In Crooks's room (Chapter 4), Curley's wife complains that when men are together in groups they "give her the eye" — in other words they stare at her, leer, and make suggestive or flirtatious remarks. She says groups of men look at her and talk about her, which both objectifies her and increases her loneliness because she is treated as a sexual object rather than as a person.
Why it matters: this complaint shows how she is isolated and demeaned on the ranch. Men’s leering and gossip highlight the power dynamics and sexual tension in the novel, and help explain why she seeks attention despite the danger of doing so.