In John Steinbeck’s captivating novel Of Mice and Men, Crooks faces discrimination from the world around him because of his race, yet he still believes others should consider him their equal. While everyone on the ranch views Crooks as less important, this does not stop him from standing up to the other workers. In addition, Crooks fights for respect instead of giving up on his dreams of equality. Finally, Crooks continues to have pride in himself and in his history despite working in a place that people constantly treat him as inferior. Because he lives in California in the 1930s, Crooks constantly struggles with discrimination due to his race, but through it all he continually carries confidence in himself. Crooks says, “I ain’t a southern …show more content…
When Curley’s wife, a White woman, harasses the men in Crooks’ room, he yells at her to leave them alone, only backing down when she threatens to have him lynched. This incident shows that Crooks will not allow other people to walk over him and by yelling at Curley’s Wife he recognizes that he deserves the same respect the other ranchers have. Crooks says to Lennie “You got no right to come in my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me” (Steinbeck 68). Crooks insists that Lennie leaves him alone showing how he demands that other workers listen to him. By standing up to a White man, Crooks demonstrates that he believes he needs to fight for his equality. Finally, Crooks teases Lennie by telling him that George may not come back from Old Susy’s for him. Crooks seems like a terrible person for picking on Lennie, but this situation is about Crooks fighting against a White man. This event illustrates how Crooks will make a stand against anyone who might discriminate against him because of his race in order to achieve fair treatment. Currently, Crooks does not receive any respect from the ranchers on the farm yet he continues to stand up for himself despite possible negative
In the Story of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck wrote Mice and Men as a novella. Written in 1937, it demonstrates the perils of believing in dreams, particularly during the Great Depression, while emphasizing the importance of company and friendship. Through the characters of Crooks, an African American stable buck, Candy, an aging ranch worker, Lennie, a mentally challenged laborer, and Curley's Wife, a woman defined by her relationship with her husband, John Steinbeck shows how the less powerful are discriminated against by society in Of Mice and Men. Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Lennie are the three characters who most experience prejudice towards mice and men. Crooks is forcibly suffering from racism as a result of physical violence, racist
As a black man in the 1930s, Crooks is treated as less than because he is black, despite having worked at the ranch for a significant amount of time. Crooks is lonely and does not have much of a chance at communicating with others since he is separated from everyone else. The text states, “They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I'm black. They say I stink” (Steinbeck 68). This quote shows how discriminated against Crooks is.
First off Crooks is the character that is held back in his journey towards freedom by his race. There are many examples where Crooks is insulted by his race, but there is this specific incident where George is laying down his cards and hears someone calling : “Stable buck, oooh stable buck!” And then, “Where the hell is that goddamn nigger?” This proves that in the 1930’s people were still racist and used to call African Americans names like nigger. And Crooks can’t really do anything because if he does he would probably get tortured or starved, and he can’t quit because it wasent his job, he was a slave.
John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, depicts race as a critical factor to the dominance of people during this time period. Racism is presented most evidently in chapter four by the treatment of Crooks, the stable buck. Crook’s and his fellow workers discussed ambitions in his quarters, which happened to be separate from the others clearly due to his skin tone. As the men conversed topics regarding the near future, Curley’s wife abruptly barged into the area searching for her husband. Noting the peril with which Curley’s wife is associated with,
In the novel, ¨Of Mice and Men,¨ the author, John Steinbeck, develops complex characters which opens the story up for interpretation. Steinbeck uses both direct and indirect characterization, which forces the reader to infer important traits about each characters. An example of a character is Crooks, a colored man working on a ranch during the Great Depression. Being the only black man on the ranch, Crooks is often looked down on as a stable bunk, and is not respected as the other men are. Because of this, Crooks is perceived as powerless.
In John Steinbeck’s classic novel, Of Mice and Men, the barriers that are formed between the characters are apparent throughout the entire story. These barriers are created because of other people, or disabilities that these individuals face. The character, Crooks, is held back by his race, which is African-American. Curley’s wife is restricted by her husband, Curley, and the fact that she is a woman. Most importantly, George is held back by Lennie because of Lennie’s mental disability.
In the middle of the novel, Lennie unsolicitedly visits Crooks secluded shack. Indirect characterization of Crooks is apparent while discussing the discrimination issues with Lennie. They converse, “‘Why ain’t you wanted?’ Lennie asked. ‘Cause I’m black.
Crooks is an important character in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Crooks’ character is named for his crooked back caused by being kicked by a horse at the stable in which he works. He lives by himself on the ranch and Steinbeck uses his character to demonstrate discrimination through Crooks’ struggle with being separated from others on the ranch, his ironic enjoyment of power, and his inconsistent view of himself in society. There are times in life when we meet people who seem so shut off from the rest of the world that we wonder how they continue.
Crooks and Curley’s Wife represent the people who are not white and male. Crooks often is addressed by a derogatory name as well as his back disability, “Crooks”. He is isolated from the other men and the loneliness he has been forced to live with has made him come across as rude and stoic, this is particularly emphasised when Lennie tries to talk to Crooks, “Crooks said sharply, ‘You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me.’
Contrasting Crooks’ somber attitude with Lennie's undying innocence makes it clear where Steinbeck stands on the matter. For example, Crooks is temporarily seduced by the idea of Lennie and George’s farm, but is almost immediately brought down by reality, and Curley’s wife. She brings him back to the reality of a black man at the time, saying: "Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny" (39). After this event occurs, Crooks disregards his rare idealism, saying that he “wouldn’ want to go no place like that” (41).
This shows Crooks is treated unfairly since he is the only African American man working in a ranch full of white men. When Crooks tells Curley’s Wife to leave his room and that she doesn’t have a right to be in there, she gets angry and threatens him by saying, “Well, you keep your place then,
Crook’s character is being discriminated due to his skin color which soon caused him to be disregarded. Although at a certain point, Crooks stood up but no good has come to him. Challenging discrimination is strenuous, however it is necessary in order for an individual to advance. One of the most lousy assumption made during the novel’s time period is the hierarchy between the color of men.
Crooks is very lonely and solitude for being alone every day. As a result, he wants to have friends who he can communicate with. No one has come into his room except for Slim and the boss, so when Lennie and Candy come, it is difficult for Crooks to “conceal his pleasure with anger” (75). Although he wants to express anger about people coming into his room, inside he is happy about it and enjoys it. This instability and loneliness that he has leads him to say how he could work for George, Lennie, and Candy on their farm.
In the novel “Of Mice and Men” the theme of social injustice is presented by John Steinbeck through the characters of Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Crooks. By examining the theme of social injustice one can be taught that treating someone based on their mental capability, gender, or race is wrong. Rather treat them base on the person they are on the
Crooks feels discriminated against and is defensive and angry with the other men for not including him. Another quote which displays Crooks's loneliness is, "S'pose you didn't have nobody. S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ‘cause you was black. How'd you like that? Spose You had to sit out here an read books.