‘Of Mice and Men’ is a novella set at the time of the ‘Great Depression’, this time period was extremely tough for all Americans due to the lack of stable jobs. Unfortunately, discrimination against black people was extremely prevalent as America was a very racist place. ‘Of Mice and Men’ highlights the discrimination towards black people through Crooks, a black stable buck. One way Steinbeck demonstrates discrimination towards Crooks is through Candy’s explanation of the boss’s attitude towards him. In chapter two, when George and Lennie arrive late at the bunkhouse, Candy tells them about the boss giving the stable buck “hell” as they did not arrive on time.
What is the role of Crooks in the novella? In the novella “Of Mice and Men” Steinbeck uses the character Crooks as a vehicle to illuminate the silent suffering of the black community in the 1930s. In the novella, Crooks is used to explore the themes of isolation, prejudice and how Steinbeck believed that the American dream was an unrealistic ideal — a fantasy. Steinbeck uses Crooks to highlight the cruel treatment that black people had endured in the 1930s. When Crooks is mentioned for the first time, Candy says that the boss “gave the stable buck hell” because Lennie and George were late arriving, but Candy then justifies the bosses’ actions by informing them that the “stable buck’s a nigger.” This justification implies that due to Crooks’ skin colour, he is automatically treated as a lesser human being that can be used as a tool by the hands of his white superiors.
One’s self has experienced loneliness from choice or forced into isolation. The novel ¨Of Mice and Men¨ written by John Steinbeck, took place during the Great Depression, near Soledad, California. The protagonist, George and the antagonist, Lennie are mid aged, white men who are working on a ranch with other mid aged, white men. Along with ones who aren’t as focused at the time, such as Crooks, the negro or black, Curley’s wife, the woman and, Candy, the old and weak man were treated differently from all the white, strong males in the novel due to the setting the novel. This making distance in relationships in Of Mice and Men, isolating these characters into loneliness.
Throughout the book Of Mice and Men, loneliness impacts the characters Candy, Crooks, and Curly’s wife. In Of Mice and Men, a character who endures loneliness is Candy. Throughout the book, Candy is suffering from old age. Around the farm, all he can do is sweep because he lost his right hand in a ranch accident. Candy’s physical disability limits him to making only thirty dollars on the farm.
In the ‘30s people of colour were treated even worse than they are in today’s society. They made crooks sleep separately from the rest of the workers. They discluded him from games and festivities. Worst of all they called him a slur. A slur being a derogatory or insulting term applied to particular group of people, in this case being the n-word directed at crooks.
The story follows mainly those two characters, but also adds the interaction with them and other characters to show how lonely each character was during that time. Steinbeck uses Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Candy to show that loneliness and isolation are caused by social barriers. Crooks is a character that is shown to be isolated from the rest of the men at the ranch. He was the only African American on the ranch and he had a crooked back. This story takes place at a time where African Americans were free, but still discriminated against so Crooks is often isolated at the ranch.
Steinbeck uses characterization within the book through specific characters, such as Crooks, Curley’s Wife, and George, to express major themes of loneliness and prejudice and bringing awareness to the readers. One of the most obvious characters used in the novel to depict isolated at its greatest extent is Crooks, who is described as an outcast separated from the rest of the men because of his race. In the early 1900’s, racism was very common as white people thought they were superior to black people. Crooks’ loneliness is implied through his belongings, but also admits to being so lonely as he says, “S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunk house and play rummy
To start with it’s cruel and inhumane it is an additional insult to humanity. Supported from how brutal humans can truly be. The town, located in Philadelphia, Mississippi was utterly corrupt I cannot begin to imagine why fellow humans would harm one another in such acts of violence. For such an idiotic reason of an individual 's skin color. For instance, one particular scene in the film is nothing else but graphic.We 're a organization of Caucasian men decide to go another persons house, which is located on a farm.
Charles Dickens uses his novel, Oliver Twist, to lead us through the filthiness and struggles in which poor people are made to live in. It shows how the rich mistreat the poor and consider them as inferiors. Oliver Twist is an orphan who lived in a workhouse were the kids were oppressed and poorly fed. The board of the workhouse treat poor people as less than humans and starve them to death. Oliver is treated as a criminal since the beginning of the story bringing him misery despite his kind and benevolent heart.
An’ then I’ll come back an’ work another month an’ I’ll have fifty bucks more.” Here John Steinbeck uses repetition to make it abundantly clear to the reader that George has forsaken his dream, and chosen to become the lonely farm worker he once felt empathy towards. Although some may argue that George's reaction to the broken dream is not one of grief, but rather one of indifference, as he does not believe in the dream, this is opinion is quickly refuted when we are able to see his belief in the attainability of the dream grow as he discusses the dream with Candy and