The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that during the era of the Great Depression, "...the federal government banned a couple married to both hold government jobs. , and as late as 1939, legislatures in 26 states considered laws limiting the work of married women. Both men and women believed that married women should give up their jobs if their husbands wanted them to. During the decade of the Great Depression, wives who worked outside the home were seen as selfish, greedy women who took jobs away from male breadwinners. (Grice) Historians have demonstrated that women's role as a minority in 1930s America consisted largely of remaining inferior to men and serving as servants in the household, as they were humiliated if they chose to find a job. Strict gender roles, a depiction of flirtatious “temptresses,” and being forced to give up any dreams of a prosperous future were just some of the inequalities women faced during this era. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a short story set during this time period in Salinas, California, which follows the lives of migrant farmers and one woman in particular known simply as Curley's Wife. Steinbeck is aware of this disenfranchisement of women in 1930s America and he uses Of Mice and Men as a vehicle to comment on the struggles that women, like his character's wife Curley, face as victims from an era of prejudice. Shortly before her death, Curley's wife shares her life story with Lennie and reveals how she is forced to marry a man she does not love and gives up all hope of achieving her dreams. All because she was cheated on by a boyfriend in the past and now she has to get married to survive. Throughout the novella she is only known as Curley's wife and we never learn what her own name is since she is referenced...... middle of paper ..... . and a tease throughout the novella that shows men only view her as a sexual being. The workers assume that all she does is cause trouble and she is held responsible for her own murder as well as the situation forcing George to kill Lennie. It is evident that Steinbeck is using Curley's wife as a medium to highlight the excessive sexism that women faced during the Great Depression. Works Cited: Grice, Gary. “Women in the Weather Bureau during World War II.” History of NOAA. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Internet. May 22, 2014. .Protas, Allison. “Online Dictionary of Symbolism”. Online dictionary of symbolism. University of Michigan. Internet. May 20, 2014. .Steinbeck, John. Of mice and men. New York: Penguin, 1993. Print.