This is a good question. It is always important to look at two sides of a person. For Curley's wife's good qualities, we can say that she had dreams. This is an important point to bear in mind, because in Steinbeck's world, very few people have dreams. They do not have the courage to have dreams, because dreams are shattered. In a conversation with Lennie, she says:
“Well, I ain’t told this to nobody before. Maybe I oughten to. I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.” And because she had confided in him, she moved closer to Lennie and sat beside him. “Coulda been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes—all them nice clothes like they wear.
This dream makes her more human. The reader is drawn in and feels compassion for her.
When it comes to her bad qualities, there are a few. First, she knows that she is attractive. She uses it to flirt with the other men. This is a bad thing to do, because she is married to the boss's son. This means that she can get the men in trouble, but she does not care. Second, in a telling episode, she puts Crooks down. She even threatens him with death. She says:
“Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung upon a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.”
In short, she knows how to use her power to manipulate men.
Curley's wife is a complex combination of good and bad.
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