When I relocated from Hong Kong to Shanghai, life was difficult. It have made me depressed and isolated from the other students. Hope and motivation can get some people out of isolation, sometimes, it won’t. In the book “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, the author uses minor characters of Crooks, Curley’s Wife and Candy to show how difficult life can make people isolated and depressed. Crooks is the only black worker in the ranch and he is often discriminated which leads to his isolation. When Lennie, a worker in the ranch asks Crooks if he wants to talk, he rejects him. Usually, no one wants to come into his room. Crooks’s first reaction when Lennie comes in is saying that “[he] got no right to come in [my] room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right here but me” (68). Lennie’s intention was to make friends, on the other hand, Crooks have been isolated for a long time that he doesn’t want to make any friends. Even though Crooks have been rejective towards Lennie, Lennie tries to ask him questions about the puppies, Crooks insists that “this is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?” (71). His viewpoints highlights his unhappiness as he believes that no-one should care for him and his words doesn’t mean anything to anyone. Racial discrimination is a major part in Crooks’s life, many workers have been calling him racist things that it made him isolated and depressed. He has also been experiencing loneliness and negative
Nobody got any right in here but me. ’”(64) Lennie is only trying to make friends but he is oblivious to Crook’s annoyance of him in his personal space. Lennie’s unawareness to other people’s emotions and acts renders him as childlike. In addition, when Curley’s wife walked into the room Lennie stares at her even though Crooks and Candy look away. Steinbeck conveys, “Lennie watched her, fascinated; but Candy and Crooks were scowling away from her eyes.”
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.
Crooks even ends up saying, “I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, you ain’t wanted in my room.” Showing this quote helps imply to my statement about how racism is not humane since it is showing how Crooks isn’t even allowed in areas just because of the way he was born. The scarceness of his freedom is shown by how protective he is over his room, as it is his only source of freedom. Other people are allowed in other areas and specifically the Barn House while Crooks isn’t. Due to Lennie being mentally challenged, he never got the hint about why Crooks wasn’t allowed in the Bunkhouse and why he wasn’t allowed in Crooks’ room, so Lennie continued to ask questions, which only angered Crooks.
Crooks is an African American man who has a bad back and was shunned away into the harness room on the ranch. He has too many personal possessions to ever want to leave but still has no reason to stay, he can’t work and nobody wants him to anyway. Especially in this time period, black people were not thought of as people, they did not have as many opportunities as white people did. When Lennie accidentally intrudes him, he shows how much his life has revolved over the color of his skin, “‘Why ain’t you wanted?’ Lennie asked.
We all may have had the feeling of loneliness and isolation, wanting companionship feeling abandonment. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, there are men living on a ranch having their own reasons for loneliness or being isolated. The three characters Crooks, George, and Lennie crusade dealing with own ways of loneliness and isolation. Crooks has no one that likes him because he’s black, Lennie struggles mentally and George struggles with always having to care for him. They all can’t decide whether it is that they want to be alone or not.
The time has everybody on edge and fearing the worst outcomes of their situations. This time, of course is what is called the Great Depression which was sparked by the stock market crash that collapsed the American economy and sent the world into a state of dreariness and panic. It is at this time that George and Lennie find themselves in, looking for work, but on the run from mobs across Soledad, California. In John Steinbeck’s novella, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck develops the fear of loneliness to uncover how everyone seeks belonging because they are afraid of being alone and isolated from society. Crooks’ past has set him up to be a lonely person, because of this he finds it hard to open up about his isolation, and this is because he fears
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.
Life isn’t fair for many people, and in the Novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck, this is evident through the characters of Crooks, Lennie, Candy, and Curley’s wife. In comparison to the other workers, these four outcasts are more closely related to each other than one may at first realize. Lennie has a lack of mental capacity, Crooks is black and has an injured back, Candy is missing a hand and is also old, and Curley’s wife is isolated by the other men due to being too flirtatious. These qualities, albeit unfortunate at best, gives these characters all one thing in common; they’re neglected and undesired by the other workers on the farm.
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
While Crooks, a victim of racial prejudice, expresses his isolation openly, he also socializes with other workers on the job and while playing horseshoes with them. Curley’s wife, on the other hand, cannot talk to anyone without suffering the consequences of a jealous husband: “ I get so lonely,’ she said. “you can talk to people , but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley. Else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to anybody?”
Does power affect your relationships? If so, is it healthy? In the realistic fiction novella Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck writes about about itinerant workers in the Great Depression in the Salinas Valley in California. There are relationships in the novella that reflect the theme power, and he writes how power plays a role in these relationships. The theme power, shown in competence, gender, and race, affects relationships.
Loneliness and Alienation in “Of Mice and Men” In John Steinbeck’s novel, “Of Mice and Men”, many characters were plagued with loneliness and alienation, and most characters were in need of acceptance. The harsh time period of the Great Depression affected three characters in, “Of Mice and Men” greatly. Three characters that are plagued by loneliness and alienation and are in need of acceptance the most include George Milton; the protagonist of the novel, Crooks; the negro stable buck with a crooked back, and Curley’s wife; a young woman who just wants somebody to talk to. In this essay, you will learn why George, Crooks, and Curley’s wife were the loneliest and why other characters were not plagued with loneliness and alienation as much as these three characters. George Milton is the protagonist of the novel.
In Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men the main theme is Loneliness and Isolation. Steinbeck really creates an image in your head of the life of the migrated ranch men. He hides the fact the characters are isolated in the language he uses. The town that the ranch is close to is called “Soledad” which means loneliness in spanish. In latin “Solitaire” (the card game the men play) means alone and isolated.
Within the novel Crooks deals with loneliness, because he is segregated by his skin color. “S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ‘cause you was black... A guy goes nuts when he ain’t got nobody” (72). Crooks is black, and in
The reader is led to believe this through the author's quotes when Lennie asks, "Why ain't you wanted?”, and Crooks responds, "Because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me.” (P. 68). The reader understands that Crooks is not accepted by the other workers on the ranch because of his race.