Crooks is isolated because he’s a black man that has a crooked back and that doesn’t have that much rights so he will spend most of his time in the bunkhouse reading books. Steinbeck used crooks in this story because so they can show that African Americans are lonely.
Lonely, ignored, different, and unaccepted, Crooks is a segregated African American character in the fictional novella, Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck. Crooks is the considered the lower class on the farm; he is also isolated from most of his co-workers. The main reason why Crooks is treated like this is because of his race. The theme statement, racial discrimination affects African Americans negatively, is best illustrated by Crooks.
Even though Crooks has treated brutally on the ranch, he is willing to be the help of the land Lennie, George, and Candy are purchasing, just as long as he gets the opportunity to pursue his dream, hanging with white people and having fun playing games with them. Crooks has known Candy for a while, and now a little about Lennie, so Crooks trusts that the neither of them will turn him down and kick him out. Crooks’ confidence in his dream being pursued is now at a higher substantial thanks to trust of new
Crooks is a character that is very overlooked in the novella. The book took place a little after the American Civil War, and lots of these vets are still alive and well. So, the basis of racism is still prominent around the nation and especially in the vast regions of the farming lands. Which keeps Crooks contempt from reaching his dreams in life because of his race. For example he says, "S'pose you didn't have nobody.
Crooks is constantly being discriminated against which is the effect of being colored at this time. During the book talks to Crooks about the farm he desires, Crook says to Lennie, “S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy 'cause you was black. How'd you like that?” () Crook is at the bottom of the social hierarchy because of his race. This inequality is the barrier to his dreams of being
Crooks, who is the black man in the story, is treated differently because of his skin color. Crooks lives in a barn alone, separated from all the whites. Lennie asks Crooks about it and Crooks answered him; “I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” “Why ain’t you wanted?” Lennie asked.
Crooks being the only black person on the farm, there was a lot of racism towards him. He had been isolated, and got threats because of his skin color. Though sometimes he thought it wasn't all that bad. He had also been accepted by Lennie. Crooks never really left his room because they had kept him isolated because he had a different skin color than the rest.
Crooks as mentioned earlier has a very bitter mind and attitude toward people because of his constant isolation. In one interaction with Curley’s wife Crooks' broken spirit can easily be seen. As she was yelling at him, “Crooks stared helplessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself… Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall… Crooks had reduced himself to nothing.
More specifically, the workers resent Crooks because of his color, and as a result, he is segregated from the men and their activities. However, Crooks can not just quit his job or move from place to place, as he, similar to Candy, is not likely to get another job. An example in the novel reads, “‘Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black.’” It can be argued that Crooks faces the most isolation out of all the characters in Of Mice and Men, as other people’s struggles do not compare to the issues he deals with everyday.
In the book Crooks isn't seen much probably because for one crooks wasn't allowed to join in the different events and activities the other migrant farmers did. Crooks also caused some of the reasons for why he's anti-social. Crooks shows a reason of him wanting to be anti-social when he says,"You go on get outa my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room"(34). Crooks tells Lennie that he doesn't allow anyone else in his bunk but himself.
The one thing that is different with Crooks is that everyone know that he is lonely. Everyone knows that he is forced to live alone because of his race and everyone knows that he can’t do anything about being alone. Crooks lives all by himself because he is a black man on a white man’s farm in the middle the Great Depression. Though it may not be fair, it was just normal for that time period. This does not mean that he doesn 't struggle with loneliness because his situation is normal, he most definitely does.
He feels brought down and dehumanized. After Curley’s wife left, Candy tells Crooks that she shouldn’t have said those things. Crooks says, “it wasn’t nothing…you guys comin’ in an’ settin made me forget. What she says is true” (82). This shows that Crooks knows that even though he thought he could get a place with the other guys, he knows is would never happen, because he is black and he will always be treated
Crooks (named crooks after being kicked in the back by a horse) is a very controversial character as he is the only black member of the farm and doesn’t actually feature to much in the book. When he is in it though most of what we find out is when Lenny walks into his room. From the start its clear that crooks is a very abused and defensive because he says “You got no right to come in my room” as soon as he notices Lennie stood in his room even though Lennie doesn’t really see any difference between skin colour and doesn’t understand why this is happening. Most of what can be known about Crooks is from the items in his room. His room is actually connected to the barn showing they do not value him as a person but only as a stable buck.
Crooks’ life was extremely harsh due to racism back in the 1930s. Crook is an African American man in the story. He is called ‘Crooks’ because of his crooked spine he got when he got struck by a horse. Crooks is the only African American man on the farm but is the strongest academic aspect. Crooks is enclosed by books which makes him very literate.
They say I stink. Well I tell you all of you stink to me.” ” (65) Crooks was shunned because his physical appearance and wasn’t treated the same as the rest of the men. This makes Crooks a key character that informs us of the social injustices that where prominent during the time period of the novel.