How Crooks is Used in the Noel to Tell us About Life on the Ranch in Of Mice and Men

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How Crooks is Used in the Noel to Tell us About Life on the Ranch in Of Mice and Men Crooks is one of the characters in the novel, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. We hear about Crooks before we actually meet him, because Candy explains to George and Lennie, the protagonists of the story, that Crooks is a “nigger”. During the time period of the novel the social position of black people was very low, they were still considered inferior creatures with few rights. So, on the ranch people still felt the “need” to find fault with him and to maltreat him; but his “behaviour” was very appropriate: he does his job quite well, he’s a good worker and he’s of no trouble as he keeps his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs, as Candy tells us. This shows that being the only black person on the ranch he, in return, is racist with all the other people on the farm because he feels he is their equal, so treats them with the same disdain. This is shown when Lennie enters Crooks’ room and asks him why he’s not wanted in the bunk house where all the other people sleep and spend their time. At this question Crooks answers: “I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room...’cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me”. This quote supports the fact that as all the people don’t want him with them, Crooks tries to act as they do so. Furthermore, he wants to protect his privacy. When Lennie went to Crooks’ room he just went there to socialise with him and to “become friends” but, even in this case, Crooks can’t accept... ... middle of paper ... ...kind ways to make her go away in her house. At their replies Curley’s wife gets even more annoyed and starts to insult all the people who surround them, for example she calls Crooks “nigger”, Candy “old sheep” and Lennie “dum-dum”. The form of prejudice towards her is shown in the conversation between her, Candy, Lennie and Crooks. At a certain point Curley’s wife comes in and says: “Any you boys seen Curley?”…At this, Candy replies: ”Curley ain’t been here”…And Crooks adds: ”Maybe you better go along to your own house now. We don’t want no trouble”. This also shows that if she continues to just disturb all the men and call them names, she’ll never have friends, and it’s her fault if all the people on the ranch exert a form of prejudice towards her. Because of this, and also like Crooks, she’s alienated from the group.

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