Of mice and men - What does the scene set in crooks's room tell us about
the life on the ranch?
What does the scene set in crooks's room tell us about the life on the
ranch?
Crooks scene is a key point in the novel "of mice and men", as the
themes that are touched upon in this scene apply to the whole novel,
and we learn a lot about life on the ranch for example segregation of
the black community and the isolation that is faced while working on
the ranch.
We come across crooks's scene towards the middle of the novel. The
main characters in this scene are Lennie, Candy, Curley's wife and
obviously Crooks.
From the start we soon realise there is mistrust within people on the
ranch. "Slim looked through George and beyond him. "Ain't many guys
travel around together, " he mused, "I don't know why. Maybe
every'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other." "
At the beginning of the scene we get a detailed description about
Crooks's room and his way of life. From the very beginning of the
scene we know Crooks is a Black slave working on the ranch. " Crooks,
the Negro stable buck…" (Page 66) We also know that Crooks has been on
the ranch for quite some time and will be there for many years to
come. "…he was more permanent then the other men, and he had
accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back."(Page
66) we also know he is crippled, "His body was bent over to the left
because of his crooked spine…" (Page 67) Which is probably where his
name originated from for having a crooked spine.
Crooks is black and this is established early on in the scene, because
of this insignificant he is segregated from the other men on the ranch
and is marginalized. During the 1920's black people in America were
treated very harshly just because of the colour of their skin.
During the Crooks's scene we learn a lot about the various characters
in the novel. From the very beginning of the novel we know Lennie is
mentally challenged, "…Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and
all…"(page 5), however he also seems oblivious the world around him
and the hurdles that some people have to overcome to get through life
like Crook's. "…I ain't wanted in the bunk house… why ain't you
wanted?… Cause I'm black…" (Page 68).
Crooks and Curleys wife may seem completely different which is true
but in some ways they are both very similar.
Crooks has his own room because he is black and can’t go into the bunkhouse. Lennie came into his room because he needed someone to talk to due to all the other guys going into town. Candy came looking for Lennie in crooks room to discuss the dream. Crooks heard the conversation and wants in on the dream as well. Curley’s wife comes in the room because she is lonely, she discovers Lennie broke Curley’s hand and said he deserved it. The guys come back from town, George discovers Lennie in crooks room, crooks tells the guys he was just kidding and no longer wants in because he feels not good enough.
Of Mice and Men essay on Crooks character. Of Mice and Men essay = = = =
Crooks is an African American stable-hand on the ranch, who because he is black is very isolated and lonely. He is the only black man on the ranch and is segregated from the others on multiple occasions. All Crooks wants is to be able to do daily activities with the other ranch workers, even simply a game of cards. However, since Crooks is black, he is not allowed into the bunkhouse, and is forced to live alone in the barn. He wants to feel like someone cares about him, "Don't make no difference who the guy is, long’s he's with you. I tell you, a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick." (80) Lennie finds Crooks one night in his room when he is playing with the new puppies on the ranch. After Crooks tries to play a joke on Lennie, Crooks realizes that Lennie is slow and thinks like a child, therefore can’t understand that he is just playing a joke on him. Crooks then invites Lennie to stay with him for a while, and forgets about his loneliness for one night. Crooks looks to Lennie for companionship; he sees that si...
Loneliness is the central theme in the novel Of Mice and Men. Many of the characters show signs of being lonely, some more than others. Loneliness haunts Crooks deep inside. Crooks accepts things the way they are though. Crooks does not talk to the other men and they do not talk to him. This causes the greatest amount of loneliness in Crooks out of all the characters. Rejection can cause most people to become crazy, as it
Crooks is isolated because of his race, his disability and his deep mistrust of others. He is physically separated from the other men and has his own room in the barn. "It's cause I'm black" (68). Crooks has been alone for a so long, making him not care about having and making new friends any more. Crooks may constantly be surrounded by the other workers, but that doesn't make him feel less alone. "You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me" (67). Crooks is quiet and weak, meaning no one in the ranch listens to him, nothing he says matters. "This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?" (70). Crooks is someone a reader can easily feel sorry for, even though Crooks doesn't put much effort is making new friends. He is in a difficult situation, which he certainly doesn't what to
This standard applies in social relations as well as in the method of science, which always begins with a first-person to see some phenomenon that must become confirmed by the perception of others.243 If loneliness and homelessness are the central themes in Of Mice and Men, Crooks, despite the minor role Steinbeck gives him in the novel, epitomizes this experience more completely than all the other characters. As the descendant of slaves kidnapped in Africa and brought against their will to America, his original home lies across the Atlantic Ocean, and, in America during the 1930s, he remains a second-class citizen denied a true home among
...igger. Crooks is a character in the play that stands out because he is black where everyone else is white, crippled while everyone else is healthy, and good at horseshoes where nobody else is.
Crook has many symbolical items, his disability is a symbol of his loneliness. He constantly rubs his back with medicine to inoculate to himself, this is a symbol of the pain he intakes. He is extremely lonely. His book of California rights is a symbol of power and knowledge of his rights of freedom. The neatness of his stable is a symbol that he is trying to show that he has got the same things as white people.
over him. 1this entire incident shows how Crooks wants his loneliness to end. As Lennie entered Crooks room he
Crooks also feels a great deal of loneliness, as he is an outcast on the ranch. He lives in his own room where hardly anybody ever bothers him. He is never invited to play cards or do anything fun with the other guys. One day a curious Lenny asked, “Why ain’t you wanted?” Crooks replies “Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They think I stink. Well I tell you, you all stink to me” (pg. ). Crooks’ attitude towards this is shown when he saw Lennie playing with his puppy outside of Crooks’ quarters. Crooks states that “if me, as a black man, is not allowed in the white quarters, then white men are not allowed in mine” (pg. ). However this is merely a front as the more open side of Crooks is shown later on in the book.
The movie of Of Mice and Men had many differences while still giving the same message that the book was portrayed to have. One of the major differences was that Candy never came into the room when Lennie and Crooks were talking to each other. This was major because Crooks never found out that the plan was true about the little house. In the book after he heard Candy talk about it he wanted to get in on the deal. Also the movie it never showed Lennie have his illusions of his Aunt Carla and the rabbits when he was waiting by the pond.
Scarseth argues that “Readers may object to the book’s presentation of low class characters, vulgar language, scenes suggestive of improper sexual conduct, and an implied criticism of the social system. . . Furthermore, these features are necessary in the book.” Scarseth continues to argue that they are “accurate, precise reporting,” because they represented the time, place and environment of the era in which the novella was penned. Written in 1937, Of Mice and Men is the story of two migrant workers who came to California to fulfill their dreams. While the intentions of these two men seemed noble, they were unable to achieve the goal of purchasing land for a myriad of reasons. The first and most difficult challenge they faced was the effect of The Great Depression. Like many of...
Crooks expressed feelings of loneliness through out Of Mice and Men. Crooks? loneliness is caused because he is black, at the time the story took place there was racism. Since Crooks is black he wasn?t able to socialize with the white men. When Steinbeck describes all of Crooks? possessions, it shows that Crooks has been at the ranch a long time and that his possessions are all the he cares about. In Crooks? room, Lennie comes to talk to him. Crooks is cautious at first, this was from the years of racism that Crooks endured, he learned not to associate with white folk.
Crooks is a character who is mistreated in many ways because he is black. Crooks is the stable buck of the barn. It’s not certain whether Crooks is his name, or his nickname, but we know he got kicked in the back by a horse and had a crooked back ever since. Nevertheless he gets yelled at by the boss every time something’s wrong. " ‘The boss gives him hell when he’s mad. But the stable buck don’t give a damn
The overall setting of Of Mice and Men is a farm in California; however, this novel has four major settings. These include the clearing by the pond, the bunkhouse, Crook’s room, and the barn. Each is important in its own unique way. The clearing by the pond is important because it is the place where George and Lennie meet when Lennie is in trouble. The Bunkhouse is important because it is where all the men live and where they entertain themselves. Their lives are very plain and they are all very lonely. All of the details about the bunkhouse describe to the reader the lifestyle of the characters and provides a view of what they have to live with. For example, “Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted.” Crook’s room is where we learn the inner lives of Crooks, Lennie, Curley’s wife, and Candy. This part of the novel sheds a light on the life of Crooks. It shows that he is a man of learning because he has all of these books and magazines lying around the floor and his bed. These four major sett...