In Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, several characters, namingly Crooks, and Curley’s wife, represent the people on the margins of society, who had no rights or say in anything, during the 20th century. Through these characters it is clear to see that darker skinned people, and women, had no say, or choice to choose what happened to them during the 20th century. As of the 21rst century, we have the moral obligation to help those that are less fortunate than we are, and uplift them up from the margins of society. Steinbeck shows that there were many groups of people on the margins of society by using characters as an example. For example, Steinbeck displays Crooks, as a stable man, but unable to participate in daily activities, as well as is segregated from the rest of them men at the ranch. On …show more content…
This saying of Crooks’ shows that people with darker skin in the 20th century had less rights, if any at all. They were separated from everyone else, and couldn't even be in the same room as them sometimes. They didn't have a say in anything, and if they did say something, everyone would disregard it. This can be seen on page 70 when Crooks says, “ ‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it’ ”. People didn't have respect for those with darker skin during the 20th century. Another example of this can be seen when Crooks talks to Curley’s wife on pages 80 to 81, “ She [Curley’s wife] turned to him [Crooks] in scorn. ‘ Listen, Nigger’...‘You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?’ Crooks stared hopelessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew himself in… Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall…‘Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny.’ Crooks had reduced himself to nothing.
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.
Novels that exhibit what the life is like for the people at ranch can help readers reflect on how they might react in comparable situation. George and Lennie who struggle to transcend the plight of inerrant farmworkers are followed by the novel Of Mice and Men written by John Steinbeck. Readers are positioned to respond to themes through Steinbeck’s use of conventions that are dispirit. Themes such as Freedom and confinement, loneliness, and racism are pivotal in the novel and draw out a range of responses from the readers.
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...
John Steinbeck’s creative and carefully planned writing expressed the difficulties of oppression in this Era. Of Mice and Men explored the effects of systemic oppression on women,
"Crooks is a black man that experiences isolation because the society in which he resides is racist. As a result, the previous quote was his means of finding a personal connection to Lennie. Like Lennie, Crooks has a "relationship" with loneliness. He knows that when people get lonely, they tend to get sick. Crooks is rejected from every group of people and cannot socially interact with others.
In the novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there is only one woman and one African American male announced in the reading. The women is Curley’s wife, her name is not stated in the novel, who is the only woman that lives on the farm. While Crooks, the African American male, lives on the farm in a little cottage away from the rest of the men that live there. As we keep reading, we soon get the idea that Steinbeck’s purpose of women and African Americans is to present: discrimination towards race, gender stereotyping, and the double standards in the predominantly male workplace.
In the novel Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck walks us through the journey of best friends named George and Lennie, who work on a ranch during the Great Depression in California’s Salinas Valley to achieve their goals. Throughout the book, Steinbeck suggest that social hierarchy and classification can lead toward a treatment to lower class workers, different genders and race, and the mentally disabled, when compared to white men workers.
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
Racial discrimination has been around for a long time, judging people for the color of their skin. Crooks is affected by this because he is black. Blacks in that time were thought as lesser than the white people. The racial discrimination affects Crooks' life in only negative ways. He is plagued by loneliness because of the color of his skin. His lack of company drives him crazy. Only when Lennie comes in to his room does he feel less lonely. He talked of his loneliness using a hypothetical scenario of George leaving Lennie. Crooks' responds to this discrimination by staying in his barn and being secluded. He doesn't want anyone to be in there but deep down he does so he can have some company. He isn't wanted in the bunk house or to play cards with the others because he is black. This effected the story by letting people walk all over him, letting them think they can do whatever they want, and ultimately making the people think they have a lot of power when really they do not.
Although racism is slowly diminishing, there is still much work to be done to completely end racism. All throughout Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck explores how isolation through sexism and racism can cause a person to crave attention. He helps the reader to understand this by depicting both Curley’s Wife and Crooks, who were minorities on the farm, as extremely needy for attention
Curley’s wife speaks to Crooks after his outburst of emotion, showing the frequent use of this word, “‘Listen, nigger’” (Steinbeck 80). There are still many examples in the novella that can show the common usage of the n-word in the 30s. Shortly after Crooks’ outburst, Curley’s wife takes the situation even farther by threatening him with his life, “‘. . . I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny’”
" This is just a nigger talkin', an' a busted-back nigger. So it don't mean nothing, see?"(Steinbeck). Not only was he black, but he had a physical issue, causing him to be more separated from the others. Crooks probably got the worst of all of the negativity, so he was the very mentally affected by this, and affected other physically in the same