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In the book Of Mice and Men works as a stable buck on the ranch. Crooks is a lonely, wrinkle man that think that everyone is racist because he is black, and that made him anger enough to take part of his anger out on Lennie. Pg. 68 paragraph 6 “’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black.” According to the text on Pg. 76 Crook replies to Lennie question “...If you guys want a hand to work for nothing-just his keeps,why I can’t work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want.” After reading Pg. 76 I can infer that Crook believes that if George, Lennie, and Candy are almost there to dream land then maybe he to can get his own or a bit of land himself if he joins them. Pg. 76 paragraph 5 “I never seen a guy really do it,”
and has no family and the only old man on the ranch. We are told him
Steinbeck clearly shows that Crooks never has any say on the ranch. No one cares about him. He’s just a “negro stable buck” (66). In this novella, No one ever talks to him except for candy. Lennie finally finds himself going into his room. While in there they speak about racial profiling. Crooks tell lennie that he’s the only African Americans on the ranch. He tells Lennie how he’s “alone out here at night” (73). He has nobody to talk to all he does is read books and think. The people on the ranch care less about his needs and wants, all they want him to do is to continue his work...
In addition Crooks is the only black worker on the ranch and because of that he is segregated from everyone else. Over time Crooks grows resentful of the unfortunate treatment and when Lennie wanders into his stable he finds it difficult to cope with. As they talk he grows more and more jealous of Lennie's companionship with George. He grows angry because of his misfortune eventually asking Lennie what would he do if George never came back for him. All of Crooks actions in this scene is because of his longing for companionship just like Lennie and
He gets confused and depends on George to help him. He loves to hear George tell the story of their dream, especially the part where he tends to the rabbits. He is also sure of his friendship with George when Crook threatens that George might abandon him, “George wouldn’t do nothing like that.” He is also protective of George and Lennie states, “Ain’t nobody goin’to talk no hurt to George.”
As Candy introduces George and Lennie where they are going to stay, and the people who work there, he shares information about the relationships of the men on the ranch. After mentioning Crooks, George asks why the Boss gives “the stable buck h**l”, to which Candy replies that “ya, see the stable buck’s a ni**er.” To which George replies “Ni**er, huh?” Candy assures George saying, “Yeah. Nice fella too” (Steinbeck 18). Crook’s has some of the worst experiences, but this is one of the worst ones that are given. The workers don’t care about Crooks and don’t give any disregard to him, they call him names and treat him very poorly. Later in the story, readers find out that Crooks was treated poorly in more situations, so he doesn’t think highly of himself and doesn’t think it’s fair. Lennie goes into Crooks’ room and talks about his rabbits. Since Lennie doesn’t remember much, Crooks thinks he can tell him about anything, because he isn’t gonna go around and tell everyone what he said, plus, Crooks can’t bring trouble upon himself because all of the workers except Candy are at a cat house. “There wasn’t another colored family for miles around. And now there ain’t a colored man on this ranch an’ there’s jus’ one family in Soledad. If I say something, why it’s just a ni**er.” Crooks thinks that he can say whatever he wants about his opinion, because it’s just a negro, and no one
Crooks is the only black man on the farm and is named so, because of his crooked back. Crooks’s dark skin insures he does not have the same privileges as the rest of the men on the ranch. Crooks is not allowed to enter the bunkhouse with all the white ranchers so instead he has to sleep in the barn with all the animals. Similarly to Curley’s wife, Crooks is also not allowed to participate in any games with the other ranch workers. This probably makes Crooks feel ashamed of himself, however he can’t quit his job because he needs the money to survive. This is another example of when weak people are treated unfairly by the more important. Even though Curley’s wife is mistreated herself, she knows she is superior to Crooks, so whenever she gets the opportunity to, she also threatens to fire him. Throughout the story, Curley’s wife is sad because she is abused by the men on the farm, however when she gets the chance to, she does the same thing. This situation proves, that as soon as someone has a little bit more power, they are going to use it against the
After reading Of Mice And Men, I began to think about Steinbeck's representation of Crooks. Throughout the book Crooks is referred to using racial slurs and is the recipient of disrespectful name calling and discrimination. I understand that during this time this was something that was common, but given the fact that many other well written books came from this time I feel that not only the amount and the degree of what was said was unnecessary but the use of it at all. The dialogue that includes these words and phrases to some people may seem important to the characterization of characters in the story, the only characterization that i got from it was how terrible people can be. I began to feel detached from certain characters after reading what was said because when I thought about them as people I felt no sympathy towards them and felt they deserved everything that came to them. The discrimination of Crooks is just the beginning of the overall theme of “normal”
Many of the characters show that they want something better in life, but Curley's wife really shows the desperation for a life that’s better. Curley's wife states, "Coulda been in the movies, an' had nice clothes – all them nice clothes like they wear" (Steinbeck 89). This is only one of many quotes that she unveils through her character where it exemplifies how desperate she truly was for an opportunity that would have changed her life. Another is when a dream takes over your mind and body and it becomes a part of you, this is where George and Lennie shine. Throughout the whole book Lennie usually is the one to bring up the dream and he recites some part of the mantra typically involving the rabbits (Steinbeck 14). Even though Lennie was not all right in his head, it was something that actually stuck with him and it stuck with George as well. Of course not all dreams can excel, and sometimes it's important to realize a dream that only shows failure, which is what Crooks does. Crooks vocalizes, "'Well, jus' forget it', said Crooks" (Steinbeck 83). Although this is only a tidbit of the dialogue between Crooks and Candy, Crooks took back his offer as soon as Curley's wife has put him down and made him realize what his place was, and that in turn made him see a dream that was unachievable. With all these character examples, they show how at a time of need,
First, While Geroge and the crew were out Lennie and Crooks were talking about the farm and the rabbits when they started arguing and crooks said, "Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land (72). The importance of this quote is Crooks already knows that if you are on the outskirts of society you can't succeed. Crooks would love to be able to work on the farm with Geroge and Lennie but he already knows that’s not the case. Crooks explains to Lennie about how he has seen many people come by and they don’t succeed either, and figures if those people can't do it what are the odds of and African-American whose disabled could achieve success. Crooks mainly just wants to be accepted but he himself is on the outskirts of society. Crooks live in a racist society stereotyped for white males to succeed. It suggests in the book that he is knowledgeable describing certain books that owns but he can't use his smarts due to the society. Another character who is on the outskirts of society is Candy. After Carlson had shot Candy's dog Lennie asked Geroge to tell them how's it going to be, During the story candy started asking question and finally said,"S'pose I went in with you guys . . . I ain't much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some" (58). Candy is old, lonely, and can't do much of anything due to his hand, but he wants a home to settle down
Crooks is not allowed to enter the bunkhouse because he is a negro. There were strict discrimination policies during that time so he had to reside in his own bunk, alone. To pass the time Crooks had learned how to read and had become very proficient at it. The other men also played horseshoes on the weekends and held tournaments which Crooks was also not allowed to participate in. This made Crooks form a bond of friendship with Lennie since he was also not allowed to play because he was mentally
When talking to Lennie he explains how the whole situation of not being allowed to sleep or hang out in the bunkhouse makes him feel lonely. So Lennie could understand how he felt, Crooks made Lennie believe that George wasn't coming back. Crooks then said to explain why he made Lennie believe George was gone he said, “S’pose you have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t play rummy ‘cause you was black. How’d that make you feel?” (Steinberg 72).He tries to make Lennie understand how he is feeling because it makes himself feel unwanted and unneeded. That just because of his color he cant have any interaction at all. He wants Lennie to feel sympathy for him and become his friend. Crooks then explains why everyone needs a companion by their side when saying, “A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t Make no difference who the guy is, long’s he’s with you” (Steinberg 72-73). Crooks is trying to make Lennie understand that without anyone he is lonely and bored of doing things all by himself. That his solo activities of reading and playing horseshoes wasn’t appeasing and he needed a companion before he went crazy. Crooks was the loneliest person on the farm but he could never change that because of his skin color. Since Crooks is so lonely he has no hope that he’ll ever have really have a friend again. He wishes things were like his childhood again. He says, “Had two brothers. They was always near me, always there” (Steinberg 73). He wants his childhood back because that was the only time in his life that he had companionship. Crooks misses having people always surrendering him like all the white men have in the bunkhouse. But now Crooks knows he will never have friendship until another black man comes. So he loses hope on ever having a companion with one of the white
The quote is taken when he ridicules Lennie’s dream about the farm and the rabbits. ‘‘‘You’re nuts…I seen hundreds of men come by… Every damn one of ‘em’s got a piece of land in his head… never a God damn one of ‘em ever gets it.’” (Steinbeck 74). Crooks has seen many people come and go with the same dream, and none of them have ever achieved that. Crooks mocks Lennie about his dream due to his lost hope in them. His lost hope was due to the quantity of attempts the workers make and the success rate of their attempts. Crooks pulls everybody down due to the implied fact that he is trying to pull them down before they attempt and fail later realizing it was a false hope. The cause of his predatory nature was his loss in the dream coming true. He has seen it too many times he does not want history to repeat itself, thus leading him to pull people down before they pull themselves down. The loss of hope is a type of negative influence that has dominated Crooks. This negativity creates a negative attitude in his mind leading him to become a predator to everyone with the same
It becomes clear that Crooks was living the American Dream when he talks of his ‘his old man’s ranch’ and ‘how he played with the white kids’. Crooks talks about this dreamily, as Lennie listens. However, Crooks very quickly loses hope, and says, ‘nobody gets to heaven and nobody gets to land’. Steinbeck chooses Crooks to reminisce of having lived the American Dream; this being ironic of how the stereotypical black man was seen as an animal that never could amount to anything. Steinbeck simply tries to convey a new view, at the time, that a black man could achieve the American Dream, unlike a ranch full of American, white men. Nonetheless, due to the Great Depression,he has since lost the ranch, which reminds the readers that no matter your race, the American Dream will only ever be a dream- this emerges a theme of lost hope at that time. This is the lost hope towards the land that is subtly compared to heaven said by Crooks. Crooks justifies his revenge against white men, by abusing Lennie on something that is not physical, by dismembering Lennie’s hopes. This contrasts with how the white community would always discriminate Crooks on his physicality. This is his only way of revenge being so helpless as a poor black man in a white dominated
Curley’s wife has a sense of power over the other workers because she is married to Curley. Despite being female, she is able to do as she wishes and fool around, as even her husband cannot control her. She has the power to intimidate and threaten the male workers, as seen in the quote directed at Crooks, “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.” Crooks is the only African-American character in the novel. Despite being a male, he possesses less power than Curley’s wife due to his skin colour. The use of tone in this quote highlights her authority over the dark skinned man as a white female. In the novel, Crooks is made to be isolated by his colour, living alone in a separate room with the horses. His room symbolises a jail cell of the repressed. He is not wanted in the bunk house and cannot socialise or play cards with the other workers. He is always called the ‘nigger’ by the men, which shows how racism is taken for granted. This is an example of how defenceless he is in society. Another example is when Steinbeck describes Crooks room. “Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and for the horses,” suggests that he is treated like an animal. Social power and powerlessness are demonstrated throughout the novel in which shows us how different people are treated in
This isolation prevented Crooks from reaching his full potential, as he could not cooperatively work with the other.... ... middle of paper ... ... In this novel, discrimination that Lennie had to face prevented him from showing his abilities.