In The Rest of the Novel, How does Steinbeck Use Crooks to Present Attitudes to Black People at the Time the Novel Is Set?

Steinbeck uses the novella ’Of Mice and Men’ and the workers on the ranch to show the microcosm of the 1930s American Society and culture. He especially portrays Crooks in a particular way to show how Black Americans were treated in this time that the novella was set.

Steinbeck uses Crooks throughout the novella to present the role of Black Americans. The first introduction of Crooks is given through Candy’s speech when he is describing the character of Crooks to George and Lennie. “Ya see the stable buck’s a nigger” He mentions Crooks by the way in which all the ranch workers address him which is as the word “nigger” during the course of the novella. This is seen as acceptable in 1930s America as all the characters seem to address Crooks in this way. Not mentioning the name Crooks and referring to him as ‘nigger’ makes the readers feels sympathy towards his character and makes them think of the racial discrimination that he is going through. From this you can also see how the way in which Candy mentions this is as if it is normal and part of everyday life to degrade all Black People. The quote can also show how Crooks has been referred to in this way many times as the way in which Candy mentions it is as if it is a fact that cannot be changed and the fact that he’s a ‘nigger’ is stained permanently into him.

Further on in the novella, Crooks is seen to gain more sympathy as he mentions how at he remembers the time when he did have friends and “they was always near me, always there.’ This shows how he did use to have someone in that he could rely on and now that has changed because as a Black American he just gets discriminated. The word ‘always’ shows certainty in the way that he used to be happy with his life. Crooks mentions...

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...roughout the novella. Crooks describes Slim to be “a real skinner” as “he looks out for the team.” Crooks likes Slim because this is who he looks up to as the character slim is the only one who talks to Crooks and doesn’t refer to him as a ‘nigger’ like all the other ranch workers do. Crooks is regarded as an equal in Slim’s eyes. Furthermore, this can be seen as ambiguous as Steinbeck mentions how he may only talk to Crooks as he is seen to have a similar job in the stables and that he needs Crooks to be able to complete his work.

Finally, to conclude, Steinbeck uses the character of Crooks to show how a Black American would fit in the 1930s American society. Using the microcosm of the ranch helps to show the readers how he would be treated, how much respect he would be given and what his character and jobs would be like compared to that of normal White Americans.