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How Does Steinbeck Present The Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

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In John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men. It introduces many characters that many fall under being lonely, some of the ways the characters feel lonely is because they are mentally slow or either mentally brighter than others, their race, attitude, as well as their gender. In Of Mice and Men, crooks seem to stand out as being the most isolated out of everyone in the book, racially and discrimination at work.

Of Mice and Men takes place during the Great Depression (1930s), more than 65 years since slavery was abolished, yet is the biggest reason Crooks is mistreated because of his race. Throughout the book Steinbeck has his characters refer to Crooks as stable buck, and derogatory racial slurs creating the idea of the type of time period …show more content…

“‘Cause I’m black.” ( John Steinbeck, 68). In the quote since Lennie is quite as not as sharp as the other characters he doesn’t understand racial prejudice, so Crooks describes him that because he is black he is isolated from the other men, Crooks acknowledges that fact he will encounter racism, and that it is the reason he will be isolated and will not be able to change that. Crooks mentions that he isn’t wanted in the bunk house because he is black. The biggest reason we know Crooks is isolated is because of the fact that Crooks is black, he is isolated, he is separated from society, his employees, and has no power to stop or change whatsoever to keep him from being so isolated, he ends up just hallucinating things for himself to not go insane, he also will feel bitter and non-trusting of most because of racism he is dealt with everyday. Continuing Crooks and Lennie’s conversation, Crooks explains about him feeling like he is losing the grasp of reality,“ I seen things out here. I wasn't drunk. I don't know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an' then it would be all right. But I jus' don't know." ( John Steinbeck, 74) Crooks being isolated, he realizes that this affects him, he feels as if he doesn’t feel the same connection to reality as strong as it used to be. Crooks losing his touch to reality is basically the effect of Crooks’s isolation. Crooks in this quote explains that he can feel his

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Crooks isn’t allowed to sleep in the bunkhouse or play cards with the white men. He gets lonely and resentful from having to stay in the barn all the time. When he is talking to Lennie, he says, “‘S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse or play rummy

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In the 1930s, African Americans were casted away from all white people, leading them to loneliness. This topic is explored in John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men. The story takes place in California during the 1930s, a time when black people were hated by the majority of white people. Crooks, a black ranch worker lives in his own bunkhouse because most of the white ranch workers do not want to live with a black ranch worker. Most ranch workers dislike Crooks, and Crooks despises all of the ranch workers.

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Crooks explains, “ A guy needs somebody- to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody”. Crooks isn’t allowed to play cards or enter the bunkhouse. ”Why aren’t you wanted”? Lennie asks “Because i'm black, they play cards in there, but I can’t because i'm black.

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Crooks is a victim of unfortunate circumstances. He’s a black man in a time when black people were still very discriminated against, and as a result, was forced to sleep in the barn by the other characters, which certainly doesn’t help his crooked back that he has to rub cream on. All he has to do in his free time is read books, and is incredibly lonely. He has also become very cynical, as in reference to Lennie saying he’s gonna work with George to get a piece of land, he says, "You’re nuts. " Crooks was scornful.

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At the time, people are racist, and make him sleep in the barn. However, he has come up with some sort of defense mechanism. Lennie asks why Crooks isn't wanted, and Crooks responds “Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I’m black. They say I stink.

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In the novella “Of Mice and Men”' written by John Stienbeck, Steinbeck uses the characterization of two characters, Crooks a stablehand, and Candy another ranch worker, along with the internal conflicts that the two men experience to express the idea that isolation can have negative effects on people. These elements helped to add depth and substance to the novella. Steinbeck's characterization of Crooks lets his viewers understand him and his turmoil better. Crooks was a black stablehand who worked on a ranch in California. He had an old back injury from a horse kick that left him crippled and prevented him from ever leaving the ranch.

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Crooks is a black man who has been given the nickname because of his crooked back. He is another character in the novel that is discriminated against. Similarly, as Lennie and Candy are discriminated because of their weakness, Crooks is discriminated because of his race. For example, he says how he “ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse… can’t play [cards] because I’m black” (68). His race causes him to be separated from everyone else and be isolated in his own room.

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