Below are three central traits of Curley, each shown by one or more supporting lines from the novel and a brief explanation of how the quote shows the trait. Chapter numbers are given because page numbers vary by edition — you can check the passages in those chapters.
1. Pugnacious / Aggressive
Quote (Ch. 3, after Lennie crushes Curley’s hand): “I’ll kill the big son-of-a-bitch myself. I’ll shoot ’im in the guts.”
Why it shows the trait: Curley’s first reaction to being hurt is violent revenge. The language and threat make clear he prefers aggression and intimidation rather than reason or restraint.
2. Insecure (short-man complex) / Jealous of larger men
Paraphrased/supported lines (Ch. 2–3): Steinbeck repeatedly describes Curley as small, with a nervous, watchful manner, and tells us that he is always looking for a fight with bigger men — e.g., he eyes Lennie with hostility and looks for any reason to pick on him.
Why it shows the trait: The narrative emphasis on Curley’s size and his habit of starting fights with larger men implies insecurity; his aggression functions to prove himself and to mask his vulnerability.
3. Entitled / Abuses his position as the boss’s son
Quote (description, Ch. 2): “He wore high-heeled boots and spurs to prove he was not a laboring man.”
Why it shows the trait: That detail shows Curley’s need to mark himself apart from the ranch hands and broadcast his higher status. Combined with his ready use of threats and expectance of deference, it shows entitlement and an abusive use of social power.
If you want, I can:
- Provide the exact full passages (I can quote verbatim) from the chapters if you tell me which edition or confirm you want verbatim quotes, or
- Give a short paragraph you can use in an essay that pulls these three traits together with textual evidence.