, and

stark red lips.60 The dresses on the silver screen became easy on the eye and accentuated a

woman’s shape.61 High-heels assisted in defining the curves of a woman, and thus the

appearance of glamor.62 Feathers became popular components of costumes, because of the

sexual appeal in how they move, particularly on screen.63 Additionally, the color red became

associated with glamor, reflecting the attitude of the new cinematic heroine.64 This meant that

wearing the color red in lipstick, nail polish, or dress carried a message of a woman’s self-

assurance, defiance, unconventional spirit, or rebellious sexual nature.65

Women across the country began to copy the looks of the Hollywood actresses66

through magazines featuring articles on everything about the actresses, from hairstyles to sew-

at-home patterns for dresses seen in the movies.67 Make-up use copied the look of Hollywood

actresses by reddened lips and cheeks, and elaborate eye make-up.68

58 Ibid., 46. 59 Ibid., 29. 60 Ibid., 29. 61 Ibid., 38. 62 Ibid. 63 Ibid., 33. 64 Ibid., 67. 65 Ibid. 66 Kuhn, An Everyday Magic, 110. 67 Scott, Fresh Lipstick, 205. 68 Dyhouse, Glamor, 42.

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Scholarly Interpretations of Curley’s wife in the Novel

Literary scholars disagree on how Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men—

a sweet innocent girl, a seductress, or both. Richard Hart, in “Moral Experience in Of Mice and

Men: Challenges and Reflection,” points out that she “is a morally ambiguous character with

two distinct sides to her personality and behavior—both associated with male-dominated sexist

attitudes of that time and culture.”69 He adds that her character creates the moral standard by

which other characters are understood and treated within the story. Mimi Gladstein, in “Of

Mice and Men: Creating and Re-creating Curley’s Wife,” says Steinbeck tells the story of

Curley’s wife from the viewpoint of the men on the ranch—but in the scene in Crooks’ quarters,

the audience is made aware of her side of the story.70

In the novel, Curley’s wife is an enigma. The men talk about her, but the reader only

gets occasional glimpses of her. Her intentions in going into the bunkhouse are not clear to the

men, who misinterpret her actions. Steinbeck does not clearly define her character either as a

seductress or an innocent, and the holes in the character leave the interpretation up to the

reader.71

Curley’s wife is the catalyst of events that define the fate of the male characters through

her accidental death, bringing George to the decision to kill Lennie, and in the loss of the dream

69 Richard E. Hart, “Moral Experience in Of Mice and Men: Challenges and Reflection” in The Moral Philosophy of John Steinbeck, edited by Stephen K. George (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2005), 64. 70 Mimi Reisel Gladstein, “Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-Creating Curley’s Wife,” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, ed. by Michael J. Meyer, (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 208. 71 Hart, “Moral Experience in Of Mice and Men,” 67.

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of owning a farm for George, Lennie, and Candy.72 Explicitly, her character helps the reader

understand George and Lennie. Jean Emery in “Manhood Beset: Misogyny in Of Mice and

Men,” says the conflict of the story is the testing of the strength of George and Lennie’s bond,

and in their desire for a world without the ruin of a woman.73 Sandra Beatty says in her essay

“Steinbeck’s Play-Women,” “her unselfish gesture triggers all the succeeding action and the

ultimate outcome for the major characters.”74 In effect, she destroys the men’s dreams.75

Immediately upon meeting Curley’s wife, George develops an intense dislike for her.

Charlotte Hadella, in Of Mice and Men: A Kinship of Powerlessness, says there is no explanation

of this phenomenon, and believes that this may be tied to the concept of Jungian anima.76 In

Jungian terms, Lennie is George’s “shadow self” and his “anima” is Curley’s wife.77 The anima is

the face of “absolute evil” for the man, and is the “seductress, a projection that embodies the

negative, unconscious, and unrealized aspects of the psyche to which a man responds with

fear.”78 The anima arouses a man’s sexual desire, as he simultaneously represses it.79 By

representation of anima, Curley’s wife is the seductress and evil force. She also becomes a

72 French, John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited (New York, Twayne, 1994), 101. 73 Jean Emery, “Manhood Beset: Misogyny in Of Mice and Men,” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, ed. by Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press), 128. 74 Sandra Beatty, “Steinbeck’s Play-Women: A Study of the Female Presence in Of Mice and Men, Burning Bright, The Moon is Down, and Viva Zapata!” in Steinbeck’s Women: Essays in Criticism, ed. by Tetsumaro Hayashi (Muncie, IN: The Steinbeck Society of America, Ball State University, 1979), 10. 75 Ibid., 7. 76 Charlotte Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness (New York: Twanye, 1995), 52. 77 Ibid. 78 Ibid., 55. 79 Ibid.

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sexual inversion to George’s puritanical nature.80 She reminds George of his dream to have a

girl in his life, but has to repress it because of his commitment to Lennie.81

Scholars have compared Curley’s wife to Eve, in which her actions inadvertently

generate the loss of paradise.82 However, she is never referred to as Eve. Before Curley’s wife

is introduced, Steinbeck foreshadows the paradise as unattainable by referring to Lennie’s rape

incident in Weeds.83 (In this incident Lennie grabs a girl’s red dress, and as she becomes scared,

he only holds on tighter. Later she goes to the police and tells them that Lennie raped her, and

a lynch party goes after Lennie.84) Hadella posits that Steinbeck satisfies the Eve myth by

making Curley’s wife the “instrument of destruction of the land dream…”85 However, Louis

Owens, in “Of Mice and Men: The Dream of Commitment,” suggests that in this story “the real

serpent is loneliness and the barriers between men and women create and reinforce this

loneliness.”86

An extension of the Eden-myth is that woman, by definition, is a temptress and

seductress.87 In Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife is the personification of a “fallen woman.”88

80 Ibid., 56. 81 Ibid. 82 Leslie Broder, “Women Stripped of Humanity: John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (1937),” in Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender, edited by Jerilyn Fisher and Ellen S. Silber (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003), 225. 83 Ibid., 43. 84 John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, (New York: Covici, Friede, 1937; reprint ed., New York: Penguin Books, 1993), 41-42. 85 Ibid., 40. 86 Louis Owens, “Of Mice and Men: The Dream Commitment,” in Bloom’s Modern Critical Views: John Steinbeck, edited by Harold Bloom (New York: Infobase Publishing, 2008), 19. 87 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 40. 88 Emery, “Manhood Beset,” 127.

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Jean Emery says that Curley’s wife fulfills this role because “she flaunts her sexuality (her only

effective weapon in this arena), dressing like a bordello whore.”89

Women in Steinbeck’s novels are used as “biological traps,”90 obstacles to men’s

happiness, seducing and robbing them of their money and hope. Curley’s wife becomes the

personification of evil as she “manipulates the men into lust.”91 She may represent the

archetypal role of a temptress, but according to Hadella, does not completely fulfill it since she

is not the source of tension among Curley, Lennie, and George when the fight erupts among the

men.92

Scholars have noted Steinbeck’s general tendency to portray female characters

unsympathetically. Mark Spilka, in his essay “Of George and Lennie and Curley’s wife: Sweet

Violence in Steinbeck’s Eden,” says Steinbeck projects his hostilities towards women through

George and Lennie.93 He points out that Curley’s wife is presented as “vain, provocative, and

vicious.”94 Warren French in John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited, also notes that Steinbeck’s letter

to Claire Luce (which is discussed later) projects his own prejudices through her character.95

Even Curley’s wife’s dreams show Steinbeck’s hostility. According to Charlotte Hadella in Of

Mice and Men: A Kinship of Powerlessness, “It is not surprising that Steinbeck reserves the

89 Ibid. 90 John F. Slater, “Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (novel),” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, edited by Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 90. 91 Hart, “Moral Experience in Of Mice and Men,” 64. 92 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 68. 93 Mark Spilka, “Of George and Lennie and Curley’s wife: Sweet Violence in Steinbeck’s Eden”, in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, edited by Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 67. 94 Ibid. 95 French, John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited, 74.

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emptiest and most commercial of American dreams for Curley’s wife.”96 Furthermore,

Steinbeck refused to give Curley’s wife a name and it is assumed her character represents

women in general.97 Curley’s wife is not based on any real person, in contrast to George and

Lennie, who were based on men Steinbeck met while working on a ranch.98 Many scholars

therefore assume she is based on a composite of women.99

Curley’s wife’s Themes in the Novel

Curley’s wife’s overriding theme in the novel is loneliness.100 Her loneliness is created in

her marriage since Curley abandons her.101 She then seeks contact with the ranch hands since

she cannot have a meaningful connection with her husband. In Crooks’ quarters she tells

Crooks, Candy, and Lennie, “Well, I ain’t giving you no trouble. Think I don’t like to talk to

somebody ever’ once in a while? Think I like to stick in that house alla time?”102 Curley’s wife

reveals her desire for companionship in the barn with Lennie, “I’m jus’ looking for somebody to

talk to.”103 She continues in the scene, “I get lonely. You can talk to people but I can’t talk to

nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody?”104 No one on

96 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 49. 97 Hart, “Moral Experience in Of Mice and Men,” 64. 98 Ibid., 43. 99 Ibid. 100 Beatty, “Steinbeck’s Play-Women,” 7. 101 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 42. 102 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 77. 103 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 86. 104 Ibid., 87.

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the ranch seems to recognize her loneliness.105 Curley’s wife’s decision to leave the ranch is

fueled by her feeling alone.106

Furthering Curley’s wife’s loneliness, the men avoid her, ignore her, and constantly

reject her attempts at friendship.107 For instance, George tells Lennie after meeting her for the

first time, “Well, you keep away from her.”108 Candy furthers her isolation in Crooks’ quarters:

“You ain’t wanted here…”109 Later in the barn Lennie tells Curley’s wife, “Well, I ain’t supposed

to talk to you or nothing.”110 Additionally, the men send the subtle message that she is not

wanted with “scowling” looks (both Candy and Crooks scowl in Crooks’ quarters).111

The dreams for a better life, and the loss of those dreams are a central theme in the

novel.112 Curley’s wife has the dream of being a famous actress in Hollywood pictures. When

she first reveals this dream, she is in the barn with Lennie and says:

Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes—all them nice clothes like they wear. An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me. When they had them previews I coulda went to them, an’ spoke in the radio, an’ it wouldn’ta cost me a cent because I was in the pitcher. An’ all them nice clothes like they wear. Because this guy says I was a natural.113

105 Beatty, “Steinbeck’s Play-Women,” 9. 106 Court, “Of Mice and Men (Play),” 161. 107 Beatty, “Steinbeck’s Play-Women,” 8. 108 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 32. 109 Ibid., 79. 110 Ibid., 86. 111 Ibid. 112 Johnson, Understanding Of Mice and Men, The Red Pony, and the Pearl, xii. 113 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 89.

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Curley’s wife’s dream is not an original dream. Her dream is shaped by tales of Hollywood, and

parallels Lennie’s dream being shaped by George’s version of a dream farm.114 Her accidental

death brings the loss of all dreams for the characters.115

Curley’s wife’s Perspective in the Novel

The novel only gives a few details on Curley’s wife’s history. In a conversation with

Lennie, Curley’s wife tells him that she initially met Curley at the Riverside Dance Palace on the

same night she met the man who told her she could be in pictures.116 Her mother discouraged

her for the second time from going to Hollywood, and she saw marriage to Curley as the only

way for her to escape her mother’s control.117 She married Curley not out of love, but because

she lacked other options (and presumably suitors).118 New to ranch life, Curley’s wife is

navigating her way through an environment that is foreign to her.119 For no apparent reason,

Curley neglects her immediately. Soon she becomes disillusioned with the marriage and begins

to dream of a better life for herself.120

Curley’s wife’s life with Curley is not described in the novel.121 She evidently dislikes her

husband and says with sarcasm, “Sure I gotta husban’. You all seen him. Swell guy, ain’t

114 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 50. 115 Leslie Broder, “Women Stripped of Humanity: John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (1937),” in Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender, ed. by Jerilyn Fisher and Ellen S. Silber (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003), 226. 116 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 88. 117 Ibid. 118 Ibid. 119 Court, “Of Mice and Men (Play),” 160. 120 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 42. 121 Gladstein, “Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-Creating Curley’s Wife,” 209.

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he?”122 She recognizes that Curley does not like people, including her: “[Curley] Spends all his

time sayin’ what he’s gonna do to guys he don’t like, and he don’t like nobody…”123 Later in the

barn she tells Lennie, “I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.”124 Further marital dysfunction is

portrayed when she tells Lennie in Crooks’ quarter, “I’m glad you bust up Curley a bit. He got it

comin’ to him. Sometimes I’d like to bust him myself.”125

Curley’s wife’s marriage gives her a level of power over the ranch hands as an extension

of Curley.126 The men are afraid of being fired from their jobs since Curley is easily provoked.127

If they make his wife upset, or if Curley becomes jealous of their attention to her, trouble will

abound. For instance, George tells Lennie to stay away from her and makes him afraid of

her.128 George says to Lennie, “She’s gonna make a mess. They’s gonna be a bad mess about

her. She’s a jail bait all set on the trigger…”129 The men only acknowledge her as the wife to the

boss’s son, and do not call her by name, instead they refer to her through insults. For instance,

Candy calls her a “tart” in his description of her to George and Lennie .130 After George sees her

for the first time, he refers to her as a “bitch.”131 Whit later describes her as a “looloo.”132 Slim

122 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 70. 123 Ibid, 78. 124 Ibid, 89. 125 Ibid, 81. 126 Beatty, “Steinbeck’s Play-Women,” 8. 127 Court, “Of Mice and Men (Play),” 160. 128 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 55. 129 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 51. 130 Ibid., 28. 131 Ibid., 32. 132 Ibid., 51. The definition of “looloo” changes among sources. At www.gradesaver.com in the Of Mice and Men dictionary, accessed 2 October 2014, this is defined as an attractive woman. At quizlet.com in the Of Mice and Men Slang Flash Cards, accessed 2 October 2014, this is defined as a sexy woman. At pinkmonkey.com in the Free Study Guide for Of Mice and Men, accessed 2 October 2014, this is defined as a loose woman.

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is the only male character that isn’t frightened of her133 and flirts with her by calling her “Good-

lookin’.”134

The ranch hands are suspicious of Curley’s wife because of her seductive behavior.135

Whit addresses Curley’s wife’s behavior in a conversation with George in the bunkhouse:

She got the eye goin’ all the time on everybody, I bet she even gives the stable buck the eye. I don’t know what the hell she wants. 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 just can’t keep away from guys.136

Whit propels this gossip about Curley’s wife that the men all believe beyond reasonable doubt.

Even Curley is suspicious of his wife. He repeatedly goes into the bunkhouse looking for her,

and asking the men about what she was doing there.137 The men seem to think that she’s out

to seduce one of them, and do not see that she is just lonely and reaching out.

Eventually Curley’s wife is frustrated from by her forced isolation. She comments to

Lennie, Candy, and Crooks that she is able to talk with the men when they are alone, but not

when there are two or more men.138 The first time she expresses irritation over the way she is

treated is when she is with Lennie in the barn. She says in anger, “Wha’s the matter with me?

Ain’t I got a right to talk to nobody? Whatta they think I am anyways?”139 Her lack of

meaningful connections leads to her decision to leave the ranch.

133 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 41. 134 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 31. 135 Hart, “Moral Experience in Of Mice and Men,” 65. 136 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 51. 137 Ibid. 138 Ibid., 77. 139 Ibid., 87.

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Curley’s wife reveals her manipulative side in Crooks’ quarters. She comes in looking for

someone to talk to since all the men have gone into town, and finds Crooks, Lennie, and Candy

there. During the conversation, she refers to them as “bindlestiffs—a nigger an’ a dum-dum,

and a lously ol’ sheep”140 But she continues conversing despite her disdain of them. After a few

attempts to get her to leave, Crooks says she has no right to be in his room and that he’ll tell

the boss she was down there.141 She responds to Crooks by threatening to accuse him of

assault, which would cause him to be lynched. She uses the word “nigger”142 to further make

her threat clear. She unmistakably does this to terrorize him and assert her power over him.143

Her conversation with Lennie in the barn is the one time while on the ranch that

someone talks to her in a genuine way.144 In this conversation her tender side is revealed. She

consoles Lennie over the dead puppy and tells him, “Don’t you worry none. He was jus’ a

mutt…”145 Further in the conversation, she finds a common topic they can bond over: petting

soft things. She says to Lennie, “Well, who don’t. Eve’ body likes that, I like to feel silk an’

velvet…”146 She then invites Lennie to touch her soft, well-kept hair, and as Lennie does so she

becomes scared and screams. He accidentally breaks her neck as he holds on.

140 Ibid., 78. 141 Ibid., 80. 142 Ibid., 80-81. 143 Daniel Griesback, “Reduced to Nothing: Race, Lynching, and Erasure in the Theater Revision of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men,” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, ed. by Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 264. 144 Broder, “Women Stripped of Humanity,” 226. 145 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 87. 146 Ibid., 90.

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Curley’s wife as a Young, Modern, and Glamorous Woman

Steinbeck captures the Hollywood fever through Curley’s wife’s dress. Hadella points

out that Curley’s wife “has cultivated the look of a Hollywood actress.”147 Steinbeck describes

her:

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 housedress and red mules, on the insteps of which were little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.148

Her entire appearance shows that she is taking care of herself, that she is put-together, and

regards herself as a grown, respectable woman. She also exhibits her devil-may-care attitude by

wearing red. Hadella furthers that Curley’s wife sees herself “as a commodity—as seen through

the details of her make-up and “costume.””149 While she might see herself as a commodity,

there is no ulterior motive behind her appearance. Although Curley’s wife’s appearance

generally leads to a negative impression by men, if she had not taken care of her appearance,

she probably would not have attracted Curley.

Curley’s wife’s physical mannerisms “appear to be studied gestures from movies or

photographs.”150 For instance, when she first meets George in the bunkhouse, she lingers at the

door frame and “she put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that

her body was thrown forward.”151 Even as she enters Crooks’ quarters, “she stood still in the

doorway, smiling at them, rubbing the nails of one hand with the thumb and forefinger of the

147 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 49. 148 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 31. 149 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 49. 150 Ibid. 151 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 31.

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other.”152 In the barn scene with Lennie as she talks about her dream, she “made a small grand

gesture with her arm and hand to show that she could act.”153

Curley’s wife to some extent represents Hollywood’s glamorous attitude. Curley’s wife

displays confidence in her efforts to connect to the men. This confidence changes over the

course of the story and turns into the “devil-may-care” attitude. She sees nothing wrong with

seeking the attention of other men, despite being married. She flirts with the men as she can,

mostly with Slim and Carlson. She does not take the verbal abuse from the men and shows

them that she will stand up for herself, even if it means she bullies them. Her threats to Crooks

and Candy imply that she knows the limits of acceptable behavior.

Making the Novel Fit for the Stage

Of Mice and Men became a best seller through the Book of the Month Club in 1937.154

George S. Kaufman, one of the most famous playwrights in the late 1930s, became interested in

adapting it for the stage.155 Steinbeck wrote the play, although he had at first declined

Kaufman’s invitation to do so.156 The play was drawn directly from the novel.157 The stage

version was directed by Kaufman and first performed in May 1937 by the San Francisco Theater

Union.158 Critic John Hobart said the played followed the novel with “hardly a single change.”159

152 Ibid., 77. 153 Ibid., 89. 154 Warren French, John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited (New York: Twayne, 1994), 7. 155 Ibid. 156 Jackson J. Benson, The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer (New York: Viking Press, 1984), 357-358. 157 French, John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited, 7. 158 Ibid.

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However, he felt it was “ill at ease in the theater.”160 The play was also produced at the Music

Box Theatre in New York City in November 1937 and ran for 207 performances.161 It won the

New York Drama Critics Circle Award in 1938,162 ahead of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town (which

took the Pulitzer Prize in the same year).163

Kaufman wanted to maintain the essence of the novel. He said to Steinbeck:

Preserve the marvelous tenderness of the book. And—if you could feel it in your heart to include a little more humor, it would be extremely valuable, both for its lightening effect and the heightening of the subsequent tragedy by comparison.164

The dialogue was altered very little from the novel: around 80% of the lines were kept for the

play.165 The novel was written with deliberate set design, which converted easily to the

stage.166

Kaufman also wanted Steinbeck to expand the role of Curley’s wife in order to clarify her

character.167 Kaufman felt that Curley’s wife was the driving force of the drama. In a letter to

Steinbeck he states:

159 John Hobart, “Of Mice and Men,” the San Francisco Chronicle, May 21, 1937, in The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer, by Jackson J. Benson, 351-352. 160 Ibid. 161 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 64. 162 French, John Steinbeck’s Fiction Revisited, 8. 163 Jackson J. Benson, The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer (New York: Viking Press, 1994), 376. 164 John Steinbeck, Life in Letters, ed. Elaine Steinbeck and Robert Wallsten (New York: Viking Press, 1975), 136. 165 John H. Timmerman, “John Steinbeck’s Fictions: The Aesthetics of the Road Taken: “Of Mice and Men (Chapter 4),” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, ed. by Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 105. 166 Ibid. 167 Gladstein, “Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-Creating Curley’s Wife,” 203.

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It is only the second act that seems to me to need fresh invention. You have the two natural scenes for it—bunkhouse and the negro’s room, but I think the girl should come into both these scenes, and that the fight between Lennie and Curley, which will climax in Act 2, must be over the girl. I think the girl should have a scene with Lennie before the scene in which he kills her. The girl, I think should be drawn more fully—she is the motivating force of the whole thing and should loom larger.168

Steinbeck reluctantly set out to make the changes that Kaufman was demanding to adapt the

novel to the stage, understanding that the character he drew in the novel was unclear.169

In the play Steinbeck added an additional dialogue about her childhood to create sympathy for

her character.170 The details include childhood memories of her battling parents, and a lost

alcoholic father.171 The play also emphasizes the similarities between Curley’s wife and Lennie

in the barn scene in how they are drawn closer to each other.172 According to Hadella,

Steinbeck attempted to make her personality more assertive, giving her more self-worth.173 In

particular, this is noticeable because Curley’s wife’s reveals her plan for escaping the ranch,

which was not a part of the novel.174

Despite these additions, Claire Luce, the actress who played Curley’s wife in the original

production of Of Mice and Men, questioned how the role should be interpreted.175 In the

middle of the successful run, she wrote to Steinbeck for some clarification and reassurance

168 Steinbeck, Life in Letters, 136. 169 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 68-69. 170 Ibid., 68. 171 Gladstein, “Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-Creating Curley’s Wife,” 203. 172 Court, “Of Mice and Men (Play),” 160. 173 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 70-71. 174 Ibid., 71. 175 Gladstein, “Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-Creating Curley’s Wife,” 203.

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about her portrayal.176 Steinbeck responded to Luce’s request with a letter providing more

details on Curley’s wife. He included information on her background, remarking that she had to

deal with conflict between her parents, and had to learn to be tough with other kids. Steinbeck

discussed her sexuality, and said she was told to remain a virgin in order to get a husband. He

suggested that the marriage had not been consummated—which was her impetus to seek

attention from others. He also added that she is a frightened person. He concluded the letter

by admitting to Luce that Curley’s wife is a hard part. (The full letter appears in Appendix D.)

Hadella points out that the letter contains competing narratives and that Steinbeck finds it

difficult to describe her character.177 Steinbeck’s reply shows his frustration with having to

explain the character, especially since her “major function in her fictional text is to be

misunderstood, undiscovered as a human being, unknown even to herself.”178 The letter does

not shed new light on Curley’s wife and, indeed, the play script has more information than the

letter.179 The letter probably did not help Luce much in her interpretation180 and there is no

documentation on how it affected her portrayal.

176 Ibid. 177 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 68-69. 178 Ibid., 71. 179 Ibid., 69. 180 Ibid., 73.

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Making the Play into a Film

The success of the play prompted Louis Milestone, director of All Quiet on the Western

Front, to turn it into a film.181 Eugene Solow wrote the script for the film.182 Aaron Copland

composed the music.183

The screenplay required a few changes from the novel and the play, and featured yet

another interpretation of Curley’s wife. Milestone and Solow took a cue from the play and kept

the expanded portions of her character.184 One of the most significant changes was that she

had a name: Mae.185 Milestone showed a little of her life with Curley by adding a silent dinner

scene.186 In this scene, Curley’s father, Curley, and his wife are eating. The men eat noisily, like

animals, and Mae is disgusted by their behavior. This scene reinforces the notion that Mae is in

misery living on the ranch.187

The film presents Mae’s character as sexually charged.188 The opening scene shows her

on her back playing with a puppy.189 At the time, this position was a sexually suggestive

message; thus, the first time she is introduced she already has a sexual quality.190 Her costume

represented the glamor of Hollywood that young women were aspiring to—lipstick, heels, and

slinky dresses. As the film was a flop, United Artists attempted to sell it as a sex film and made

181 Benson, The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer, 393. 182 Loftis, “A Historical Introduction to Of Mice and Men,” 121. 183 John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men [videorecording], presented by Hal Roach, produced by Lewis Milestone, screen play by Eugene Solow, directed by Lewis Milestone (New York: Corinth Films; Chatsworth, CA: Image Entertainment [distributor], c. 2001). 184 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 77. 185 Ibid. 186 Ibid. 187 Ibid. 188 Gladstein, “Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-Creating Curley’s Wife,” 206. 189 Ibid., 205-206. 190 Ibid., 206.

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posters with Betty Field (who played Mae) in seductive poses.191 These elements may have

further solidified Curley’s wife as a vamp and seductress in reader’s minds.

In 1981 Robert Blake directed a TV film version of Of Mice and Men that did not differ

markedly from Milestone’s 1939 version.192 Mae’s sexuality again was portrayed through her

costume: a “tight-bodiced, low-cut cotton dress”.193 However, audiences of the 1980s did not

understand or relate to what would have been considered the sexual suggestiveness in the

1930s.194

A third film version was released in 1992 with Horton Foote as the screenwriter. Elaine

Steinbeck granted Foote her permission to do his own adaptation.195 Curley’s wife does not

have a name in this film unlike in its predecessors. Further, Foote’s film does not contain the

initial scenes with Curley’s wife in the barn,196 and it deletes the dinner scene that showed

Curley’s wife’s disgust.197 Her sexiness is portrayed through mannerisms instead of through

costume.198

Foote adds new details, however, and thereby creates a different version of Curley’s

wife. For example, a scene in the barn in which she is with George and flirts with him like a

teenager and asks if he’s ever had a girlfriend is added.199 This scene gives her a more innocent,

191 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 76. 192 Gladstein, “Of Mice and Men: Creating and Re-creating Curley’s Wife,” 205. 193 Ibid., 206. 194 Ibid. 195 Ibid., 207. 196 Ibid. 197 Ibid., 210. 198 Ibid., 207. 199 Hadella, A Kinship of Powerlessness, 80.

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girl-like quality not seen in any other version.200 In another added scene, moreover, Curley’s

wife reveals to George and Lennie that Curley became angry with her and broke all her

records.201 After this fight, Curley goes into town with the other men, leaving her all alone.202

This scene creates sympathy for her with the audience.

One final change made by Foote to Curley’s wife’s character is in how she notices

Lennie’s bruised face and thereafter asks how Curley broke his hand, thus tying the events

together.203 This occurs after she has told George and Lennie about Curley breaking her

records, making her inquiry less sinister than in the original story and links her with Lennie as

victims of Curley’s abuse.204 Foote’s changes make her character less that of the stereotypical

seductress and more that of a lonely and abused woman.205

Musical Drama

Of Mice and Men was turned into a musical drama by Ira J. Bilowit and Wilson Lehr in

1958.206 Bilowit and Lehr sought input from Steinbeck, and got his support in the project.207

They based their version on the novel,208 but Steinbeck permitted major changes.209 One of

200 Ibid. 201 Ibid. 202 Ibid. 203 Ibid. 204 Ibid. 205 Ibid. 206 Richard A. Davidson, “An Overlooked Musical Version of Of Mice and Men,” in Steinbeck Quarterly 16: 1,2 (Winter/Spring, 1983), 9. 207 Ibid. 208 Ibid., 10. 209 Ibid.

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the primary changes was introducing a sexual attraction between George and Curley’s wife.210

The show was not successful, and only ran for 37 performances.211

Curley’s wife’s role as an enigma has left her interpretation up to the reader. Scholars

have remained divided in their interpretation of Curley’s wife’s character since she alternates

between innocence and seductiveness. Her character serves as a catalyst for the destruction of

dreams, but she is not the source of tension among the men in the novel. Steinbeck captures

the Hollywood fever in the details of her appearance, her gestures, and her dreams. Because of

the enigmatic quality of her character in the novel, the interpretation of her character in the

adaptations either seem to play up the “Eve” quality of her character as a seductress, or as in

Foote’s version, play up the non-teleological message of Steinbeck’s novel to retain her

innocence.

210 Ibid., 12. 211 Ibid., 9.

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CHAPTER 2

TURNING THE NOVEL INTO AN OPERA

Like the previous adaptations, Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men seeks further identification of

Curley’s wife from the novel. Although the additions alter her character from the novel, the

similarities the opera has to the novel preserve Steinbeck’s themes and deeper messages. The

similarities also function to aid modern audiences to understand the historical context of the

1930s.

In 1963 Carlisle Floyd reread John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and noted the potential

to turn it into an opera212 because of its play-like qualities, memorable characters, and

theatrical scenes.213 Additionally the novel easily divides into three acts.214 Floyd recalls, “I do

remember that I frequently experienced that particular excitement reserved for books, or

whatever, that seem ideal for conversion into opera.”215

In the following year Kurt Adler, the Artistic Director at San Francisco Opera, offered

Carlisle Floyd a commission by the Ford Foundation to compose an opera based on a work by

John Steinbeck.216 Immediately Floyd thought of Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men, and Adler

agreed to do the piece.217 In November of 1964, John Steinbeck granted permission to Floyd in

212 Carlisle Floyd, “The Creation,” in Opera Journal (Winter 1971), 5. 213 Ibid. 214 Kerry McDevitt, “The Stage Works of Carlisle Floyd 1949-1972” (D.M.A. diss., The Juilliard School, 1975), 13. 215 Paula Fowler, “Note From the Composer,” http://utahopera.org, accessed 10 July 2013. 216 Floyd, “The Creation,” 5. 217 Ibid.

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to adapt the novel for an opera.218 In the beginning, Steinbeck urged Floyd to use the play for

the libretto.219 However, Floyd was originally unaware the play was based on the novel and

dated back to the 1930s.220 Although Floyd examined the play, he felt it was a literal transcript

of the novel, 221 and not suited for the lyric theatre of opera.222 Steinbeck worked very little

with Floyd in preparing the libretto, remaining unavailable and seemingly uninterested.223 Yet

Floyd longed to collaborate with Steinbeck.224 One of Steinbeck’s few demands was that the

opera not be made into a Great Depression piece.225 The final draft of the libretto was to have

Steinbeck’s approval and the two men would share the copyright.226 Because of Steinbeck’s

death in 1968, Floyd secured his own copyright for the libretto.

Of Mice and Men was “on the drawing board” much longer than Floyd’s other operas.227

Floyd says of the opera, “I never revised an opera more,”228 and it took him five years to

complete.229 After Adler reviewed the work, he found it unfit for a San Francisco production

218 Thomas Holliday, Falling Up: the days and nights of Carlisle Floyd (New York: Syracuse University Press, 2013), 227. 219 McDevitt, “The Stage Works of Carlisle Floyd 1949-1972,” 13. 220 Ibid. 221 Holliday, Falling Up, 227. 222 Floyd, “The Creation,” 8. 223 Holliday, Falling Up, 226. There is no documentation why Steinbeck remained uninterested. One can only speculate why this was the case. 224 Ibid. 225 John Ditsky, “Opera Review,” in Steinbeck Quarterly 14: 3,4 (Summer/Fall 1981), 130. 226 Holliday, Falling Up, 227. 227 McDevitt, “The Stage Works of Carlisle Floyd 1949-1972,” 13-14. 228 H. Daniel Webster, “From Realization to Realization,” notes for Of Mice and Men, Houston Grand Opera, conducted by Patrick Summers (Albany Records Troy621/22, 2003), 10. 229 Jo Reed and Carlisle Floyd, “Art Works,” transcript of a conversation with Carlisle Floyd, www.nea.gov, accessed 10 July 2013.

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and dropped the opera from the season.230 The rejection prompted Floyd to rework the

piece.231 According to Floyd:

I started all over and simply, on the advice of a stage director friend of mine, Tito Capobianco, he said “Never look at the book again. You’ve digested the book. Do your own Of Mice and Men, and so that’s exactly what I did. I thought it was very good advice and it certainly made a permanent impression upon me of the difference of playwriting and libretto writing, which I had thought I understood at that point. So I started out really just stripping it to its absolute essentials as a story and that then thus became what you know and certainly what I know is Of Mice and Men now.232

Tito Capobianco felt Floyd’s libretto stayed too true to Steinbeck’s text and did not reflect

Floyd’s prose style. Capobianco urged Floyd to write his own version,233 which seems to have

given Floyd the artistic freedom he needed to successfully complete the libretto.

The second draft of the libretto was a free adaptation of the novel.234 Floyd began from

scratch by compressing the story, a step he overlooked in the first draft.235 He found the central

storyline to be “the pathetic, fierce pursuit of a simple, if ultimately doomed, dream by two

iterant ranch workers, one of whom inadvertently obstructs the dream’s fulfillment.”236 Floyd

decided that George is the “propelling force in the drama.”237 George must keep Lennie out of

trouble to realize his dreams.238 The antagonist is Curley’s wife, and to a lesser degree,

230 Holliday, Falling Up, 229. 231 Ibid. 232 Reed, “Art Works.” 233 McDevitt, “The Stage Works of Carlisle Floyd 1949-1972,” 13. 234 Ibid., 53. 235 Floyd, “The Creation,” 9. Compressing a story reduces the story to its core elements. 236 Ibid. 237 Ibid. 238 Ibid.

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Lennie.239 The scenes in which the antagonists appear alone, are intended to show the ireful,

explosive environment that George and Lennie enter when they arrive at the ranch.240

Carlisle Floyd understood that audiences of the 1970s for his Of Mice and Men would

have known the novel and would have opposed changes in its structure.241 Floyd’s adaptation

reduces some characters and scenes and expands on other characters and scenes.242 For

instance, Floyd eliminates Crooks for racial reasons and instead adds a chorus of ranch

hands.243 The role of Curley’s wife is enlarged.244 Although the text is changed, it is estimated

that around 10% of the dialogue follows that of the novel.245 These changes allow for a feeling

of timelessness, and do not deviate too far from Steinbeck’s story.246

During the time that Floyd reworked the libretto, around 1969, the New York City Opera

expressed their interest in using Of Mice and Men in their upcoming season.247 (They

premiered Susannah in 1956248 and Wuthering Heights in 1959.249) However, Julius Rudel,

General Director of New York City Opera, was not pleased with the libretto and cut the

239 Ibid. 240 Ibid. 241 Ibid., 150. 242 McDevitt, “The Stage Works of Carlisle Floyd 1949-1972,” 54. 243 Anne Loftis, “A Historical Introduction to Of Mice and Men,” in The Essential Criticism of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, edited by Michael J. Meyer (Toronto: Scarecrow Press, 2009), 122. 244 McDevitt, “The Stage Works of Carlisle Floyd 1949-1972,” 59. 245 Holliday, Falling Up, 227. 246 New Works Dictionary, Of Mice and Men, in Opera America, www.operaamerica.org, accessed 10 July 2013. 247 K.E. Watt, “Of Mice and Men: A Historical Note on the Opera by Carlisle Floyd” www.kewatt.com, accessed 10 July 2013. 248 New York Public Radio, “Five New York City Opera Productions That Made History,” www.wqxr.org, accessed 4 October 2014. 249 Christopher Hapka, “Carlisle Floyd,” www.usopera.com, accessed 4 October 2014.


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production from the season.250 Ultimately the financial losses of the previous season at City

Opera drove the decision to drop Floyd’s Of Mice and Men.251 Other opera companies

approached Floyd with proposals to produce Of Mice and Men, and he selected Seattle

Opera.252 Seattle Opera produced it in 1970, supported by a Ford Foundation grant.253

Musical Background

The music of Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men is intended to be “simple and direct,” and

serve the darker parts of the drama.254 The music alludes to composers like Aaron Copland,

Leonard Bernstein, and Samuel Barber,255 through the use of “quartal harmonies, melodic

invention sometimes evocative of American folk tunes, chromaticism, [and] metric

flexibility.”256 The summation of these elements evokes a musical depiction of Dust-Bowl

America. 257 According to Della Couling, the music for the opera is “spikey” stemming from the

use of chromaticism and dissonance.258 Although the opera was composed at the height of

serialism (and did not use serial techniques),259 the music remains accessible to its audiences.260

250 Robert K. Schwartz, “A Regional Favorite Gains Prominence,” in The New York Times, November 1, 1998, www.nytimes.com, accessed 10 July 2013. 251 Holliday, Falling Up, 236. 252 McDevitt, “The Stage Works of Carlisle Floyd 1949-1972,” 14. 253 Watt, “Of Mice and Men: A Historical Note on the Opera by Carlisle Floyd.” 254 Floyd, “The Creation,” 10. 255 John Ditsky, “Of Mice and Men: Opera in Three Acts,” in Steinbeck Studies 16: 1, 2 (Spring 2005), 150. 256 New Works Dictionary, Of Mice and Men. 257 Anthony Tommasini, “’Of Mice and Men’: It’s Not Over Till the Slow Guy Sings,” in The New York Times, August 22, 2004, www.nytimes.com, accessed 10 July 2013. 258 Della Couling, “Carlisle Floyd, Interview,” in Opera Now (May June, 2002), 23. 259 Pam Dixon, “‘Mice’ Steeped in Lyricism of the South,” in The San Diego Union Tribune, February 7, 1999, www.pamdixon.com, accessed 21 February 2014. 260 Eric Myers, “Opera At Land’s Edge” in Opera 55, 4 (April 2004), 398-399.

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Floyd remarks, “I wasn’t going to write in any kind of tortured serial idiom. It wouldn’t fit the

material. Expansive and spacious is exactly what I wanted the music to be.”261 Leitmotifs are

used to portray each character, and the structure of the opera centers on the use of them. He

desired the drama to dominate the melodic structure.262

Critical Reception of the Opera

Although the opera was popular with audiences, critical opinion of the work is

divided.263 Frank J. Warnke’s review in Opera News on March 14, 1970 of the opera’s premiere

at Seattle Opera was a positive one: “...the opera succeeds more than Steinbeck’s play: the

operatic conventions (and Mice is a very traditional work) impose a frame that makes

Steinbeck’s basic sentimentality infinitely more acceptable.”264 He adds that Floyd’s music

“speaks to the contemporary American operagoer.”265

In Falling Up, Thomas Holliday discusses other positive critical reactions. Wayne

Johnson’s review in the Seattle Times on Jan. 23, 1970 hailed the opera, “The best new

American opera to come along in many, many years.”266 Max Wyman from Vancouver’s The

Sun called it “an artwork of stunning impact.”267

261 Ibid. 262 Ibid. 263 Watt, “Of Mice and Men: A Historical Note on the Opera by Carlisle Floyd.” 264 Frank J. Warnke, Review (Seattle), in Opera News (March, 1970), 31. 265 Ibid. 266 Holliday, Falling Up, 245. 267 Ibid.

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In a review in The San Francisco Chronicle from Jan. 25, 1970, Robert Commanday is

more reserved in his praise.268 Commanday comments that Floyd has come a long way

stylistically, but that the music romantically dulled the starkness of Steinbeck’s original.269

However, Commanday recognizes that “Of Mice and Men promises to be around for some time

to come.”270

Donal Henahan’s review in The New York Times on October 14, 1983 following the New

York City Opera premiere of the piece was scathing. He wrote, “Mr. Floyd’s opera failed

ultimately because it is a feeble score too dependent on gray, declamatory vocal lines and

melodramatic clichés of the sort that no longer turn up even in television serials.”271 Henahan

commented that the depth of the novel was shown through the staging, not through the

music.272 Furthermore, he felt that the music was for ambience and that it lacked in engaging

audiences.273 Henahan states, “unfortunately, even the assassination of an old dog does not,

thanks to Mr. Floyd’s bland music, deeply engage one’s sympathies.”274 He also did not care for

the addition of the Ballad Singer.275

268 Ibid. 269 Ibid. 270 Ibid. 271 Donal Henahan, “Opera: ‘Mice and Men’” in The New York Times (14 October 1983), www.nytimes.com, accessed 4 October 2014. 272 Ibid. 273 Ibid. 274 Ibid. 275 Ibid.


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A Brief Discussion of the Women’s Issues and Influences in the 1960s

The 1960s was a decade of great change in the rights of women.276 The Civil Rights Act

of 1964 provided women at least in theory, careers outside the home.277 For the first time

women had a choice over the traditional role of mother and homemaker by the availability and

acceptance of birth control.278 The upheaval of women’s roles lead many women to question

the idea that marriage should be a woman’s ultimate goal.279

Feminism gained importance for young women, especially toward the end of the 1960s.

In 1968 a group of women decided to protest the Miss America pageant.280 They were

protesting the stereotype the pageant propelled, and they destroyed “instruments of torture to

women,” including high-heeled shoes, bras, girdles.281 Magazines like Playboy, Cosmopolitan,

and The Ladies Home Journal were also burned in this demonstration.282 This event brought

women’s liberation to the forefront of national news.283

The Sexual Revolution changed the way women approached appearance, relationships,

and motherhood. The expression of sexuality was played out in young women’s struggles

against their mothers over clothing (short skirts) and make-up.284 Part of the more sexualized

276 Kenneth T. Walsh, “The 1960s: A Decade of Change for Women,” in US News, March 12, 2010, www.usnews.com, accessed 21 February 2014. 277 Nancy Sink, “Women’s Liberation Movement,” www.novaonline.nvcc.edu, accessed 21 February 2014. 278 Walsh, “The 1960s: A Decade of Change for Women.” 279 Sheila Rowbotham, A Century of Women: The History of Women in Britain and the United States (London: Viking Press, 1997), 368. 280 Ibid., 378. 281 Ibid., 379. 282 Ibid. 283 Ibid., 378. 284 Linda M. Scott, Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), 252.

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culture for young women arguably stemmed from the introduction of the Barbie Doll in

1959.285 As girls started playing with the doll, mothers became worried that Barbie was “too

sexy, too grown-up, too flamboyant” for their daughters.286

The driving concept behind the fashions of the 1960s was sexiness.287 It was more

fashionable to appear youthful than to appear mature and sexually confident.288 Fashionable

women of the 1960s dressed more like girls.289 This new look was candidly sexual, while at the

same time blurring the fashion between genders.290 Fashion also became a vehicle for political

statement, reflecting the social changes of the decade. 291 Make-up, in the 1960s, lost some of

the sophistication of prior decades.292 Red lips were out of style and nude colors were in, while

eye make-up became darker, often with emphasis on heavy black eyeliner around the eyes.293

The Makings of a Sexy, Desirable Woman

Despite the advances made by the Women’s Rights Movement, the 1960s continued to

send women mixed messages about what constituted a desirable woman.294 Messages to

women were often about conforming to old stereotypes.295 Magazine articles warned young

women they would never marry if they lost their virginity, while movie plots often suggested

285 Ibid., 252. 286 Ibid., 254. 287 Carol Dyhouse, Glamour: Women, History, Feminism (New York: Zed Books, 2010), 124. 288 Ibid., 118. 289 Ibid. 290 Scott, Fresh Lipstick, 252. 291 Rowbotham, A Century of Women, 378. 292 Dyhouse, Glamour, 118. 293 Ibid. 294 Rowbotham, A Century of Women, 368. 295 Ibid.

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that the heroine’s real issue was sexual repression (e.g. Splendor in the Grass, 1961, and Love

with the Proper Stranger, 1963).296

Furthering the mixed messages, Helen Gurley Brown’s Sex and the Single Girl, which was

published in 1962, gave women a non-conservative outlook on a woman’s life. Her book is

filled with advice on how to dress sexy, and how to flirt, so as to attract the most eligible men

available.297 Brown also examines the kinds of relationships a woman can have with any man

(married or not) and what to expect from the relationship.298 She suggests that marriage is

boring. Brown advises readers to become “The Girl” in a man’s life through flirting with him

(whether it be with a married man, a boss, or coworker).299 She says that playing this role will

make a single girl feel appreciated: the men will write letters, compliment them, and send gifts

the woman could not otherwise afford.300 Brown advises treating married men as pets and

warns readers not to become attached to them (they are to be used to “spice up” life).301

These ideas were radical for the time and challenged the more traditional roles women had in

their relationships prior to this decade.

The theme of sexiness also emerges in Brown’s book. Brown says that “most girls want

to appear to be sexy.”302 First, Brown argues that appearance is important for sexiness and is

easily conveyed in fitted and skin-tight clothing.303 This look signals to a man that the wearer

296 Ibid., 394. 297 Dyhouse, Glamour, 121. 298 Ibid. 299 Helen Gurley Brown, Sex and the Single Girl (New York: Random House, 1962), 13. 300 Ibid., 13. 301 Ibid., 24. 302 Ibid., 70. 303 Ibid., 76-80.

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wants action.304 Second, she suggests a woman’s speaking voice will hold the key to successful

sexiness. She advises a lower speaking voice is much sexier than a high-pitched or nasal

voice.305 Third, she states that a woman’s occupation can portray sexiness—like being an

actress.306 Lastly, Brown proposes that simply liking men is a key to sexiness.307According to

Brown, all sexy women know how to flirt.308 She says flirting lies mainly in how a woman looks

at a man: giving him constant eye-contact, and “hanging on his every word.”309 The sexy,

flirtatious woman reacts to the man by laughing at his jokes, fussing over his sad stories, and

applauding his bravery.310 The flirt will not interrupt the man as he tells his story.311 Brown

describes the ultimate flirt as a charmer who will detect “what the other person wants to hear

and says it.”312

Curley’s wife in the Opera and Her Similarities to the Novel

Even though Carlisle Floyd preserved the plot of the novel, his version of Curley’s wife

was his own invention. Floyd states, “Curley’s wife is almost entirely my creation in the sense

of what she says, though certainly not the character.”313 Her part as “Eve,” the fallen woman

who leads to the demise of the men’s dreams, is left intact.

304 Ibid., 80. 305 Ibid., 81. 306 Ibid., 73. 307 Ibid., 82. 308 Ibid., 83. 309 Ibid. 310 Ibid., 84. 311 Ibid. 312 Ibid., 85. 313 Dixon, “’Mice’ Steeped in Lyricism of the South.”

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The opera preserves her loneliness, shown by her marriage to Curley and his neglect of

her. For instance, Curley’s wife reveals the first time she is on stage that she is “lonesome and

bored to death.”314 She also tells the ranch hands later in this scene that she is “beginning to

feel neglected.”315 Yet her words of “loneliness” only come up in Act 1, scene 2, and she never

mentions the issue again. Since the theme of loneliness is only brought up twice, it is less of a

central issue for her in the opera.

As in the novel, Curley’s wife seeks companionship from the ranch hands. She uses the

pretense of looking for Curley to make a connection to the men, as she does in Act 2.316 Her

use of this ploy as an excuse to talk to the men and her motivation entering the bunkhouse

becomes a departure from the novel and will be discussed in the following chapter.

Curley’s wife’s alienation remains a theme in the opera. For instance, Curley not only

neglects her, but demands that she leave him alone in their first scene together in Act 1, scene

2: “Dammit, leave me alone!”317 Additionally, the other men, like Curley, push her away. This

is seen later in Act 1, scene 2, Candy tells her Curley does not want her in the bunkhouse.318 As

she attempts to flirt with Slim, he ignores her for a moment then repeats the message that

Curley wouldn’t want her around.319 Moreover, the men refer to her with insults. Candy is the

first to refer to her as a “tart” in Act 1, scene 2, in his conversation with George and Lennie.320

314 Carlisle Floyd, Of Mice and Men, Piano-Vocal Score (New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1971, reprint ed., New York: Boosey & Hawkes, 1996), 50. 315 Ibid., 61. 316 Ibid, 117-118. 317 Ibid., 49. 318 Ibid., 60. 319 Ibid., 64-65. 320 Ibid.

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George calls her a “tramp” to her face in Act 2.321 When Candy finds her dead body, he curses

her.322 Curley’s wife in the opera is aware of the men’s hostility toward her, yet she ignores it

by returning in the bunkhouse.

Curley’s wife in the opera copes with her life on the ranch by dreaming of something

better—to go to Hollywood and wear expensive clothes.323 The dream is vamped up by her

desire for male attention: “An’ the crowd will scream an’ yell an’ the men will fight to touch

me!”324 Additionally, she expresses her need to feel adored.325 The addition of her desire for

male attention makes her dream more superficial than it is in the novel.

As in the novel, Curley’s wife has married Curley not out of love, but because of limited

choices. When Curley pushes her away in Act 1, scene 2, she says out of spite, “An’ I had to

marry you,”326 making it clear that marriage for her was not a choice. She is also disappointed

by her marriage. Curley shows his neglect in this scene as he ignores her pleas to go out

dancing or to a movie. She complains to the ranch hands that she is feeling “neglected” and

that her marriage is not meeting her expectations (later in Act 1, scene 2).327

Curley’s wife makes her unhappiness clear when she says to George, Lennie, and Candy

in Act 2 that she “could sure use some cheerin’ up.”328 When she decides to leave, she suggests

the same unhappiness in her line: “I’ve had enough of this place.”329 She never tells the men

321 Ibid., 119. 322 Ibid., 173. 323 Ibid., 145-146. 324 Ibid., 148. 325 Ibid., 149. 326 Ibid, 53. 327 Ibid., 61. 328 Ibid., 118. 329 Ibid., 146.

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about how Curley treats her, or how she doesn’t like him, as she does in the novel. Her

relationship with Curley is significantly different from that in the novel, and will be discussed

further in the following chapter.

Curley’s wife is an extension of her husband in the opera. Curley is protective and

jealous of his wife. He is upset with her constant wandering into the bunkhouse and wants the

men to tell him if she does it.330 Curley doesn’t threaten the men as he does in the novel, but

the men express fear of losing their jobs if they have problems with Curley. Curley is

particularly jealous of Slim’s attention to his wife, and tries to pick a fight with him in Act 2 over

her.331

Although the men in the opera are suspicious of Curley’s wife’s nature, they do not

gossip about Curley’s wife’s motivations as they do in the novel. Instead, their suspicions are

demonstrated through the questions they pose to her in Act 2. Candy asks her, “What do you

want here?”332 She answers that she is looking for Curley. Later George asks, “How come you

flirt around so much?”333 She responds to George that she wants attention.334 By her response

to George, her motivation is clear and makes her less of an enigma.

Curley’s wife dresses herself with Hollywood glamor and mimics gestures as she does in

the novel. Floyd describes her:

330 Ibid., 53. 331 Ibid., 124. 332 Ibid., 118. 333 Ibid., 120. 334 Ibid.

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She is coarsely pretty with heavily made-up eyes and mouth. Her hair is carefully set and she wears a tight, sun-backed dress and, on her feet, red mules, on the insteps of which are little bouquets of red ostrich feathers.335

The Hollywood glamor is reflected in the details of her make-up and hair, feathers, and the use

of red. Although Steinbeck did not describe the fit of her dress in the novel, the description of

her dress as “tight” in the opera seems to be influence from 1960s fashion. As in the novel, she

dresses to show that she is neither a young girl, nor a prostitute in that she takes care of her

appearance (a coping mechanism for her life). Even when she is making her way off the ranch

in Act 3, scene 1, Curley’s wife takes the time in the barn to change earrings and shoes.336

Additionally, Hollywood influence is shown through her gestures. For instance, in Act 1, scene

2, she “languidly” files her nails.337

Social themes of the 1930s found in the novel also appear in the opera. In the opera,

Curley’s wife wants to go dancing or to the movies338—popular activities of the 1930s. Her

dress is similar, and the attention to make-up, hair, fingernails, and the use of red denote 1930s

glamor. Lastly, her dream of being a famous actress in Hollywood reflects theme from the

1930s.

As Carlisle Floyd struggled with creating the libretto for the opera, it is evident from

enlarging her role that he felt the need to clarify her character, much like the other

adaptations. Floyd preserved the basic elements of her character as a way to stray less from

Steinbeck’s story as seen in Curley’s wife’s themes of loneliness, companionship, and

335 Ibid., 7. 336 Ibid., 44. 337 Ibid., 44. 338 Ibid., 45.

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disappointment in her marriage. Floyd also maintained the concept of a modern young woman

of the 1930s by her Hollywood glamor, and in her dreams of going to Hollywood. Lastly,

Curley’s wife’s role as “Eve” and the destruction of paradise is preserved. However, this aspect

becomes a place where Carlisle Floyd deviates from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and will be

discussed in the following chapter.

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CHAPTER 3

DEPARTURES FROM THE NOVEL By changing the enigmatic quality of Curley’s wife in the opera, Carlisle Floyd creates an

opportunity to change her role into the catalyst in the story. Floyd understood that audiences

are familiar with the novel, and too many changes in the opera would result in an

unrecognizable version. Thus, themes like Curley’s wife’s dress and her desires signal the 1930s

of the novel. However, the departures of the opera from the novel clarify the role of Curley’s

wife, so that there is no question over her role in the destruction of paradise.

The first significant difference between the novel and the opera concerns Curley’s wife’s

marital relationship. In the novel, Curley and his wife are never alone together. In the opera,

Curley and his wife have two scenes together. Their relationship in the opera is shown as highly

volatile, based on cruelty and abuse, in a struggle for power. The following scenes within the

opera portray the manipulation, abuse, and physically violent gestures that define their

relationship.

Curley and his wife are first introduced in Act 1, scene 2, and reveal their dysfunctional

marriage. This scene begins with Curley waiting for the new ranch hands to arrive. Curley’s

wife enters the bunkhouse and tells her husband that she wants to go dancing or to the movies.

Curley verbally pushes her away telling her he does not have time for her.339 She keeps

pleading, making known that she is lonely, and according to the stage directions, becomes

339 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, 44.

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annoyed.340 Curley ignores her outburst and then she attempts to regain control and tries to act

“sweet and coquettish” by putting her arms around Curley.341 He pushes her away and she

replies in anger with an ultimatum: “Some attention paid to me or else, Curley, or else.”342 He

responds with more verbal abuse by calling her a “tramp.”343 She is tenacious and has the last

word: “To think that I could have been in movies an’ I had to marry you!”344 Curley and his wife

do not relate to one another and instead antagonize the other. The scene illustrates how the

two characters attempt to control each other, and it appears they have been together longer

than just a few weeks, as in the novel.

In Act 2, Curley and his wife become physically violent toward each other. In this act

George is provoked by Curley’s wife and is caught by Curley with his hand in the air ready to hit

her. Immediately, Curley is upset and tries to pick a fight with George. Lennie giggles

nervously, which diverts Curley’s attention to him. After Lennie crushes Curley’s hand, Curley’s

wife expresses her satisfaction over his pain.345 Curley explodes over her reaction. The stage

directions state: “Curley takes her by the throat with his good hand and forces her against the

side of the bunk”346 after which she is directed to leave. The stage directions further indicate

that:

She screams and he releases her, pushing her to the door. She turns briefly back into the room and, humiliated, bursts into tears and runs out…”347

340 Ibid., 46. 341 Ibid., 48. 342 Ibid., 50. 343 Ibid., 51. 344 Ibid., 53. 345 Ibid., 135. 346 Ibid. 347 Ibid.

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Curley’s brutal gesture makes him the victor in the power struggle with his wife. Curley’s abuse

and her fear for her own safety drive her decision to leave the ranch, a change from the novel.

Curley is not the only man on the ranch in a power struggle with Curley’s wife. For

instance, George has a scene with her in the bunkhouse in Act 2 involving insults and attempted

physical violence. After Candy urges Curley’s wife to leave, George says, “Get outa here, you

tramp!”348 Upon being called a “tramp” she retaliates, calling George a “good-for-nothin’ bum,”

and defends herself saying that she’s a “decent girl.”349 The act continues with the verbal

attacks by George and Curley’s wife as they vie for power over the other. Prior to this scene,

George makes no comments about Curley’s wife, nor do the stage directions call for him to

react to her as he does in the novel. The act makes it clear that George intensely dislikes her;

thus following the concept of the Jungian anima.

The operatic version of Curley’s wife is untrustworthy. Although her claims of “lookin’

for Curley” are similar to the novel, she is harder to believe in the opera because she is seen

twice on stage with Curley. It is less plausible that her objective in returning to the bunkhouse

later in Act 1, scene 2, is to find Curley because they just had a big fight. She uses the ploy of

“lookin’ for Curley” when she enters the bunkhouse again and says sarcastically, “Ain’t that a

pity. Ain’t that a shame.”350 When she enters the bunkhouse in Act 2, she tells Candy, George,

348 Ibid., 119. 349 Ibid., 120. 350 Ibid., 60.

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and Lennie that she is “in no big hurry to find him,”351 making it obvious that “lookin’ for

Curley” is not what she is doing.

Curley’s wife is highly flirtatious as she interacts with the men. One example of her

flirtatious nature occurs in the later entrance of Act 1 scene 2 where she sets out to flirt with

Lennie (a man who is a complete stranger to her at this point). In this scene she notes that he is

“big” and “awful cute” as though she were trying to stroke his ego.352 Later in this scene as she

leaves the bunkhouse, she reveals that she is on the prowl when she says, “You can’t blame a

girl for lookin’ can you? There’s no harm in simply lookin’, is there?”353 Even when she returns

to the bunkhouse in Act 2, she again flirts with Lennie. The stage directions state, “Curley’s wife

shrugs and crosses to Lennie, eyeing him suggestively.”354 In the novel, Whit tells the men of

her behavior and mentions her “suggestively eyeing” the men, but no one is described as the

object of her attentions. The opera is markedly different by the descriptions of Curley’s wife’s

flirting with Lennie and eyeing the men.

Curley’s wife is portrayed as more of a temptress in the opera. John Ditsky comments in

a brief review that Curley’s wife is “quite a bit of the sleaze, the tease, and the tart—as she is

often seen to be.”355 When she enters later Act 1, scene 2, she is intent on flirting with the men.

The stage directions describe her movement around the bunkhouse:

Curley’s wife has moved slowly around the bunkhouse as she spoke, suggestively eyeing the men in their bunks, nudging the dice in the crap game gently with her

351 Ibid., 118. 352 Ibid., 64. 353 Ibid., 65. 354 Ibid., 119. 355 John Ditsky, “Of Mice and Men: Opera in Three Acts,” in Steinbeck Studies 16: 1, 2 (Spring 2005): 150.

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toe, and, at the end, she is at the table where Slim and Carlson are seated, playing checkers. On her last line, she reaches down and scrambles the checkers, challenging Slim and Carlson to react. It should be clear that the chief target of her interest is Slim, who deliberately ignores her.356

The stage directions portray her intent of seduction in the eyeing of the men, and using her

body by nudging the dice with her foot. The novel only has her standing at the door. Whether

she has the intention of entering the bunkhouse in the novel, she never acts upon it.

Curley’s wife’s behavior in Act 2 further illustrates her reckless disposition. In Act 2,

Candy tells her that the ranch hands do not want trouble with Curley in his attempt to persuade

her to leave the bunkhouse. The stage directions state, “Curley’s wife shrugs and crosses to

Lennie…”357 George demands again that she leave, and she responds, “I think I’ll just let him

find me here. It’ll serve him right for snoopin’ on me.”358 As Candy and George gang up on her,

she physicalizes her defiance, indicated in the stage directions, “Curley’s wife crosses her legs,

leans back on the chair, and shrugs indifferently.”359 Her maliciousness and penchant for drama

is revealed when she blocks the exit and prevents Lennie from removing himself from the

conflict. The stage directions describe her movement, “Curley pursues Lennie as he crosses and

Curley’s wife suddenly jumps up from the table, and moving to the door, bars Lennie’s exit.”360

Such manipulative and disrespectful gestures display a side of her character not seen in the

novel. In the opera, she does not care about the consequences of her actions, and most of all,

she enjoys the drama of the situations she creates.

356 Ibid., 63-64. 357 Ibid., 119. 358 Ibid., 122-123. 359 Ibid., 123. 360 Ibid., 129.

54

Curley’s wife reveals a different side of her character in the barn with Lennie in Act 3,

scene 1. As in the novel, Curley’s wife discloses her dream of wanting to go to Hollywood.

However, in the opera she never relates directly to Lennie who is wrapped up in his dream of

the farm, but instead talks to her doll. As she goes on about her dream, the stage directions

indicate, “Curley’s wife takes a doll out of her suitcase and in the succeeding lines, she talks to

it, sharing with the doll her dream and her excitement.”361 She is directed to move around the

barn with the doll, and even twirls about with it.362

The introduction of the doll may be intended to show that Curley’s wife is still a little girl

in some ways, or perhaps that her character is innocent. In the opera, she does not console

Lennie about the death of his puppy; thus, the tender side of her character is lost. But the doll

may serve to replace the tenderness she had in the novel (as it seems that this doll is her only

friend on the ranch), or the doll may serve as a way of coping to deal with the violence she has

endured. Only when she is concerned about Lennie telling on her does she speak directly to

him: “You won’t tell where I’ve gone?”363 He explains that he will not because George will not

let him have rabbits on their farm. This paves the way for the conversation about soft things,

with Curley’s wife inviting Lennie to feel her hair.

Curley’s wife is strangled more violently in the opera than in the novel. After allowing

Lennie feeling her hair for a while, she becomes annoyed that he is mussing it, and tells him to

stop. He continues to stroke her hair, and she becomes angry and exclaims, “Can’t you hear

361 Ibid., 145-146. 362 Ibid., 149-150. 363 Ibid., 152.

55

me? What’s wrong with you?”364 Since Lennie does not stop, she becomes alarmed and fights

to get out of his grip. The stage directions describe the action:

Curley’s wife bites his hand and briefly breaks away. Lennie pursues and overtakes her and angrily clamps his hand over her mouth once more. She struggles wildly to get free but Lennie only holds on more tightly, backing her against a post.365

The stage directions express how Curley’s wife fights for herself in the opera. She shows

gumption by biting Lennie’s hand to get away from him. The novel does not have Curley’s wife

momentarily escape Lennie, and makes her death an accident. The addition of her brief escape

in the opera changes the perception that her death is accidental.

The Music of Curley’s Wife and the Composer’s Interpretation

The next step to understanding Curley’s wife in the opera is by examining what is

provided in the music. In Bringing Opera to Life, Boris Goldovsky states, “the composer does

not simply follow the story as it is presented in the vocal text and the acting directions; he reads

between the lines and elaborates on the drama with his music.”366 The composer will read

between the lines of the text by reflecting the character’s psychological state.367 The music can

provide information like how a character utters words, behaves, moves, shows unhappiness,

364 Ibid., 157. 365 Ibid., 160. 366 Boris Goldovsky, Bringing Opera to Life (New York: Appleton-Century-Croft, 1968), 96. 367 Ibid., 70.

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etc.368 The following section will provide details on these elements as they pertain to Curley’s

wife in the opera.

Additionally, Carlisle Floyd was particular in how the vocal line depicts the character of

Curley’s wife. Floyd states:

Curley’s wife would be a lyric soprano with coloratura extensions: runs, leaps, and trills would highlight her flirtatious or wiseacre tendencies.369

The coloratura elements (the runs, leaps, and trills) are to show her “excessively coy, false

aspect.”370 On the other hand, when Curley’s wife’s vocal line is without the decorations, it

signals moments of sincerity in her character.371

Curley’s wife is musically depicted by the leitmotif that is associated with her character.

The leitmotif occurs in three of the four scenes in which she appears, and it is used prominently

to announce her entrance. The only time it is not used for this purpose is in her first

appearance in Act 1, scene 2. The leitmotif illustrates her as a temptress in Act 1, scene 2 as it

permeates the music throughout her second entrance. The leitmotif, shown in Example 1, is

the first time the leitmotif is introduced, from her second entrance in Act 1, scene 2. In the

previous part of this scene, she was last seen in a fight with Curley over him not willing to take

her out. She threatens him with an ultimatum that she is going to get attention where she can.

Then she returns to the bunkhouse to see if she can achieve the attention she desires.

368 Ibid., 65. 369 Holliday, Falling Up, 253. 370 Floyd, “The Creation,” 6. 371 Ibid., 6-7.

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The harmony of Curley’s wife’s leitmotif characterizes her evil qualities. John Ditsky

notes that her music is “appropriately sinuous”372and this is especially shown in the harmonies

of her leitmotif. For instance, in m. 621 in Example 1, there is repetition of C in the melodic line

and as a pedal tone in the bass, making the key center C. The serpent-like motion of the motif

distorts the key center of C by using chromatic lower and upper neighbor notes (labeled as LN

for lower neighbor and UN for upper neighbor). As the motif moves to the dominant (G), it is

distorted by lowering the dominant by a half-step (G-flat) creating the dissonance of a tritone

(labeled as TT) from the key center of C.

The rhythmic and dynamic marking of the motive furthers her suggestive mood.

Goldovsky notes that the shape of the melody and harmony of a motive can depict character

gestures and behavior.373 The rhythm in m. 621 features a set of sextuplets followed by three

quarter notes. This rhythm is indicative of how Curley’s wife moves (or how she is thinking) in

that it is quick and then lingers, giving her a predatory quality. The dynamics also capture her

predatory movement by the hairpin dynamic markings of a crescendo and decrescendo.

The blurring of the tonic through the use of the upper and lower chromatic neighbor

tones, the motion to the diminished fifth, and the rhythmic motion of the motive serve to

illustrate the unpredictability of her character.

372 Ditsky, “Of Mice and Men: Opera in Three Acts,” 150. 373 Goldovsky, Bringing Opera to Life, 82.

58

Examples 1. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 1, scene 2, p. 60, m. 621.

Of Mice and Men by Carlisle Floyd and John Steinbeck ©Copyright 1971 by Carlisle Floyd, Boosey & Hawkes, Inc, sole agent.

Reprinted by permission.

The first time Curley’s wife is on stage in Act 1, scene 2, she encourages Curley to take

her out. He is focused on the arrival of the new ranch hands, and keeps brushing her off. She

tries several different (and equally unsuccessful) approaches to get what she wants. The music

illustrated in Example 2 is taken from this scene, when she changes her tactic to get what she

wants, this time by using her body.

Curley’s wife’s fake qualities are highlighted in Act 1, scene 2 through dissonance and

dynamics. For example, in m. 512-515 in Example 2, her vocal line is accompanied by a series of

very similar chords that contain the root, a major and minor third, a diminished fifth, and a

major seventh. The blurring of the chords, using both major and minor thirds, lends the

impression Curley’s wife is being phony as she attempts to manipulate Curley. Another

harmony that furthers her false qualities in this example is the tritone of her vocal line in the

example (e.g. the motion of D to A-flat in mm. 512-513). Additionally distortion of pitches, like

that of m. 516 and 518 where the pitch G-sharp distorts the pitch A (the dominant of the key

center of D-minor), characterize her mood. Lastly, the passage uses pianissimo markings to the

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loudest dynamic marking of piano at m. 516. The soft dynamic level embodies her coy and

seductive nature.

Moreover, the first instance of coloratura in Act 1, scene 2 is to show her coy nature.

Rising desperation is brought out in Curley’s wife’s phrases on the word “please” in mm. 517-

519 in Example 2 in the use of coloratura and in large leaps.

Example 2. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 1, scene 2, p. 49, mm. 512-519.



60

After Curley demands she leave him alone, his wife sings of her loneliness (note that it is

not adorned) over a tremolo in the accompaniment as seen in Example 3. She is fed-up with

Curley never paying her attention, and retorts about her loneliness. In m. 526 in Example 3, her

vocal line is supported by harmony in the orchestra that is stable in its movement from the

dominant to the tonic, back to the dominant (A to D). The stable harmonic movement of m.

526-528 is simpler in its statement, as if there is purity to it (and purity of her feeling). The

tremolos are sounded in the lower instruments, and the dynamics of the passage depict her

rising anger through the use of sforzando markings.

As her emotions begin to escalate the harmony becomes more dissonant. In Example 3

the melody from m. 529 is suddenly heard in the accompaniment in m. 532 as if it were taking

on her passion. When the voice enters in m. 529 in Example 3, it is a tritone from the upper line

of the accompaniment, creating harmonic instability. The tritone in this passage reflects her

unhappy state of mind with her husband. The initial E-flat of her vocal line is not resolved until

m. 530, where the resolution comes on the word “want” (labeled as res) furthering the

harmonic instability and tension between Curley’s wife and her husband.

Curley’s wife turns to manipulation to regain control, as Curley remains passive through

the rests in Example 3. When she states that she wants attention, the orchestra punctuates the

statement with an unusual sounding B-flat minor seventh chord. This chord underscores a

psychological change in her state by changing the musical texture. Following this chord, in m.

531 Curley’s wife’s vocal line becomes ornamented by the use of coloratura and wide leaps on

the word “hear.” She follows this with her ultimatum.

61




62

Curley’s wife is antagonistic in her relationship with Curley, as seen in Act 1, scene 2.

This next example continues in their struggle from Example 3, where she escalates from

expressing her loneliness to being completely unhinged giving Curley an ultimatum: if she does

not get attention from him, she’ll get it elsewhere. The vocal line of m. 542 in Example 4 begins

this ultimatum in the key of D-major, but the tonic becomes distorted through the use of an

upper chromatic neighbor tone of E-flat. Both the distortion of the tonic and the forte dynamics

in m. 542 illustrates her anger as if she is provoking Curley with dissonance.

The dissonance, like harmonic jabs, in Curley’s wife’s vocal line continues in Example 4,

but changes in the harmonic approach. A delayed resolution to the pitch A in m. 544 in

Example 4 is the result by use of an A-flat. Similarly, an avoidance of the pitch A is used again in

m. 546-547 by a G-sharp continues her verbal blows. The harmonic prodding also occurs in the

use of the lower chromatic neighbor tone and the upper chromatic neighbor tone of A in m.

546 on the melismatic phrase on the word “where” (or this could reflect her anger in the use of

the lower and upper chromatic neighbors).

Further insight to the relationship between Curley and his wife in Act 1, scene 2 is

through word emphasis in Example 4. In m. 546 of the example, melismas on the word “where”

gives it importance over other words in this passage. She does not care who gives her the

attention, but she is determined to find it. Her fury is conveyed in the leaps of the vocal line

accentuating the word “I.” The fermata over the word “I” portrays what is important to

Curley’s wife.

Lastly, in Example 4, the absence of accompaniment in the passage signals the height of

the power struggle that occurs in Act 1, scene 2 between Curley and his wife. The struggle

63

builds throughout the scene to the point Curley’s wife makes an ultimatum. This is the first

time Curley’s wife is unaccompanied by the orchestra. The absence of accompaniment brings

focus and freedom of delivery to her text.




Curley’s wife’s suggestive nature is prominent in the amount of coloratura elements in

her scenes with the men in the bunkhouse, such as the later part of Act 1, scene 2. Prior to this

section of the scene, she has had a fight with Curley, resulting in her ultimatum of finding

attention from other men. Later in the scene, she enters the bunkhouse seeking attention from

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the men. Despite her attempts of flirting, she instead meets resistance from Candy and Slim

who urge her to leave.

Curley’s wife continues to tease the men as she lingers upon exiting as she says “’Bye.”

The first indication of her flirtation is that her vocal line, shown in Example 5, is highly

ornamented and completely coloratura. The harmony of her vocal line highlight how she

teases the men. The entire line is a harmonic elaboration of a G-minor seventh chord, but

avoids the chord tones through half-step appoggiaturas. For instance, in m. 683 the F-sharp

leaps to A-natural avoiding the root of G. Similarly, in m. 684 the chord tones of G-minor are

avoided by use of upper and lower chromatic neighbor tones of the dominant (D). The

summation of these harmonic devices in this passage depicts Curley’s wife’s desire to stay and

achieve her goal of getting attention. The vocal line finishes with a motion from the distorted

dominant (D-sharp) to an A-sharp (or third of G-minor). This device illustrates her incomplete

business with the men, the vocal line does not end with the final sound, but on the third rather

than the root—a weaker sounding cadence lending a notion that she will return to flirt.

Curley’s wife’s vocal line in Example 5 is unusual in that it starts high in the soprano

tessitura and dips into the chest voice. The lower register of the voice makes it sound sexier, as

if she is making her point of being sexy.

65




In Act 2, which is set several days later, Curley’s wife has entered the bunkhouse again

seeking attention from the men. She immediately meets resistance from George resulting in a

power struggle between them. Curley’s wife becomes defiant, despite George’s demands for

her to leave, and refuses to leave letting Curley find her there. Curley enters the bunkhouse

and becomes suspicious of George, and starts to pick a fight with him. Lennie giggles nervously,

and catches the attention of Curley who decides to fight him instead. In the midst of the fight,

Lennie crushes Curley’s hand which signals Curley’s defeat. All the while Curley’s wife relishes

the fight is over her, and is empowered that her husband lost.

After prodding Curley with a riding crop, Curley’s wife expresses her triumph over his

injured hand furthering the dysfunction of their relationship. The texture underneath her vocal

line in Example 6 consists of punctuating sparse chords. The chords are the musical equivalent

to Curley’s wife prodding Curley with the riding crop. The vocal line in m. 509 in Example 6

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employs dissonance, like that of the ultimatum in Example 5. For instance, as the passage

begins in A-flat minor, including the pitches of the vocal line an added lowered sixth (F-flat on

the word “lesson”). The F-flat creates an augmented fifth (and an upper chromatic neighbor

tone) from the tonic of A-flat, which is highlighting her revengeful mood. Similarly, the added

C-sharp to the G-minor chord in m. 511 (creating the interval of a tritone) assists her insults to

Curley. Lastly, a succession of accent marks and large leaps in Curley’s wife’s vocal line in m.

510 convey her unconcealed rage towards Curley.

Example 6. Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, Act 2, p. 135, mm. 509-511.



67

Curley’s wife’s last scene takes place in Act 3, scene 1 where she enters the barn to

change her shoes and earrings as she attempts to leave the ranch. After she provokes Curley in

the previous scene, Curley reacts by violently grabbing her by the throat. She runs out of the

bunkhouse in tears. With nothing left to lose, she decides to pursue her dream of going to

Hollywood.

When she enters the barn, she does not expect to meet Lennie. They begin to have a

conversation and end up sharing their dreams. The accompaniment during this section (as seen

in Example 8) is a return of the motif for the farm. The farm dream motif first appears in Act 1,

scene 1 when George sings of owning a farm, as is shown in Example 7.374




374 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, 36.

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The return of George’s theme for his dream signals the hope for the reality of the dream

for Curley’s wife and Lennie. The harmony of the passage in Example 8 begins in C major in m.

110 and moves to the dominant (a G seventh) in m. 111. In m. 113 an altered submediant

chord, A-flat augmented, enhances Curley’s wife’s text on “it’s sure.” The augmented chord is a

tool to foreshadow the plot, and suggests the dreams of Curley’s wife and Lennie will be

unfulfilled.

Curley’s wife’s vocal line now uses leaps of perfect fourths and fifths. There is neither

the distorted fourth or fifth intervals (the tritone), nor any use of coloratura or trills. Her music

has taken on the innocence of George and Lennie’s dream, and also shows purity to her

character. Excitement and passion in Example 8 is conveyed by the building dynamics (to the

fortissimo in m. 116) and in the wide leaps of the vocal line.

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70

Dramatic Portrayal through Instrumentation

The instrumentation for Of Mice and Men calls for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets

in B-flat, two bassoons, four horns in F, two trumpets in B-flat, two trombones, tuba, timpani,

percussion, harp, celesta, and strings. Instrumental timbre is another tool for a composer to

interpret the drama.375 Not only do the instrumental colors shape the drama, but also

represent specific characters.

The leitmotif for Curley’s wife is played by the bass clarinet. The tone quality of this

instrument can be heard as mysterious, shadowy, or sinister (but also loses these qualities in its

higher register).376 As it is played in the leitmotif seen in Example 9,377 it is in the lower register

of the bass clarinet, suggesting an ominous or mysterious mood to Curley’s wife.

Punctuation by the bassoon accompanies the leitmotif’s first statement. Both bass

clarinet and bassoon share a dark color quality.378 The tone of the bassoon is further described

as throaty and intense, and can portray “the well intentioned gone awry.”379 This tone quality

furthers the questionability of Curley’s wife, but since the main melody of the leitmotif is in the

bass clarinet, it has less to do with portraying her good intentions. Instead, the combination

depicts the dark aspects of her character; that her intentions are sinister, and for herself.

375 Goldovsky, Bringing Opera to Life, 81. 376 Samuel Adler, The Study of Orchestration (New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2002), 23. 377 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, conductor’s score, p. 181. This example and the next three examples are a reduction from the score made by this author. The full score is available from Boosey and Hawkes. 378 Bernard Rogers, The Art of Orchestration (New York: Appleton-Century-Croft, 1951), 5. 379 Ibid., 37-38.

71

Example 9. Of Mice and Men, orchestral reduction from the conductor’s score, Act 1, scene 2, p. 187, 181, mm. 2-3.



Strings, given their rich and warm tone quality380 and flexible articulations,381 are

another important instrumental color in depicting Curley’s wife’s passionate moments. They

portray her passion when she tells Curley of her loneliness in Act 1, scene 2 (as seen in Example

2) by playing the melody and by their legato markings. Another example of this is Act 3, scene

1 where they play the melody (as seen in Example 10) with legato markings.

380 Adler, The Study of Orchestration, 7. 381 Ibid., 10.

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The other instrument that portrays Curley’s wife is the celesta. This instrument is noted

for its soft and delicate, but penetrating sound.382 Also, it is said to intensify sentimental

moods.383 The soft delicate sounds lend a feminine quality to her music. However, there is

nothing sentimental about her character, and thus the celesta does not represent her

sentimental mood.

In Act 1, scene 2 the celesta illuminates Curley’s wife seductive and manipulative

qualities. It first appears in her accompaniment as she attempts to manipulate Curley into

382 Ibid., 475. 383 Rogers, The Art of Orchestration, 74.

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taking her out. Later in this scene, the celesta’s timbre plays up her seduction as she moves

around the bunkhouse. The celesta punctuates her lines as she sings of Curley “always been

where I’m just at.”384 Then it returns in the orchestral color when she notices the new guys and

attempts to flirt with Lennie, as seen in Example 11. Furthering her seduction, the celesta is

played when she says, “You can’t blame a girl for lookin’, can you?”385

The celesta foreshadows the events in the story by linking Curley’s wife and Lennie.

Lennie is accompanied by the celesta in Act 1, scene 1 when he sings about touching the cloth

of the girl’s skirt in Weeds, alerting the audience to trouble. The next time the celesta is heard

is when Curley’s wife comes into the bunkhouse for the second time in Act 1, scene 2 to flirt.

As the celesta accompanies Curley’s wife, it signals her role as a catalyst for the events to

follow. Then in Act 2 the celesta’s role begins to change and is only played with Lennie’s lines

to indicate trouble for him and Curley’s wife.

384 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, conductor’s score, p. 190, section 103, mm. 2. 385 Ibid., p. 205, section 112, mm. 1-3.

74




In all of the scenes with Curley’s wife tension is built by adding layers of brass and

percussion in the orchestra, use of accent markings, use of dissonance, and changes in tempo.

According to Bernard Rogers in The Art of Orchestration, brass instruments represent power,

and communicate with a commanding force.386 As Curley’s wife becomes angry in her scenes,

brass and percussion are added. This sonic crescendo matches her rising energy and emotion.

The rhythmic pulse becomes quicker, giving a sense of drive by the eighth-note pulses, and in

accent markings. One example of this effect is in Act 1, scene 2, where the music depicts the

struggle between Curley and his wife. As the scene progresses and tensions mount, a mass of

sound is built in the addition of horns and the timpani. Dissonances throughout their fight

create harsh sounds that describe the tension of their relationship.

386 Rogers, The Art of Orchestration, 53.

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As the emotional climaxes of Curley’s wife reach their tipping point, her statement has

no accompaniment or just sparse, punctuating chords. Two of these moments are seen in

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Examples 4 and 6. The tempo of her a cappella sections are up to the interpretation of the

singer-actor, and must continue the intensity of her emotion.387

Curley’s wife movement onstage is portrayed in the orchestra, especially in the music of

Act 1, scene 2 when she enters to seek attention from the men. In m. 643 in Example 13, there

is an alternation of sustained, tied half-note chords followed by a beat of eighth notes. This

gesture is similar to her leitmotif (as seen in Example 1), but the chords are held for a longer

period of time. It is as if the chords give her the time to look over each individual man and

quickly go onto the next. In this scene, there is also use of a short-long rhythm with a high

frequency as if this is the gesture of her checking her hair (seen in Example 14).

387 Goldovsky, Bringing Opera to Life, 86.

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78

CHAPTER 4

DRAMATIC INTERPRETATIVE GUIDE

Basic requirements:

Vocal range: A3 to C6

Tessitura: A4 to E5

Voice type: lyric soprano with coloratura capabilities or dramatic coloratura.

The premier of the role of Curley’s wife was sung by Carol Bayard, who was a leading

soprano with New York City Opera.388 Elizabeth Futral, a coloratura soprano, also performed

the role, which was recorded during a live performance with the Houston Grand Opera.389

Futral has performed roles including: Musetta in La Bohème, Nedda in I Pagliacci, Violetta in La

Traviata, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Anne Truelove in The Rake’s Progress.390 The musical

and vocal demands of this role include large leaping intervals of tenths, little musical support

from the orchestra, singing in extended harmonies, changing meters, melismatic material

through all registers with a range of emotions, and clean intonation during the unaccompanied

sections.

A character questionnaire from Mark Ross Clark’s Singing, Acting, and Movement in

Opera is included in Appendix D.391 The responses given are suggestions by the author.

388 Holliday, Falling Up, 239. 389 Elizabeth Futral, Soprano, www.elizabethfutral.com, accessed 8 October 2014. 390 Ibid. 391 Mark Ross Clark, Singing, Acting, and Movement in Opera (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2002), 28-29.

http://www.elizabethfutral.com/

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One quality that needs to be clarified by the director and singer-actor is the topic of the

consummation of Curley’s wife’s marriage. Although it is not clear in the libretto to the opera,

this decision will affect the perception of Curley’s wife by the audience, and affect her

motivations for seeking attention from the men. However, for her character to retain any of

her enigmatic qualities from the novel, it is important to consider Steinbeck’s conceptualization

of her consummation. His letter to Clare Luce states, “As to her actual sexual life—she has had

none except with Curley and there has probably been no consummation there since Curley

would not consider her gratification and would probably be suspicious if she had any.”392 The

letter continues that there is no particular reason as to who had the consummation issue,

although Steinbeck ruminates that the reason is Curley.

The sexual nature of her character must be understood as influence from Hollywood

cinema. Steinbeck wrote to Luce, “She has never talked to a man except in the sexual fencing

conversation. She is not highly sexed particularly but knows instinctively that if she is to be

noticed as all, it will be because someone finds her sexually desirable.”393 She is clueless how to

behave around men except what she learned from the movies. Most likely her conversations

with the opposite sex mimic the witty and risqué Hollywood heroine. Her dress also imitates

the suggestive heroines, as a way to get the men to notice her.

Scene Analysis

The following section discusses the four entrances of Curley’s wife during the opera, and

is examined by the dramatic beats. The discussion will include her goals in each scene,

392 Steinbeck, Life in Letters, 155. 393 LIL, 154.

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suggested acting intentions for the singer-actor, outcomes of her choices, and any issues in

presenting the vocal line. This section is intended for a director or the singer-actor to be read

with a score.

Act 1, Scene 2 (first entrance)

Curley’s wife comes from her house (off stage) and enters the bunkhouse. Most likely

this is not her first time in the bunkhouse.

On stage: Curley is waiting for the new ranch hands to arrive; Candy is scouring the

floor.394

Purpose: Curley’s wife wants to get Curley to take her out.

Motivation: She is bored, lonely, wants attention, to feel attractive.

Mood upon entering: Feeling beautiful, hopeful, confident.

Measures 462— 470:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to arouse, to charm, to fascinate, to ignite, to mock.

Curley’s wife enters the bunkhouse. She informs Curley (a piacere) that she wants to go

out.395 Curley’s leitmotif interrupts her music, he asks why she is in the bunkhouse.396

Measures 471—478:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to tease, to win him, to charm, to fascinate.

394 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, 41. 395 Ibid., 44. 396 Ibid., 44.

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Curley’s wife takes the upper hand and, “ignoring Curley, [she] saunters into the

bunkhouse and sits at the table.”397 The tempo contrasts Curley’s by slowing to an Allegretto

(see Table 1). The slower tempo and 6/8 meter give her line sexiness and fluidity. She repeats

her text as affective speech with a soft dynamics.398 Her leap of a seventh on the word

“tonight” heightens her desire to go out. This leap should be performed with excitement and

not suddenly come out of the texture. She continues that she wants to kick up her heels, with

more coloratura and wide leaps that must be performed with sexiness.

Measures 479—480:

Curley interrupts her.

Measures 481—495:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to win, to conquer, to overwhelm.

Curley’s wife interrupts Curley, reiterating her desire to go out with annoyance.399 The

tempo changes to the Allegretto (see Table 1). She raises the stakes by stating to Curley that

she’s tired of her life on the ranch. Curley continues to obsess over the missing ranch hands.

They both build emotionally in their separate desires through hairpin dynamic markings in the

orchestra throughout this section, and through a crescencdo in m. 493 arriving at forte in m.

494.

397 Ibid., 45. 398 Ibid., 45. 399 Ibid., 46.

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Measures 496—505:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to dominate, to get his attention.

Curley dominates the musical mood and obsesses about the ranch hands. Curley’s wife

tries to get him to listen to her.400

Measures 505—519:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to seduce, to manipulate, to flatter, to charm, to get what

she wants.

Curley’s wife takes control by shifting tactics. She asks about going to a picture show,

“suddenly sweet and coquettish.”401 A new melody is introduced with the celesta, with the

tempo of Allegretto (see Table 1). At m. 512 she “crosses to Curley and puts her arms cajolingly

around his neck” to further her manipulation. She persuades him as she says, “please” (as seen

Example 2). The leaps in this passage should be performed with warmth and sweetness.

Measures 520—522:

Curley pushes her away.

Measures 523—535:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to overwhelm, to bombard, to arouse.

400 Ibid., 48. 401 Ibid., 48.

83

She “explodes,”402 exclaiming her fury with forte dynamic, accents, wide leaps, and

coloratura. Her emotional outburst to Curley is shown in Example 3, which shows the jarring

emotions in the tremolos in the strings, and with dynamics of sfz that crescendo into forte. The

vocal line ascends with coloratura on the words “attention” and “hear”, illustrating her rising

emotions.403 She repeats “Some attention” as a veiled threat to Curley. She drops her sexiness

from this point on (she never sings in 6/8 again in this scene).

Measures 536—548:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to get even, to hurt, to incite.

Curley’s pushes her away. At m. 542 Curley’s wife makes her ultimatum to Curley (see

Example 4).404

Measures 549—564:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to mock, to crush, to destroy, to dominate.

A silent showdown between Curley and his wife is depicted in the tempo change to

Largo, rinforzato (see Table 1).405 At m. 554 she “walks defiantly and sullenly to the door,” and

stops.406 In m. 556 she turns around slowly with the rallentando. She makes her statement

402 Ibid. 403 Ibid. 404 Ibid., 51. 405 Ibid., 52. 406 Ibid.

84

with “disdain” marked with pianissimo dynamics.407 Her disgust culminates with “you” spoken,

and not sung.

Table 1. Power Struggle Act 1 scene 2 (First Entrance)

Measure Who is dominant Tempo Marking Theme of Passage

468 (p. 44)

Curley Allegro risoluto, ben ritmico

(♩=100)

No time to see her

471 (p. 45)

Curley's wife

Allegretto (♩.= 60)

Wants to go out dancing

479 (p. 45)

Curley

Allegro risoluto (♩=100)

Obsesses about ranch hands

481 (p. 46)

Curley's wife


Wants to go out, tired of being on ranch, Curley joins her music obsessing

496 (p. 47)

Curley

Allegro risoluto (♩=112)

Obsesses; Curley's wife joins, begs for him to listen

505 (p. 48)

Curley's wife


Asks about picture show

520 (p.49)

Curley

Agitato (♩=100)

Pushes her away, she explodes

526 (p. 50)

Curley's wife

Appassionato ma largamente

(♩=96)

Lonesome, bored to death

536 (p. 51)

Curley

Vivo (♩.= 132)

Asks if she's threatening him, she makes ultimatum

549 (p. 52)

Both

Largo, rinforzato (♩=63)

Glaring, showdown

559 (p. 52)

Curley's wife

Lento poco deliberato (♩= 60)

States she had to marry him, exits

Act 1, Scene 2 (second entrance)

Later that day, Curley’s wife comes from her house (off stage) and enters the

bunkhouse.

407 Ibid.

85

On stage: all ranch hands; including George (a new ranch hand), Lennie (a new ranch

hand), Slim (the stalwart ranch foreman), Carlson (the assistant foreman), Candy (the old ranch

hand), the Ballad Singer and chorus of ranch hands (additions by Floyd). She shows her

fondness of Slim and Carlson when she tries to interrupt their checkers game.408 She also

attempts to talk to Lennie for the first time.

Purpose: to spite Curley, to relieve the boredom of her marriage, to validate her

attractiveness, to get the attention she craves. Steinbeck says to Luce, “Her craving for contact

is immense but she, with her background, is incapable of conceiving any contact without some

sexual context.”409

Table 2 shows the dramatic beats in this scene.

408 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, 63. 409 John Steinbeck, Life in Letters, 155.

86

Table 2. Dramatic Intention Act 1, scene 2 (Second Entrance)

Measure Tempo Prominent Texture Dramatic Intent

621-630 (p. 60)

Largo non troppo

(♩=60)

Curley's wife leitmotif, bass clarinet

Pretending to look for Curley, get attention from ranch hands

631-633 (p. 61)

Lento assai e lusingando

(♩=50)

Celeste rolled chords

Flirting and posing to let the men look

634-641 (p. 61)

♪= 104

6/8 meter, bass clarinet

Begins to move around bunkhouse in to entice

642-646 (p. 62)

(same)

Return of music of m.621

Tempting by interrupting the craps game

647-660 (p. 62)

Più sostenuto (♪=84)

Return of m. 631 with rolled celeste chords

Moves to Slim and Carlson, messes with their checkers game

661-667 (p. 63)

Più animato (♩=66)

Curley's wife leitmotif, bass clarinet plays legato

Tries to get reaction from Slim and Carlson

668-679 (p. 64)

Andante sostenuto

(♩=72)

Rolled celeste chords

Flirting with Lennie

680-686 (p. 65)

Lento assai (♩=50)

Curley's wife leitmotif (vocal line)

Flirting with Slim, exits

Measures 620—630:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to seduce, to arouse, to tease.

Curley’s wife enters pretending to look for Curley.410 Her entrance is announced by her

leitmotif played by bass clarinet (see Example 1) with a tempo marking of Largo non troppo

(quarter note equals 60), creating an ominous atmosphere.411 Candy responds in her musical

mood, “he soon left after you.”412 She continues, “Ain’t that a pity. Ain’t that a shame.”413

Candy again reminds her (not interrupting, but by responding within her music) that Curley

410 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, synopsis. This synopsis describes her entrance that she is “pretending” to look for Curley. 411 Ibid., 60. 412 Ibid. 413 Ibid.

87

does not “want you down here.”414 She “smiles wickedly” and replies, “Is that a fact?”415 The

repeat of this text uses a legato marking on “Is that,” and the pitches leap from a D-sharp3 to a

B5 with a decrescendo.416 The singer-actor must perform this leap maintaining her intent of

wickedness. The way she uses her voice in this scene plays a large part in her seduction.

Measures 631—633:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to charm, to arouse.

The tempo slows to Lento assai e lusingando (quarter note equals 50), signaling a

change of mood for Curley’s wife. Her intention to lure is intensified through the slower tempo,

allowing her a lingering quality as if she poses for the men. Slight changes in tempo assist in

presenting the text she exclaims, “He’s always left when I’ve just come…,”417 that mimic her

leitmotif, resulting with a stress on the “I’s” of her statement. Her next line repeats this

pattern. The rolled celesta chords in this section continue to signal her seduction.

Measures 634—641:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to overwhelm, to arouse, to incite, to win them over.

The meter changes to 6/8 (eighth note equals 104).418 Here she tells the men that she is

“beginning to feel neglected.”419 The meter of 6/8 reflects the first entrance in this act, which

suggests her sensuous movement around the bunkhouse. The clarinet becomes prominent in

414 Ibid. 415 Ibid. 416 Ibid. 417 Ibid., 61. 418 Ibid. 419 Ibid.

88

the texture of the orchestra in this section, referring back to her original motive upon entering

the bunkhouse. The vocal line is particularly disjunct, and is marked by coloratura on

“neglected,” “expected,” and “his.”420 The singer has the difficult task of maintaining sensuality

in these demanding, angular embellishments. The line must be seductive as well as accurate.

Measures 642—646:


The melody from m. 631 returns in Curley’s wife’s vocal line, but is altered with fuller

harmonies underneath. Since her first tactic did not get the desired response, she changes her

tactics, and asks questions to the men: “Do you just think I’m being avoided?” “Do you think

he’s already grown tired of me?”421 She is still trying to act sexy, depicted by the celesta’s

rolled chords.

Measures 647—661:


The tempo slows to Più sostenuto (eighth note equals 84) with a change of meter to 6/8,

indicating another change of mood in Curley’s wife. The vocal line uses a variation of the

melodic material of m. 634, with the same text: “I’m beginning to feel neglected…”422 The

accompaniment adds the rolled chords of the celesta in this passage, underscoring her

lascivious intention. This section also shows her hair stroking gesture as seen in Example 14, as

420 Ibid. 421 Ibid., 62. 422 Ibid.

89

if she plays with her hair to add sex appeal. The vocal line in this passage is similarly disjunct,

with many leaps and coloratura highlighting “neglected,” “expected,” “just,” and “bride.”423 The

singer needs to work to maintain differentiated vocal colors that fit the dramatic moment

despite the extreme vocal challenges.

Her staging states:

Curley’s wife has moved around the bunkhouse as she spoke, suggestively eye the men in their bunks, nudging the dice in the crap game gently with her toe, and, at the end, she is at the table where Slim and Carlson are seated, playing checkers. On her last line, she reaches down and scrambles the checkers, challenging Slim and Carlson to react. It should be clear that the chief target of her interest is Slim, who deliberately ignores her.424

Her moving around the bunkhouse begins around m. 634, when she says, “I’m beginning

to feel neglected,” in 6/8 meter. The rhythmic pattern of m. 643-644 of the tied half note

followed by the eighth notes gives a musical cue as to her movement playing with the craps

game with her foot on the quick eighths, waiting for a reaction on the half notes. At the return

to 6/8 meter she is on the move again with her seduction aimed, this time towards the table

where Slim and Carlson are playing checkers. She messes up the checkers on the word “bride”

with the rising melismatic sextuplets and stringendo marking.425

To show her flirting, she must be about eye contact throughout this scene. Helen

Gurley Brown in Sex and the Single Girl explains how to flirt:

Look straight into his eyes, deep and searchingly, then lower your gaze. Go back to your companions or magazine. Now look at him again the same

423 Ibid., 62-63. 424 Ibid., 63-64. 425 Ibid., 63.

90

way…steadfastly, questioningly. Then drop your eyes. Do it three times and you’re a flirt.426

Constant eye contact will be a part of conveying her flirting even as the men are talking to

her.427

Measures 661—666:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to seduce, to arouse, to fascinate, to tease, to ignite.

The tempo changes to Più animato (quarter note equals 66), with a change of meter

into 4/4. Curley’s wife’s leitmotif returns in these measures, but is altered by legato

markings.428 Her intention is focused on getting a reaction from Slim and Carlson. Slim

responds to her by answering in the mood of her music with a rolled celesta chord, “You heard

what Candy said: Curley don’t want you down here.” The second part of his statement is a

capella.

Measures 667—670:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to tease, to flatter, to charm, to seduce.

A change in texture and meter lends a shift in mood. The orchestra thins out to just the

celesta, where it strikes sustained F-sharps. The meter changes to 3/4 from 4/4. This

momentary stillness depicts where Curley’s wife’s notices Lennie for the first time. She ignores

Slim’s comment completely, as the staging states, “She shrugs extravagantly and crosses to

426 Brown, Sex and the Single Girl, 83. 427 Ibid., 84. 428 Floyd, Of Mice and Men, piano-vocal score, 63.

91

George and Lennie. Moving directly in front of Lennie, she looks up into his face.”429 She looks

up at Lennie on her line, “You must be the new boys.” The accompaniment uses the rolled

celesta chords, showing her interest in seducing Lennie. She attempts to flirt with a soft and

sensual statement to Lennie, “My, you’re big—but you’re awful cute,” 430 followed by a

statement of her leitmotif at the end of this line.

The reactions from the men interrupt her music. At m. 672, Lennie’s leitmotif for

trouble is played, while the blocking says, “George, alarmed, starts to move between her and

Lennie but restrains himself.”431 There is a caesura marking, followed by a rolled chord by the

celesta in the next measure, creating tension and awkwardness in the men’s reaction to

Curley’s wife hitting on Lennie. She most likely ignores their reactions. Slim responds

(parlando, senza rigore), “I’ll tell Curley you was lookin’ for him.” Curley’s wife’s leitmotif with

legato markings returns, as she says, “You do that, Slim,” while “smiling insolently.”432

Measures 680—685:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to seduce, to tease, to flatter, to ignite.

The tempo slows to Lento assai (quarter note equals 50) marking her return to her slow

seduction, knowing that it is time for her to go.433 The melody of her line is her leitmotif, with

the rolled celesta chords as the accompaniment. The staging says, “She crosses back to the

429 Ibid., 64. 430 Ibid. 431 Ibid. 432 Ibid., 65. 433 Ibid.

92

table, looking at Slim,”434 clearly making Slim the object of her affection, and still trying to get

his attention. At m. 683 she “crosses to the door,”435 and then sings her long melisma on the

word “’Bye,”436 as seen in Example 5. She purposefully lowers her voice as a way to be sexy as

she exits the scene, as if trying to leave the men wanting more.

Act 2 Entrance

This act takes place several days later.437 The singer-actor should decide what has

happened to Curley’s wife in those days, whether she has entered the bunkhouse at other

times, or more importantly, if anything is different in her marriage. Because she is entering the

bunkhouse seeking attention, it could be assumed that little has changed in her relationship

with Curley. Regardless of these decisions, the underlying reason she enters is that she desires

male attention.

As a general note throughout this scene, the salient features of the music include an

easy and relaxed feeling with a thinner texture in the orchestra signifying she is in control. The

meter of her music—usually a triple or compound duple meter—illustrates the sensuous

qualities of her character. Her vocal lines tend to leap, and the singer-actor must have enough

control to execute these well. There are no ornaments or coloratura used in her vocal line, so

she is not putting on false airs. Special attention should be paid to where accents are marked,

and care to not add accents when her emotions are rising. This scene is also particular in

revealing her wicked nature.

434 Ibid. 435 Ibid. 436 Ibid. 437 Ibid., 88.

93

Table 3 lists the dramatic beats in this scene.

94

Table 3. Dramatic Intent Act 2 (Third Entrance)


336-348 (p. 117)

Lento assai (♩=60)

Curley's wife leitmotif, clarinet

Curley's wife enters, wants attention from ranch hands

349-360 (p. 119)

Allegro risoluto

(♩=108)

Trombone melody, driving 8th note pulses

Beginning of fight between George and Curley's wife

361-377 (p. 120)

Alternation of rhythmic melody with lyrical string melody, meter change to 4/4

George asks about her flirting, she wants attention

378-381 (p. 122)

Orchestral interlude of dark, foreboding music

Slim and Curley heard arguing outside

382-391 (p. 122)

L'istesso tempo

Driving 8th notes

Fight picks up again, Curley's wife becomes defiant

392-395 (p. 123)

Descending lyrical string melody, forte dynamics

Curley's wife silent response: leans back in chair, shrugs indifferently

396-398 (p. 124)

Meter change to 2/4; hairpin dynamics, three-note melody

Curley's wife dominance, insisting on staying

399-402 (p. 124)

Meter change to 6/8

Curley's wife says to let Curley find her in the bunkhouse, George ready to hit her

403-411 (p. 125)

Più largamente

(♩=100)

Curley's leitmotif

Curley assesses scene

412-442 (p. 125)

Fight between Curley and George, Lennie

443-456 (p. 128)

Allegro animato

(♩.=72)

Accented melodic line, trills

Curley's wife bars Lennie's exit

457-465 (p. 130)

Changing meters, staccato bass line melody

m. 461: George blames Curley's wife

466-475 (p. 131)

Tremelos, accented chords

Curley's hand is broken by Lennie

476-500 (p. 132)

Adagio sostenuto

(♩=60) m. 481

Thinning of orchestral texture; sparse punctuating chords

Curley's wife insults Curley

502-505 (p. 134)

Lento dolente, più

cantabile (♩=66)

Lyric string melody Curley blames his wife

506-511 (p. 134)

Lento dolente

(♩=66)

Lyrical melody in cellos and basses

Curley's wife prods Curley with crop, verbally jabs him

512-523 (p. 135)

Allegro appassionato

(♩=100)

String melody, low sustained notes in basses

Curley regains control, violently shoves her, she exits

95

Prior to her entrance, George, Candy, and Lennie have realized that they are able to

make their dream of owning a farm a reality. The atmosphere is jubilant as they celebrate, and

is reflected in the music through the use of a folk-like melody played in the orchestra.

Measures 336—348:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to seduce Lennie (and maybe George, but definitely not

Candy), to satisfy her need for attention.

As Curley’s wife enters her leitmotif reveals her mood to seduce. The sudden change to

soft dynamics demonstrates the dampening spirits of the men, and reflects her seductive

quality.

Measures 349—360:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to convince George that she is not a tramp.

This is where the power struggle between George and Curley’s wife begins. All singer-

actors of this scene must listen to each other and react accordingly.

An abrupt change in mood occurs when George verbally attacks her, taking control.438

Curley’s wife is surprised by his attack and attempts to gain control in her responses.

She asks him, “Who you callin’ a tramp?”439 She is upset by his attack, and this is represented

in how she responds in George’s texture with a subtle change in the accent pattern of the

438 Ibid., m. 349, 119. George’s attack is signaled by a sudden change to a fast tempo, accompanied by louder dynamics. His anger is depicted by the orchestra’s sudden use of driving eighth note pulses, timbral effects with the timpani, and an accented melodic line played by trombones. The eighth note pulsing becomes an ostinato, building tension in their fight. 439 Ibid, 119.

96

eighth notes (the accent is on every third eighth note), and through mf p dynamic markings.

This will become an indicator when she is dominant in the fight.

George abruptly cuts her off, changing the accent pattern as he says, “You, that’s who.”

She is shocked and does not know how to reply, illustrated by a measure of orchestral interlude

of George’s angry trombone music.440

She retorts, “You got a nerve callin’ me names. You good for nothin’ bum! I ain’t no

tramp, I’m a decent girl!”441 Her vocal line starts to use more leaps and syncopation, indicating

she’s fighting back (and that she won’t tolerate George’s verbal abuse). Underneath her line

are pulsing eighth notes, but with dynamics of mf p portraying her latent anger coming alive.

Measures 361—377:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to make demands, to make George angry.

George’s next attack on Curley’s wife comes about by the return of the trombones and

brass coupled with forte dynamics. He asks her, “How come you flirt around so much?”442 She

responds immediately, and regains control of the fight. This is reflected in the orchestra by a

descending lyrical melody in the strings that outlines a G-sharp minor chord, and in the absence

of the constant eighth note pulsing.443 Underneath the string’s melody, the dynamic markings

rise to forte showing her rise in anger. The strings signify her desperation as she candidly (she

440 Ibid. 441 Ibid., 119-120. 442 Ibid., 120. 443 Ibid.

97

could also be demanding here) tells George of her need for attention.444 Her anger and

defiance builds in mm. 371-376, depicted by the quickening notes in the string’s melody.445

Measures 378—381:

Candy goes out and sees that Curley is headed into the bunkhouse. An ominous two

measures of orchestral interlude by low-pitched instruments shows the rumblings of darkness

and fear taking hold of the men. Curley’s wife has no reaction depicted by this music, since the

mood is reflecting George and Candy’s reaction. It is as if she is unaffected by the fear rising in

George and Candy, remaining defiant.

Measures 382—391:

Suggested singer-actor intention: to get even with George, to secretively get attention (even

negative) from Curley.

The fight picks back up with the return of the driving eighth note ostinato as George

responds to the situation: “Get outa here! You wanta lose us our jobs?”446

Curley’s wife aims to press George’s buttons and replies, “I think I’ll just let him find me

here. It’ll serve him right for snoopin’ on me.”447 She is dominant in this moment, denoted by

the return of the melody from m. 367 (the strings legato lyric melody accompanied by the

eighth note pulse). A difference in dynamics occurs this time, where there is a rise and fall in

every measure that portray her dangerous mood.

444 Ibid. 445 Ibid., 121. 446 Ibid., 122. The subito markings mf p dynamics show his restraint. 447 Ibid., 122-3.

98

Measures 392—395:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to win the argument

George cuts her off for a second time, and Candy sides with George.448

Curley’s wife responds with silence to George’s exclamation, “…it’ll cost us our jobs.”

The stage directions state, “Curley’s wife crosses her legs, leans back in the chair, and shrugs

indifferently,” clearly as an act of defiance hoping to get him fired.449 Musically this is depicted

in m. 392 where the strings play a legato descending arpeggio, outlining a B-flat minor, over the

pulsing eighth notes.

George’s music dominates as he and Candy demand she leave the bunkhouse. A

crescendo marking in mm. 394-395 portrays the rise of emotions for all three characters.450

Measures 396—398:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to irk George.

Curley’s wife interrupts both George and Candy, illustrated by the meter changing again

from 3/4 to 2/4, thus cutting off a beat. Importance of her text, “right here”451 is brought out

by this meter change. Her insistence lies in the repetition of F5 to F-sharp5 in these measures

(both in the strings, and in the vocal line). Her musical mood dominates these measures, as

448 Ibid., mm. 388-91, 123. His interjection is accomplished through a meter change on her last line (changing from 3/4 to 2/4, thus cutting off a beat). The eighth note pulse with accents on the final beats of the measure returns, denoting his control of this moment. Again, the subito dynamics return to show his emotional restraint. 449 Ibid., 123. 450 Ibid. 451 Ibid., 123-4.

99

shown by the return of the 3-note lyric melody in the strings (F-F-sharp-D), and the hairpin

dynamics marked in every measure.

Measures 399—401:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to belittle George.

Curley’s wife confirming her character’s insolence exclaims, “So let him find me here.”452

A meter change to 6/8 aids the rebelliousness of her exclamation by use of quarter notes (she

stays in 3/4 time), unlike the vocal lines of George and Candy. The line also continues the use of

F5 to F-sharp6, furthering her contumaciousness. Her attitude nearly drives George to hit her:

“George raises his hand to strike her as Slim enters, followed by Curley and Carlson.”453

Measures 403—411:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to anger Curley, to get Curley to react to her.

After assessing the situation, Curley demands an explanation from George, “What’s

been goin’ on here?”454 The orchestra plays Curley’s leitmotif with pianissimo dynamics while

he waits for George’s response. Instead Curley’s wife interjects, “Well, if it ain’t ol’ blood hound

Curley. Did you find what you was lookin’ for?” over a sustained low A1 and 2 in the strings,

marked with mezzo piano dynamics.455 Her comment makes no impact on Curley by the return

452 Ibid., 124. 453 Ibid., 124. 454 Ibid., 125. 455 Ibid.

100

of his leitmotif. The stage directions state, “Curley ignores his wife and crosses into the

room.”456

Measures 414—442:

The musical focus shifts to Curley and Lennie’s fight. Curley’s wife must portray her

enjoyment over the fight, or even relish that the fight is over her.

Measures 443—451:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to ensure a fight with Curley and Lennie, to prove her

dominance over George.

George attempts to defuse Curley’s attack on Lennie. After Curley asks Lennie, “You

yellow or somethin’?” George interrupts and insists that Curley leave Lennie alone.457 Evident

by the stage directions, “motioning for Lennie to cross and leave the room,”458 George’s action

motivates Curley’s wife to bar the exit so Lennie can’t leave. The stage directions state:

“…Curley’s wife suddenly jumps up from the table, and moving to the door, bars Lennie’s

exit.”459 Her action is highlighted in the music by use of an accented melodic line accompanied

by a trill.

Measures 452—465:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to celebrate her victory over George.

456 Ibid. 457 Ibid., 128. 458 Ibid. 459 Ibid., 129.

101

Curley starts attacking Lennie with his riding crop, as stated in the stage directions.460

George expresses to Curley’s wife that she is to blame for Curley’s attack. Again,

Curley’s wife says nothing to him, and observes the chaos in silence. The stage directions state,

“As Curley’s wife, eyeing George and smiling triumphantly, returns and sits at the table.”461

Meanwhile, the music in the orchestra is showing Curley’s dominance in the fight.462

Measures 466—475:

When George yells, “Get him, Lennie! Get him!”463 it becomes the turning point of the

fight, and Lennie crushes Curley’s hand.

Curley’s wife does not have musical cues for her reaction, but is probably impressed by

Lennie’s strength and enjoys Curley’s agony.

Measures 476—500:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to belittle Curley.

Shock settles over the scene as Slim and Carlson inspect Curley’s hand (as stated in the

stage directions).464 The orchestral texture thins out significantly, with sparse punctuating

chords.465 The tempo slows to Adagio sostenuto (quarter note equals 60), reflecting this mood.

460 Ibid., 130. 461 Ibid. 462 Ibid., mm. 463-465. Curley’s fight uses a staccato bass line melody, with rhythmic patterns in the strings of long-short. It is a variation of the music that is played as he prods Lennie with his riding crop in m. 457. 463 Ibid., 131. 464 Ibid. 465 Ibid., 132.

102

Curley’s wife then directs her energies towards her husband. Instead of consoling him,

she insults him: “It’s no more than you deserve…”466 Her vocal line becomes more conjunct,

but has occasional leaps highlighting the words “deserve,” and “always.” Obviously, she sees

his devastating defeat at Lennie’s hands as the proper comeuppance for his constant

inattention to her.

Simultaneously, over the sparse-chord accompaniment, Lennie apologizes to George

saying that he didn’t mean to hurt Curley. This moment foreshadows a linkage of the fates of

Curley’s wife and Lennie.

Measures 502—505:

Curley blames his wife for the situation.

Measures 506—511:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to mock Curley, to injure Curley, to dominate Curley, to

take sides.

Again, her response is noted by silence. Her control is portrayed musically in m. 506

with punctuating low string staccato notes. This measure allows her a moment to gather her

next verbal attack. The stage directions state: “Curley’s wife gets up slowly and picks up

Curley’s riding crop off the floor. She crosses to him and prods him with the crop as she

speaks.”467

466 Ibid. 467 Ibid., 134.

103

Feeling empowered by the situation she exclaims, “You never learned to leave folks

alone: always crowdin’, always shoving’ them.”468 She is dominant in the fight, signaled in the

orchestra by her dominant texture: a new lyrical melody of the cellos and basses, accompanied

by a slowing of tempo to Lento dolente (quarter note equals 66). Her vocal line is more

conjunct (and emotionally restrained), building to her last jab at Curley (as seen in Example 6).

Measures 512—523:

Curley, however, appears to regain control over her—at least temporarily—with a

violent response. The stage directions state:

Curley takes her by the throat with his good hand and forces her against the side of the bunk. She screams and he releases her, pushing her to the door. She turns briefly back into the room and, humiliated, bursts into tears and runs out.469

The music depicts this shift with a suddenly faster tempo (Allegro appassionato, quarter note

equals 100), and thick orchestral dynamics at fortissimo. The melodic line is syncopated and

accented, illustrating Curley’s violent shoves.470

A disjunct lyric melody played in the strings follows with a change in meter to 6/4, thus

returning to the musical mood of Curley’s wife. She is utterly humiliated and is unable to say

anything, then she cries, turns and exits (as stated in the stage directions).471 Her musical mood

even dominates after she leaves, indicating that she has left destruction in her wake.

468 Ibid. 469 Ibid., starting at m. 512, 135. 470 Ibid. 471 Ibid.

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Act 3 scene 1 Entrance

This scene takes place the following afternoon, in the barn.472

In between her exit from the bunkhouse and this scene, it can be assumed that Curley’s

wife has not had any contact with her husband. Although there is no mention in the opera of

what happens to Curley after the fight, in the novel Slim and Carlson take him into town. Curley

was probably kept overnight at the hospital if his injuries were severe.

Curley’s wife’s life has changed again in a very short time. It is clear to her that Curley

does not love her, and will never love her. He doesn’t even seem attracted to her. His physical

threat has violated her sense of security and comfort, and has effectively ended their

relationship. Overnight she weighs her options of what to do, and concludes that she is better

off leaving the ranch. Not wanting to return to her parents’ home, she decides to pursue her

dream of going to Hollywood.

Although not seen on stage, she strategizes on how to leave the ranch during the

morning. By early afternoon, it seems that Curley is still gone, and that it is safe for her to go.

She is unable to choose an outfit that makes her feel good about herself, nothing feels right.

She is utterly dejected. She stuffs her possessions into her suitcase—including her favorite

doll—and makes to leave the ranch.

She steps into the barn not to be seen by someone, while she changes her shoes and

earrings for something that feels more suitable.473

472 Ibid., 139. 473 Ibid., 141. This is noted in the stage directions.

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Prior to her entrance, Lennie has been in the barn playing with his puppy—which he has

accidentally killed by stroking it too hard. His rage over the puppy is portrayed by the sinister

musical mood.

Table 4 shows the dramatic beats within this scene.

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Table 4. Dramatic Intent Act 3, Scene 1 (Fourth Entrance)


46-57 (p. 141)

Lento comodo

(♩=60)

Curley's wife's leitmotif Curley's wife enters the barn, changes shoes and earrings

58-62 (p. 143)

Più vivo (♩=72) Meter change to 3/4, lyrical melody in the strings

Curley's wife convinces herself she's making the right decision

65-76 (p. 144)

Larghetto tranquillo

(♩= 56) m. 70

Open harmonies, major melody

Curley's wife and Lennie reveal their dreams

77-85 (p. 145)

Poco più

mosso (♩=66)

Open harmonies, major melody

Curley's wife and Lennie gravitate toward each other, she takes out her doll

86-105 (p. 146)

Più animato

(♩=80) m. 97

Upticks in tempo Growing passion about dreams for both characters

106-116 (p. 148)

L’istesso tempo, più appassionato

George’s farm dream leitmotif

Climax of Curley's wife's dream

117-123 (p. 149)

Orchestral interlude Foreshadowing plot

123-139 (p. 150)

Larghetto, molto tranquillo

(♩=56) m. 125

Transposition of dream music half step up, sustained chord texture

Reveling in dreams for both characters

140-147 (p. 152)

Andante

mosso (♩=80)

Curley's wife's leitmotif Curley's wife returns to reality

148-158 (p. 152)

Più sostentuo,

(♩= 69)

Ominous music repeats (from mm. 120-122)

Curley's wife attempts conversation with Lennie about soft things

159-172 (p. 153)

Andante

mosso (♩=72)

Repetitious 16th notes, sustained chords, eerie string effects

She tells him about the softness of her hair

173-192 (p. 155)

Lennie's dangerous leitmotif, eerie string effects

She worries about Lennie messing up her hair

193-218 (p. 158)

Thicker orchestration using Lennie's leitmotif, crescendos

Struggle to get away from Lennie; Lennie kills her

219-end of scene (p. 161)

Curley's wife lays still on stage

Measures 46—57:

Suggested Singer-actor Intention(s): to hide, to change accessories, to reason.

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Curley’s wife leitmotif announces her entrance, but is mixed with the simpler musical

atmosphere of Lennie with sustained D1 and D2 beneath the leitmotif. Immediately upon

entering she hears a sound. She is fearful that it could be Curley, Slim, or Carlson. When she

realizes it is just Lennie, she is relieved and asks, “What are you doin’ here?”474 In m. 52 when

Curley’s wife reveals her intention to leave the musical mood remains in Lennie’s mood. There

is a D1 and D2 sustained in the low strings, and an E-flat 2 and E-flat 3 sustained in the cellos.

Throughout this section, octave doubling is present, showing Lennie’s dominance in the

musical texture.

Measures 58—62:

Suggested Singer-actor Intention(s): to convince herself.

Curley’s wife convinces herself of her decision to leave by saying, “I should have left long

ago; in fact, I should have never come. I was meant better for than this.” The music reinforces

the passion in this statement with an uptick in tempo (from Lento comodo, quarter note equals

60 to Più vivo, quarter note equals 72).475 Shifting to portray her mood, the musical interlude

utilizes a meter change to 3/4 (a marker for her sensuousness), a lyrical melody played by the

strings, and a slowing of tempo (poco rallentando).476

Measures 65—76:

Suggested Singer-Actor Intention(s): to hope, to dream, to reveal.

474 Ibid., 142. 475 Ibid., 143. 476 Ibid.

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Lennie previously mentioned his dream of owning a farm; now describes the details of

the farm.477 The music is simple, with open harmonies and a melody in major.

Curley’s wife joins the conversation by sharing the details of her dream. The music

becomes more lyrical with melody in the strings (a marker for sincerity in her character). The

tempo slows a little from Più sostenuto e cantabile (quarter note equals 69) to Larghetto

tranquillo (quarter note equals 56).478

Measures 77—85:

Suggested Singer-Actor Intention(s): to convince, to decide, to finalize, to soothe.

Both characters are completely lost in their own dreams, and are oblivious to the effect

they have on one another. In the process, they gravitate toward each other as noted in the

stage directions.479

As she sincerely articulates exact details of her dream, she takes her doll out of her

suitcase (noted by the stage directions) as if to soothe herself.480 This moment allows the

audience to see the real her for the first time: as a young girl, still connected to herself as a

child (musically illustrated by the absence of vocal ornaments and tritone harmonies). This

moment is also revealing of the trauma she has endured—and tragically indicates through the

way she relates to and embraces the doll that it is her only confidante on the ranch.

477 Ibid., 144. 478 Ibid. 479 Ibid. 480 Ibid., 145.

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Measures 86—105:

Both Lennie and Curley’s wife’s passions grow in intensity. The music reflects this in the

quickening of tempo. It begins by an uptick to Poco più mosso (quarter note equals 66) in m.

86, then use of a poco stringendo in m. 88, to Larghetto (eighth note equals 100) in m. 90, then

to Più animato (quarter note equals 80).481

Measures 106—116:

The climax of their passion arrives when Curley’s wife exclaims, “Oh, I see it!”482 The

orchestra leads into her line with a crescendo in the previous measure arriving at forte. There is

also a rallentando leading into this measure, giving importance to her line. In this section the

leitmotif for the farm dream returns in the orchestra, as seen in Example 8.

Measures 117—123:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to celebrate, to enjoy her dream.

While Curley’s wife and Lennie are silent, the orchestra carries the intensity of their

excitement by remaining forte.483 During this section, Curley’s wife, “…twirls around holding

the doll in the air. She moves closer to the ladder and for a moment rests her head against

Lennie’s leg. Neither is aware of the other’s closeness.”484

481 Ibid., 146-147. 482 Ibid., 148. 483 Ibid., 149-150. 484 Ibid.

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An orchestral comment in mm. 120-122 foreshadows the events to come.485 Sustained

mixed chords over a wide range provide dramatic tension—which the singer needs to ignore

since the text picks up where the conversation left off, and is not reflective of this ominous

music.

Measures 123—139:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to resolve, to confirm, to finalize

Lennie and Curley’s wife return to describing their dreams, this time transposed by a

half-step up, heightening the significance of their dreams. Lennie’s sustained-chord texture

dominates the end of the dream section as Curley’s wife resolves to pursue her dream with the

line, “a new life I was always meant to have.”486

Measures 140—147:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to reassure.

A shift of mood occurs as the bassoon plays Curley’s wife leitmotif.487 This signals her

return to reality, and she asks Lennie, “You won’t tell where I’ve gone?”488 Lennie is silent, but

485 Ibid., mm. 120-122, 150. A similar musical device is used in the aria, “Ain’t it a pretty night” from Susannah. Susannah describes her desire to see beyond the mountains. Her mood is happy and excited, but is followed by a dark, ominous orchestral comment to foreshadow her fate. Her text picks up right where she left off, not reflecting this music. 486 Ibid., 151. 487 Ibid., 152. 488 Ibid.

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the music plays his leitmotif for trouble. Again, this foreshadows her similar fate to the dead

mice and puppy. Lennie innocently replies after the leitmotif, “I won’t say I seen you at all…”489

Measures 148—158:

Suggested singer-actor intention(s): to connect to Lennie, to make friends with Lennie.

Another shift happens with a change in texture of the orchestration. The tempo slows

(from Andante mosso, quarter note equals 80 to Più sostentuo, quarter note equals 69).490

Dramatic tension is created by the return of the orchestra’s ominous music from mm. 120-122

when Curley’s wife awkwardly attempts conversation with Lennie: “You like rabbits?”491 This

time she listens to his response.

Lennie talks about his penchant for petting soft things, while his leitmotif for trouble

accompanies his line.

Measures 159—172:

Suggested Singer-Actor Intention(s): to inspire Lennie, to get a compliment.

Curley’s wife tells him about the softness of her hair. The mood of the music is

mysterious and tense.492 Musical dominance shows elements of Lennie’s music: repetitious

sixteenth notes (borrowed from his leitmotif), sustained chords, and eerie string effects.

She remains oblivious to his reactions as he begins to stroke her hair.

489 Ibid. 490 Ibid. 491 Ibid. 492 Ibid, 153. The orchestra has a marking to play this misterioso.

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Measures 173—192:

Suggested Singer-Actor Intention(s): to politely get him to stop (telling him not to mess it up),

getting him to stop (using anger, telling him “stop it”).

Curley’s wife becomes concerned that he will mess up her hair.493 Underneath her line,

the orchestra plays Lennie’s dangerous leitmotif—which remains, and continues to build to the

end of the struggle.

Measures 193—218:

Suggested Singer-Actor Intention(s): to escape.

Complete fear takes over her when she first yells, “Let me go!”494 wanting to escape

Lennie at this point. The orchestration becomes thicker to depict her fight for life. Illustrating

her fright, her vocal line rises in pitch with each of her exclamations.

Lennie’s leitmotif begins to repeat with less time between statements, signaling the

imminent danger.495 She exclaims, “Stop now!” while the stage directions state: “She jerks her

head wildly from side to side, but Lennie, now suddenly bewildered and distressed only holds

on more tightly to her hair.”496

She screams (sustaining a B5 followed by descending glissando), making Lennie panic.497

This motivates him to “clamp his huge hand over her mouth.”498 The music emphasizes the fact

493 Ibid., 155. 494 Ibid., 158. 495 Ibid., 155. 496 Ibid., 159. 497 Ibid. 498 Ibid.

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that both characters are now frantic, through the use of tremolos and a rising 11-tuplet melodic

line.

Screaming can be approached through using extended vocal techniques, such as the

glissando and the elimination of vibrato.499 By using the glissando in the high rage of the

soprano voice, the singer-actor should rely on “natural resonance in the voice and do not go

beyond a volume level that you would consider the peak for your voice during normal

singing.”500 The elimination of vibrato will lend a more speech-like sound. 501The singer-actor

will need to keep a loose jaw, relax the throat, and employ diaphragmatic support to keep the

scream healthy.502 The scream may also be approached through the sound and motion, as

defined by H. Welsey Balk in The Complete Singer-Actor. The sound and motion exercises allow

the actors to explore creative physical play with creative sound play.503 The sounds created in

the sound and motion should stem from free-flowing energy, not tension;504 thus releasing

tension.505

Lennie pleads for Curley’s wife not to yell. This time she resorts to force:

Curley’s wife bites his hand and briefly breaks away, screaming. Lennie pursues

and overtakes her and angrily clamps his hand over her mouth once more. She

499 Sharon Mabry, Exploring Twentieth-Century Vocal Music (New York: Oxford Unversity Press, 2002), 79. 500 Ibid., 135. 501 Ibid., 81. 502 Ibid., 135. 503 H. Wesley Balk, The Complete Singer-Actor 2nd ed., (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1985), 116. The sound and motion is for a group of people. One person begins by making a repeating accompanied by a repeating abstract physical movement. The next person joins by mirroring, and transforms the action and sound into a new pattern, and in turn the others follow. 504 Ibid., 56. 505 Ibid., 58.

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struggles wildly to get free but Lennie only holds on more tightly, backing her

against a post.506

Her second scream begins the fatal part of the struggle. It rises in pitch to begin at a C6,

but moves to a B5 and slides down with a glissando marking. Like her first scream, it shows her

alarm, but this time, the doubled descending 12-tuplet melodic lines indicates that the stakes

have been raised, she is in mortal danger, and now she only wants to survive this struggle.

Next the stage directions state, “Lennie shakes her violently and her neck suddenly

snaps. Her struggling abruptly stops.”507 The music depicts the violent shaking using sforzando

markings and tremolo-chords. Lennie’s motion becomes jerkier and is depicted by use of

syncopated accented chords in m. 217, suggesting this is where her neck finally snaps. A

fermata over a rest announces her sudden death.508

Measures 219-end of scene:

The job for the singer-actor portraying Curley’s wife is not done at her death. The

challenge for this portion is to remain limp, and not move (or sneeze from the hay).509

Lennie continues to talk to her as if she is still alive until he realizes she is dead. The

stage directions state:

506 Ibid., 160. 507 Ibid., 161. 508 Ibid. 509 Julian Patrick, “OF MICE AND MEN: The Performance,” In Opera Journal (Winter 1971): 21. Patrick commented that Bayard had issues of trying to not sneeze from the hay in her nose, ears, eyes, and hair.

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When she makes no answer, he releases her and she slides down the post to the floor. He looks at her intently and then kneeling, he lifts one of her arms and lets it fall to the floor…510

The only musical reference to Curley’s wife after her death occurs as Lennie is watching

her (as stated in the stage directions).511 The theme that returns is from Act 2, m. 512 as Curley

grabs her throat, which seems to signify the end of her plight, and a reference to a path of her

destruction.512 This music motivates Lennie to conceal her body with hay, noted in the stage

directions.513

She is left in the barn when Lennie exits, and after sometime is discovered by Candy.514

Candy calls for George and Slim, they enter and Slim checks to see if she is alive.515 She must

lay still throughout the rest of the scene, even as Candy tells her to “rot in hell.”516

510 Ibid., 162. 511 Ibid. 512 Ibid., mm. 512, 135. 513 Ibid., 162-3. 514 Ibid., 166. 515 Ibid., 166-167. 516 Ibid., 172-173.

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CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

Carlisle Floyd retains a few elements of the novel’s characterization of Curley’s wife in his

opera. Her marriage to Curley is the result of limitations and not choice, was typical of some

marriages in the 1930s. Her dream of going to Hollywood and achieving fame in movies is also

a typical feminine fantasy of the 1930s. She begs Curley to take her to the movies or to go

dancing; both were acceptable activities for social outings. Curley’s wife’s dress copies the style

of 1930s glamor, as do her red mules and her attention to her hair and nails.

Whether or not intended by Floyd, the opera brings societal issues pertinent to women

in the 1960s, particularly in referencing the themes of Helen Gurley Brown’s 1962 book. The

“skin-tight” dress that the libretto prescribes for Curley’s wife is a modern, 1960s look.

(Steinbeck did not describe the fit of her dress in the novel.) The description of the dress in the

opera suggests that she is trying to look sexy and is ready for action. Her voice also

demonstrates sex appeal through the use of a low register, unlike her voice in the novel being

described as having “a nasal, brittle quality.”517

Helen Gurley Brown’s book, Sex and The Single Girl, coincidentally stresses the

importance of being able to flirt with any man. Curley’s wife is bored in her marriage, and

constantly flirts with the men in the opera, and even with a complete stranger, Lennie. She

uses her body to get attention from Slim and Carlson. She moves around like she is on the

prowl, yet does not pose like Curley’s wife of the novel. Her suggestive eyeing of the men is

517 Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, 31.

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evident in both the novel and the opera (but the opera notes her constant eyeing and the novel

only mentions it through Whit). The operatic version of Curley’s wife does not show that she is

the “expert flirter” described in Brown’s book; she never says or does what the man wants.

The departures of Floyd’s version of Curley’s wife from the novel provide a clearer

understanding that she is the temptress and fallen woman. Her words do not align with her

actions, and create a feeling of mistrust about her character. She is manipulative with the men

and is willing to do anything to get their attention. By blocking Lennie’s attempt to exit the

bunkhouse when Curley picks a fight with him, she shows her mean-spiritedness. Her eyeing of

the men, and using her body to get attention suggest that she is a seductress. These additions

change the nature of her character from the novel.

Additionally, the music in the opera for Curley’s wife defines her as the seductress. Her

leitmotif is played by the bass clarinet lends a dark and mysterious quality to her character. The

printed music even has a slithering appearance on the page giving her unpredictable

movement. The harmonic portrayal of her character includes distorting the tonic and dominant

pitches of the key, and the use of the tritone. The celesta is used as she seduces the men in the

bunkhouse, and links her fate with Lennie. Her seduction is furthered by soft dynamic markings

and compound meter. Strings portray her lyrical moments when she is full of passion. Rising

tensions are depicted in the orchestra through adding brass and percussion, and through the

driving rhythms in the timpani. As tension between Curley’s wife and other characters reach

their peak, the orchestra is silent while she finishes her tantrum. Her violent death is portrayed

with accented chords, and the dramatic use of silence. The atmosphere of her music is

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unpredictable, and enhances her sinister nature. In the opera, Curley’s wife lacks an innocent

side to her character, and is truly the evil seductress and temptress.

Areas for Further Study

There are many avenues of research that can be explored in the opera Of Mice and

Men. The characters George, Lennie, Candy, Slim, and Curley could be compared to the novel

using a comparison similar to that I have made with Curley's wife. The additional role of the

Ballad Singer could be analyzed by how this role functions in the opera (i.e. as a commentator

or Greek chorus) and what the music for the role does in the story. It would also be plausible to

apply a more musically driven approach to analysis of the opera through the structures of the

leitmotifs, and how they tell the story.

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APPENDIX A

Operas by Carlisle Floyd518 Slow Dusk (1948-9)

Susannah (1953-4)

Wuthering Heights (1957-8)

The Passion of Jonathan Wade (1962, rev.1989)

The Sojourner and Mollie Sinclair (1963)

Markheim (1966)

Of Mice and Men (1969)

Flower and Hawk (1972)

Bilby's Doll (1975)

Willie Stark (1980)

Cold Sassy Tree (2000)

Prince of Players (2016)519

518 Boosey & Hawkes, “Carlisle Floyd Operas,” www.boosey.com, accessed 2 April 2015. 519 Jim Caldwell, “Carlisle Floyd: Recent and Upcoming (October 2014),” www.boosey.com, accessed 2 April 2015.

http://www.boosey.com/

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APPENDIX B

Synopsis of the Novel

The novel is set in the 1930s in California, and begins in a grove. George and Lennie, two migrant workers, are on their way to their next job. Lennie is mentally disabled, but is very large, and apparently immensely strong. He likes to touch soft things. (George and Lennie had had to leave their last job, in the town of Weed, hurriedly: Lennie frightened a girl by trying to touch her soft dress, and nearly got arrested.) George realizes that Lennie is carrying a dead mouse (because he likes to stroke it), and makes Lennie throw it away. George instructs Lennie to not talk to their new boss. He goes on about how much trouble it is to take care of Lennie, and talks wistfully of a life without Lennie. Lennie tells George he is willing to leave and live in the hills. George realizes how mean he has been to Lennie, and promises to get Lennie a puppy. Lennie asks George to describe the farm that they dream of having one day—where Lennie will be allowed to take care of the rabbits This is apparently a story that George has told Lennie many times, to give hope and comfort to both of them. The chapter ends with George telling Lennie to come back to the grove and wait for George if he gets into trouble at their next job. He also warns Lennie that he won’t be able to tend the rabbits on their dream farm if he causes trouble. The next chapter takes place in the bunkhouse at the ranch. Candy, a swamper, shows George and Lennie their beds. He also tells them about the Boss and about Crooks, the negro stable buck. The Boss enters the bunkhouse upset that George and Lennie are late. He takes their names down and notices that Lennie does not talk much. The Boss questions their relationship, and asks George if he’s taking Lennie’s pay. He leaves, saying that he is going to keep an eye on them. Curley, the Boss’s son, enters the bunkhouse looking for his father. He immediately notices George and Lennie. In their conversation, he directs questions to Lennie, and Lennie does his best to keep silent. Curley leaves and the men discuss him. George and Lennie learn that Curley picks fights and that he recently got married to a “tart.” Candy leaves them and George predicts to Lennie that there is going to be trouble with Curley. He warns Lennie not to let Curley provoke him into a fight.

Curley’s wife enters looking for Curley. She playfully talks to George and Lennie; Lennie watches her with fascination. Slim, the jerkline skinner, comes into the bunkhouse. Curley’s wife asks him if he has seen Curley and she leaves to go after him. George distrusts her right away and comments that she is a “tramp.” He warns Lennie to stay away from her. Carlson, a ranch hand, comes into the bunkhouse to ask Slim about the puppies his dog just had. Lennie overhears that there are puppies and asks George to get one for him. The dinner bell rings and the men go to clean up for dinner. The third chapter is set later in the bunkhouse. Slim has given Lennie a puppy, and Lennie is playing with it in the barn. Slim and George talk about George and Lennie’s history,

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including the incident with the girl in Weed. Candy enters the bunkhouse with his old dog, followed by Carlson. Carlson complains about how the dogs smells and tells Candy that he ought to shoot the dog. Whit, another ranch hand, enters, breaking the tension between Carlson and Candy. Whit shows the men a letter in a magazine that had been written by a previous ranch hand. Carlson persists in trying to persuade Candy to shoot his dog, and finally Candy allows Carlson to take the dog some distance off, shoot it, and bury it.

The men move on to discussing women. The mention that Curley’s wife has a roaming eye, and they talk of their adventures at Susy’s (the whorehouse). Slim leaves to take care of his mule, while Curley comes in looking for his wife. The men think that she is with Slim and leave with Curley to find them. Lennie asks George to retell their dream of the farm and Candy overhears the story. Candy, who has some money saved up, asks if he can join their plan. George and Candy discuss their finances, and realize that if they go partners, the possibility of buying a farm might not be so remote after all.

The men return with Slim and Curley. Curley had apparently tried to intimidate Slim,

but Slim had forced him to back down, and now the men are riding Curley. Curley ends up picking a fight with Lennie, and begins punching him—and hurting him, since Curley is a skilled boxer and Lennie had been warned to avoid fighting. At last George orders Lennie to defend himself, and Lennie crushes Curley’s hand. The men give Curley the choice of claiming that he got his hand caught in a machine, and not firing George or Lennie—or facing public mockery. The fourth chapter takes place on Saturday night. Most of the men have gone to town, leaving Lennie, Candy, and the negro stable buck, Crooks, behind. Lennie goes into Crooks’ quarters and attempts to make friends with him. Crooks is upset by Lennie coming in, but eventually allows it. Lennie tells him about his plan to buy a farm with George. Crooks responds to Lennie, describing his isolation and the many men who have had the same dream before them. Candy stops by to ask where Lennie is, and Crooks allows Candy to enter. Candy remarks that this is the first time he has entered Crooks’ room. As Crooks learns how close George, Lennie, and Candy are to making their dream come true, he offers to work on their farm.

Curley’s wife enters, and asks if they know where Curley is, although she knows where he is and they know she knows. The men do not like her presence there and ask her to leave repeatedly. She asks them about Curley’s hand and Candy repeats the story about an industrial accident—but she notices Lennie’s bruised face and starts asking questions. Crooks tells her she has no right to be in his room. She responds by threatening him—implying that she could accuse him of attempted assault and have him lynched. Candy hears the men returning and repeats that she should leave. George calls out for Lennie, and is evidently displeased to find him in Crooks’ room. Crooks—humiliated by Curley’s wife and hurt by George’s suspicious tone—asks Candy to forget he’d said anything about being a part of their plans. The fifth chapter takes place in the barn. Lennie is mourning his dead puppy, which he has accidentally killed. Curley’s wife enters the barn with a suitcase and notices Lennie. Lennie

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tells her that he is not to have anything to do with her. She tells Lennie that she has no one to talk to and is lonely. She asks what Lennie has, and he reveals his dead puppy. She tries to console him, but he repeats that he cannot talk to her. Angry, she asks what is so wrong with her. Shortly they both start telling each other about their dreams, but neither is listening to the other. Curley’s wife eventually tunes in to Lennie when he talks about touching soft things. She invites Lennie to touch her hair and not mess it up too much. Lennie can’t stop stroking her hair and she becomes alarmed. She starts to scream and Lennie tries to stop her, holding her tightly, and covering her mouth. In their struggle, Lennie accidentally snaps her neck. When Lennie realizes what he has done he covers her body with hay and flees. Candy comes into the barn looking for Lennie, and discovers the dead woman. He goes to the bunkhouse to tell George. Candy tells George that Curley will want Lennie to be lynched. George tried to conceive a plan to protect Lennie. Candy goes out again, and fetches the rest of the men. Quietly, Slim asks George if Lennie was the killer, and warns George that Curley will insist that Lennie be killed. Carlson announces that Lennie has apparently stolen his pistol, the one Carlson used to shoot Candy’s dog. The men decide to go after Lennie, and Curley demands that George go with them. The last scene is in the grove. Lennie is hiding in the brush. He imagines his Aunt Clara and giant rabbits that scold him. George, who apparently has managed to separate himself from the rest of the men, comes out of some brush. Lennie asks George if he is going to leave, since Lennie did a bad thing. He offers to leave George, but George tells him that he wants Lennie to be with him. Lennie asks George to tell him once more about what life on the farm will look like. In a comforting voice, George begins describing the farm, as he sneaks around behind Lennie and draws Carlson’s gun from his own pocket. Still speaking kindly to Lennie, George shoots him in the back of the head. The rest of the men hear the shot and find George standing over Lennie’s body. Curley seems to want to congratulate George for the deed, but Slim, grasping the situation, leads George away, gently trying to console him.

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APPENDIX C

Synopsis of the Opera

The opera begins with a chase scene with the sounds of police sirens and lights. George and Lennie, migrant workers, are running from the police because Lennie touched a girl’s dress. (George talks about how she started screaming, and he had to hit Lennie to get him to let go.) George is angry with Lennie and he fantasizes about life without him. Lennie responds to George’s rant by offering to leave George. George doesn’t want Lennie to go, and repeats to Lennie that he’d promised Lennie’s aunt that he would take care of him. Lennie takes out a dead mouse from his pocket. George grabs it from Lennie’s hands and throws it away. Lennie is upset and sings and aria about his desire for something soft to pet. George, out of guilt for losing his temper with Lennie, promises him some pets when they get a farm, but warns Lennie not to get into more trouble. Lennie asks for George to describe their dream farm, where they will live off the “fat of the land.” Lennie falls asleep, while George stays up contemplating their dream. The next scene takes place at the ranch at dusk the following day. Curley, an owner of the ranch, is angry that they have not arrived. Candy, an older ranch hand, advises Curley to wait till evening. Curley’s bride of two weeks enters and tells Curley she wants to go out. Curley, upset that she came down to the bunkhouse, tells her that he doesn’t have time for her. They get into an argument in which she tells him how lonely she is. George and Lennie arrive and Candy figures they are the new ranch hands. Candy warns George and Lennie to stay away from Curley and advises them to just do their jobs. The ranch hands are heard singing as they return from working. Candy introduces George and Lennie to the group. The ranch hands enthusiastically greet George and Lennie. Slim, the natural leader of the ranch hands, announces that his dog has had puppies. He offers them to anyone who wants one. All of the men are eager to get a puppy. Curley’s wife enters the bunkhouse, claiming that she’s looking for Curley. Candy tells her that Curley left after her and that Curley doesn’t want her in the bunkhouse. She replies by telling the men that she feels neglected and talks about her relationship, all the while walking among them and eyeing them. Slim reminds her that Curley doesn’t want her there. She notices George and Lennie and tries to flirt with them, then leaves. After she is gone the men call her a “tart,” and hint at Curley’s sexual dysfunction. Carlson, a ranch hand, notices a strange smell and asks Candy if his old dog is in the bunkhouse. Candy says he had let the dog in for a while. Slim advises Candy to put down the dog, as it’s no good to itself. Slim promises to give Candy one of the new puppies. The rest of the men agree with Slim and Carlson, and pressure Candy to have the dog shot. Candy gives in,

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and Carlson takes the dog outside and shoots him. The Ballad Singer rushes into the bunkhouse when he hears a gunshot. Slim tells him that it was Candy’s dog being shot. The Ballad Singer goes to Candy to console him. Lennie asks George if he can have a puppy. George comments on the situation, repeating Slim’s words: “it had to be done.” The next act takes place in the bunkhouse several days later. The ranch hands are outside playing horseshoes. George and Slim are inside playing checkers, while Candy is sleeping. Slim tells George how he’s not good at horseshoes. He notices George looking at a newspaper ad for a farm. He tells George that he has seen many men with the same dream, but it is never attained. George exclaims that it will be different for him. In his excitement he goes to show Lennie the ad. Candy overhears George reading the ad to Lennie and asks about it. He offers to go partners with them with his savings of $400. George agrees to it and they fantasize about the life they will have on the farm. Curley’s wife comes into the bunkhouse and asks what they are celebrating. Candy inquires what she wants, and she replies that she is looking for her husband. George tells her to leave and calls her a tramp. She stands up to George and a fight erupts between them. George is caught by Curley and Slim as he attempts to slap Curley’s wife. Curley suspects that something was going on, and begins to pick on George. Lennie giggles nervously and Curley turns to him. Curley starts beating Lennie with his riding crop while Lennie does nothing to defend himself, until instructed by George. Lennie crushes Curley’s hand; he only lets go his grip as George tells him. Slim makes Curley promise not to fire George or Lennie, and Curley’s wife expresses her joy in Curley’s agony. George tells Lennie that there can be no more trouble and comforts Lennie by reading the ad again. The third act takes place the next day in the barn. Lennie, in the loft of the barn, is mourning the death of his puppy that he accidentally killed. Curley’s wife enters the barn with a suitcase, evidently preparing to leave the ranch. She is startled by a noise in the barn’s loft, and sees Lennie. They begin to talk about their plans to leave the ranch to pursue their dreams (although neither one really listens to the other). Curley’s wife breaks their daydreaming and asks Lennie if he will tell where she is going; Lennie promises to keep quiet. Lennie talks about having rabbits on the farm with George. He tells her that he likes to pet soft things. Curley’s wife invites Lennie to stroke her hair. She becomes upset when Lennie messes up her hair, twisting violently to get lose from Lennie’s grip. Lennie does not comprehend the situation and instinctively holds tighter. Curley’s wife bites his hand and breaks free until Lennie grabs her. He begins to violently shake her, snapping her neck. Lennie realizes what he’s done, and runs away. Candy comes into the barn looking for Lennie. He sees Curley’s wife dead, and calls out for George. George and Slim enter the barn and see the situation. Slim instructs George to get to Lennie before Curley and Carlson can find Lennie and kill him. He instructs George to get Carlson’s pistol to end Lennie’s life. Candy asks George if he and George can keep the farm.

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George replies no, since it was a dream shared by him and Lennie. Candy, devastated by the loss of his dream, curses at Curley’s wife’s corpse. The final scene of the opera takes place in the same clearing in which the opening scene took place. Lennie has come to the clearing and is waiting for George. He realizes he is in trouble, and is feeling cold, signaling that he’s done something terrible. George comes running toward Lennie. Lennie confesses and asks for George to give him hell. George half-heartedly repeats his fantasy of living without Lennie. Lennie offers to leave George, but George tells him to stay. They hear the search party and Lennie becomes afraid they are looking for him. George tells Lennie to look across the river so he can tell him about the farm. As Lennie exclaims he can see the farm, George pulls the trigger. In the postlude, George puts the ad in Lennie’s hand. The men come to the scene, and leave since there is nothing for them to do. Slim stands by George’s side, and the Ballad Singer finishes his melody and exits. The opera ends with George, Slim, and Lennie’s body on stage.

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APPENDIX D

John Steinbeck’s letter to Claire Luce from Life in Letters, p. 154-155.

Los Gatos Dear Miss Luce: [1938]

Annie Laurie says you are worried about your playing of the part of Curley’s wife although from the reviews it appears that you are playing it marvelously. I am deeply grateful to you and to the others in the cast for your feeling about the play. You have surely made it much more than it was by such a feeling.

About the girl—I don’t know of course what you think about her, but perhaps if I should tell you a little about her as I know her, it might clear your feeling about her.

She grew up in an atmosphere of fighting and suspicion. Quite early she learned that she must never trust any one but she was never able to carry out what she learned. A natural trustfulness broke through constantly and every time it did, she got hurt. Her moral training was most rigid. She was told over and over that she must remain a virgin because that was the only way she could get a husband. This was harped on so often that it became a fixation. It would have been impossible to seduce her. She had only that one thing to sell and she knew it.

Now, she was trained by threat not only at home but by other kids. And any show of fear or weakness brought an instant persecution. She learned she had to be hard to cover her fright. And automatically she became hardest when she was most frightened. She is a nice, kind girl, and not a floozy. No man has ever considered her as anything except a girl to try to make. She has never talked to a man except in the sexual fencing conversation. She is not highly sexed particularly but knows instinctively that if she is to be noticed at all, it will be because some one finds her sexually desirable.

As to her actual sexual life—she has had none except with Curley and there has probably been no consummation there since Curley would not consider her gratification and would probably be suspicious if she had any. Consequently she is a little starved. She knows utterly nothing about sex except the mass of misinformation girls tell one another. If anyone—a man or a woman—ever gave her a break—treated her like a person—she would be a slave to that person. Her craving for contact is immense but she, with her background, is incapable of conceiving any contact without some sexual context. With all this—if you knew her, if you could ever break down the thousand little defenses she has built up, you would find a nice person, an honest person, and you would end up by loving her. But such a thing can never happen.

I hope you won’t think I’m preaching. I’ve known this girl and I’m just trying to tell you what she is like. She is afraid of everyone in the world. You’ve known girls like that, haven’t you? You can see them in Central Park on a hot night. They travel in groups for protection. They pretend to be wise and hard and voluptuous.

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I have a feeling that you know all this and that you are doing all this. Please forgive me if I seem to intrude on your job. I don’t intend to and I am only writing this because Annie Laurie said you wondered about the girl. It’s a devil of a hard part. I am very happy you have it.

Sincerely, John Steinbeck

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APPENDIX E

Character Questionnaire520 Character’s full name: Curley’s wife. Her full name is not given. Age: late-teens to early 20s (I suggest somewhere around 19 or 20). Place of birth: Northern California (the book mentions Soledad). Physical Characteristics: Size description: slender, capable of wearing stylish clothing. Hair: will depend on actress that plays her (if no wig), but her hair is carefully set. Facial description: attractive, coarsely pretty, heavily made-up eyes and mouth. Race: White (known from novel). Marital Status: newly married. Educational level: high school diploma at most. Economic status: newly wealthy, wife of a ranch-owner. General physical condition: healthy. General kinesthetic description: accentuates parts of her body in her walk and gestures,

rehearsed gestures making her more graceful, gestures of the 1930 movie actresses. Walk: sauntering when trying to be sexy or when she is seducing; changes as she is not out to

seduce and when she leaves the ranch. Describe grooming: Hair: carefully kept, always checking. Hands: polished nails, carefully kept. Face: lots of make-up, carefully kept. Bathing habits: well taken care of, keeps clean. Function of clothes: to look attractive, gain attention; to feel sexy or wanted. Taste in clothing: Copies the look of 1930s Hollywood. Likes sexy clothing, the color red,

feathers for exotic allure. Jewelry: earrings, necklaces, bracelets (nothing expensive, more like costume jewelry). What object(s) might you see in the character’s hands during the course of the opera? Nail-file,

earrings, suitcase, hair brush, nail polish, magazine. What items(s) would your character carry in her purse? Compact mirror, make-up, earrings and

other jewelry, small brush or comb, lipstick, perfume, nail-file. Personality Traits: In general is your character a leader, follower, or clown? Leader. Does your character have a temper? Yes. General Demeanor: Bold/chance taker, hard exterior. Physical manifestations: constantly checking hair. Other general gestural characteristics: drawing attention to her body by touching her dress,

520 Mark Ross Clark, Singing, Acting, and Movement in Opera, 28-29. Not all questions were used since they would be based on the person cast in the role.

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hands on her hips, posing like a Hollywood actress. The Past: Describe the social/economic conditions under which your character was raised: She came

from a poor background where her family struggled from the economic decline after the 1929 stock crash. Because her family was financially stressed, she did not have nice things but really wanted them. As she started coming of age, she didn’t have many suitors, and as Curley came along her family pushed her to marry him for his money.

Work experience: only the chores at home. Family size: large family. Religion: conservative religious (with her strict up-bringing). Describe your character’s mother: She was a strict woman and wanted her daughter to keep a

certain reputation. She did not approve of her daughter’s make-up wearing, nor did she approve of the clothing. She did not want her to go to Hollywood because that was not a respectable thing for a young woman to do. She wanted a traditional and respectable life for her daughter.

Describe the character’s father: Is even stricter than her mother. He is an alcoholic, irascible and abusive, always fighting with his wife about her fidelity, money, and over their children. He favors the eldest son, while he holds up virtues of chastity and tradition for his daughters. He did not want his daughters to exhibit any sort of sexual energy. His children were not to be perceived as “weak.” He does not have much of a relationship to his daughters.

Siblings: several brothers and sisters. As one of the youngest, she had less connection to her older siblings. She was close with one of her sisters, and they would constantly sneak into the movies and try on make-up.

Own impression of character’s childhood: Her childhood was rough. Her family did not have money as financial struggles were central to their lives. Her parent’s stormy relationship brought about a lot of stress, bringing an atmosphere of fighting and suspicion. She could not wait to get away from her life with her family, and wanted to escape for a better life. She liked going to the movies, and going dancing. She never received attention from any men, and is awkward around them. She learned about interactions with the opposite sex through watching movies. She also saved her allowance for buying magazines to learn about the movie stars’ lives.

Describe you character’s relationship to other characters in the opera as establish; then in the end: In brief she is rather isolated, and has no friends on the ranch. Despite her attempts, this does not change over the course of the opera. Her attempt at friendship with Lennie results in her death.

What is your character’s source of income? Curley. Who is your character’s best friend? Her doll. What is your character’s place dramatically in this opera? Her fate is linked with Lennie’s fate.

She seduces the men, representing that woman is evil. She appears as a threat to the men’s dreams, brings the fall of their dreams.

Your character’s place in the drama? She is killed by Lennie so that George has to kill Lennie. Emotional Range: amused, defiant, impulsive, playful, spiteful, annoyed, deliberate, bitter,

sarcastic, candid, enraged, mocking, scornful, fearful, hopeful.

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September 19, 2014

Jacqueline Lang University of Iowa 2884 Coral Court #303 Coralville, IA 52241 USA

RE: Of Mice and Men by Carlisle Floyd and John Steinbeck

Dear Ms. Lang:

We hereby grant you gratis permission to include excerpts from the above referenced work in your dissertation for the University of Iowa.

We do require that you include the following copyright notice immediately following the excerpts:

Of Mice and Men by Carlisle Floyd and John Steinbeck

© Copyright 1971 by Carlisle Floyd. Boosey & Hawkes, Inc, sole agent. Reprinted by permission.

Permission is also granted for you to deposit one copy of your paper with ProQuest. Should you wish to place your paper elsewhere, beyond that which is required for the degree, you will have to contact us in advance as a royalty may be payable.

With kind regards,

BOOSEY & HAWKES, INC.

Elias Blumm Assistant, Copyright & Licensing

Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.

229 West 28th

Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001

Telephone (212) 358 5300 Fax (212) 489 6637

www.boosey.com Tax ID: 11-1590300


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Discography

Floyd, Carlisle. Of Mice and Men. Houston Grand Opera. Conducted by Patrick Summers. Albany Records Troy621/22, 2003.

the identity of curley's wife in carlisle floyd's of mice and men

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