Why does Steinbeck never name Curley's wife?

Question

Curley's wife plays an important role in the novel and yet is never given a name. Perhaps Steinbeck was trying to not encourage the audience to develop a personal connection to her? I'd like to see various other points of view, supported by textual evidence.

Answer 1

On the one hand, yes, I agree that it does remove any sense of personal connection with her. On the other hand, the fact that she does not have a name for the entirety of Of Mice and Men suggests that her role is limited and will never extend farther beyond that: she is Curley's wife and will never amount to anything more than that title. It severs any sense of connection we as readers might feel toward her. Her namelessness removes her sense of individuality as well as the possibility for self-fulfillment.