Of Mice and Men
Crooks, An African American in Of Mice and Men, who is not able to fit in because of his race, symbolizes racial profiling in society today. Steinbeck clearly makes his point in the novella by concluding that Crooks is not important to them because he is African American. This relates to society today through the Trayvon Martin Case. Trayvon was shot and killed because a Latino thought he was harmful because of his race. Trayvon and Crooks are both victims of racial profiling in society.
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...
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.
I believe everyone has that one person they can count on whether it’s your best friend from school, Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, ect. But there’s just this one thing holding back the character Crooks from Steinbecks book Of Mice and Men. That is making and desiring a friendship someone he can talk to and not be whipped or discriminated on. Crooks is the African American, hunchback man who lives in the horse stables. Steinbeck shows many examples of how Crooks desires a friendship.
Crooks, the black stable buck, is isolated from the community of migrant workers because of his racial status. When Lennie goes into the barn to see his puppy, he and Crooks have a conversation. “'Why ain't you wanted?' Lennie asked. 'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black'” (68). Lennie is too kind-hearted and intellectually slow to visualize the apparent racial boundary that sets Crooks aside from Lennie and the rest of the workers. Crooks is so isolated from the rest of the workers that he says he “can't” play cards, not that he isn't allowed to, which means that the racial boundary is like a wall Crooks cannot cross. Because he is black, Crooks believes that he cannot play cards with the white men. He can't get over the racial boundary, and believes he will be forever separated from the white men. In the beginning of chapter 4, Steinbeck describes Crooks' living space. “Crooks, the Negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the...
In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck discusses Lennie, George, and Crooks. In this book Steinbeck wants the reader to understand how life was portrayed in American society back in the day. Steinbeck wants the reader to understand how people were treated differently because of their race and by their mental state. Steinbeck wants the reader to understand how the mindset of Lennie, George, and Crooks affects the story. Steinbeck wants the reader to understand why Lennie was always mistreated and why George was there to take care of him. Steinbeck wants the reader to understand why George answers for Lennie and why he tells Lennie what to do because Lennie could not do anything on his own without getting into trouble or messing something up. Steinbeck wanted to show the reader how African Americans were treated back then by putting Crooks into the mix. Steinbeck wants the reader to understand that Crooks was left out of activities and other things in the book because of his race and because of his crooked back.
Several characters in the novel Of Mice and Men are presented with additional obstacles throughout the book. Whether because of color, sex, or disabilities, John Steinbeck purposefully did this to illustrate oppression. Of Mice and Men explores the
The conversation on page 68 of the book perfectly explains the discrimination against Crooks: “‘Why ain’t you wanted?’ Lennie asked. ‘’Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.’” (Steinbeck, 68). Crooks is unfairly treated solely based on his skin color, and the other men only say that he stinks to avoid dealing with him. In addition, Crooks displayed his need for attention when, on page 69, after Lennie had walked into his room, he states, “Come on in and set a while.” (Steinbeck, 69). He is proving how extreme isolation can cause one to crave human interaction. Although Crooks acts like he is reluctantly inviting Lennie in, he was truly excitedly welcoming Lennie, who stopped to talk in Crooks’ own house where no one else ever goes.
Discrimination was one of the issues that caused conflict in the novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. One example of discrimination in the novel comes in the form of racial discrimination against Crooks, as he is an African American. Another example of discrimination is gender discrimination against Curley’s wife. Finally, there is discrimination against mentally disabled people, which is evident in Lennie’s character. The ranch hands' actions and conversations demonstrated the racial discrimination against Crooks for his skin colour, gender discrimination against Curley’s wife for her gender, and prejudice against Lennie, who was mentally disabled individual. This prevented the characters from reaching their full potential and causes tragedy.
Being lonely, bullied, and disabled are all problems in everyday life. People go through struggles like this just as Crooks did in the story Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. In this story, two main characters are searching for the American Dream. When they arrive to their job, they meet an African American man named Crooks. Crooks is mistreated by everybody around him and abandoned because of the color of his skin. Crooks faces many challenges throughout the story while dealing with the fact that he will never be treated the same as the others. The reader should feel sorry for Crooks because he faces many obstacles while being disabled, bullied, and lonely.
He fondly remembers childhood memories of him and his father living on their own chicken ranch together. When he was a child, he used to let the "white kids play at our place, an' sometimes went to play with them." (70) However, only once the white people took away his father's ranch, did he understand his father's discontempt. Yet he dreams of a time when he will be treated equally. The importance of his dream can be seen when he proudly tells Lennie, that he "ain't a southern negro,"(70) which implies that he was born in America and deserves equal rights. Furthermore, Crooks is aware of his civil rights, even when they are violated, as he owns a copy of 1905 California Civil Rights Code. To further this point, Crooks constantly uses the word right in his sentences, for example by telling Lennie, that he "got no right to come in,"(68) which also highlights Crooks bitterness of being excluded by the white men on the ranch. After having dropped his protective cocoon when talking to Lennie and the old swamper, his dream is in part realized. This is due to both of them not seeing him as inferior and sharing their desire of buying a small ranch with him. Again, Steinbeck illustrates dreams' equalizing
I feel like Crooks deserves the reader’s sympathy the most. In the second chapter of the book Candy says to George “ya see the stable buck’s a nigger” starting us off without a name and the fact that he is black (20). The fact that he doesn’t even get a name till page 50 should show you how poorly he is treated. Steinbeck is trying to bring us back to a time where black people were nobodies, no one wanted to be near them. He wanted us to see how badly they were treated and he wanted us to feel in a way, what Crooks was feeling like. There is a moment in chapter 4 where Curley’s wife comes in and asks where her husband is and when no one responds, she threatens Crooks because she knows that no one will try and stop her. She directly said, “I
Racial tension has played such a big part in American history that it appears as themes for even the most famous novels. In Of Mice and Men, the character of "Crooks" is the biggest symbol of racial discrimination throughout the entire novel. Crooks is a worker on the ranch, just like the main characters Lennie and George, but Crooks is an African-American man. Since there is a difference in race between Crooks and the other workers on the ranch, Crooks has to live in smaller, filthier quarters than the other ranchhands. An article written by eNovels.com goes more in depth about the racial discrimination that Crooks faces in the novel. The article explains an event in the book, where Curly's wife just walks right in to Crooks' room because she thinks she is higher in status than him. The source quotes a line by Crooks that says, "You got no rights comin' in a colored man's room. You got no rights messing around in here at all," in which Curley's wife replies, "Well, you keep your place then. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny," (Steinbeck 17). The source also points out that Crooks and Lennie are both social outcasts. Crooks is because of his race, and Lennie is because of his awkward personality and mental handicap ("How Does Steinbeck Show Racial Discrimination with Crooks in Of Mice and Men?"). Steinbeck shows the audience the discrimination Americans
Considering the fact that Crooks is a black man. Crooks kind of pushes them out, but really wants them to come in, because he likes company. Crooks has friendship with Lennie, and Candy, and is developed more when they talk to him, and tell him about their dream. But the real trouble comes when Curley’s wife walks in. Like she’s good at, she causes trouble, and Crooks doesn’t like it. He wants her to get out, and her only. “Crooks stood up from his bunk and faced her. ‘I had enough,’ He said coldly. You got no rights comin’ in a colored man’s room. You got no rights messing in here at all. Now you jus’ get out, an’ get out quick. If you don’t, I’m gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more.’” (Steinbeck 80). The friendship between Crooks, Lennie, and Candy gave Crooks the courage to stand up for himself. And that’s hard being a black man in the 1930s. That’s how friendship can give people courage to stand up for
Racial segregation has always been a problem in the U.S. Black people have always been pushed off the society and regarded as property, thus becoming lonely. In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Crooks is the only black guy in the entire story. Crooks has been pushed off to the side, not talking anyone and living by his own. Furthermore, he acts rude to people around him as a result of being alone for a long time. Because of being left out and pushed off the society due to racial segregation, Crooks acts cynical of others; he tries to make them feel how he does, alone.
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.
In the story, Crooks' home is, "a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn." This suggests that he is isolated from the other men and treated like the animals he cares for and as such is made to live with them. Crooks' "bunk" was actually a long box filled with straw, which could further reinforce the fact that he is treated like an animal or it could show that he is poor and has low, if any social status. To say that Steinbeck seems to make his characters seem low and poor, Crooks seems to have a number of pleasant possessions, however, some are damaged but this could represent their amount of use.