Qualities Of Crooks In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Have you ever felt completely alone, yet you’ve been surrounded by people? In a popular novel by John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, many farm laborers exhibit various characteristics. In particular, the quiet African-American stablehand struggles with his place on a ranch during the Great Depression. His continuous treatment and degradation result in him developing distinct attributes that shape him into who he is. Throughout the story, his unique qualities lead to an influence on the plotline. The seemingly insignificant character of Crooks has shown to have key traits such as loneliness and aloofness.
One important characteristic displayed by Crooks is his loneliness. In specific, one example which proves that he is lonely is when he first meets Lennie at the

barn. During their initial conversation, Crooks tries to explain to Lennie, “A guy needs somebody-to be near him..A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody” (72). This signifies how Crooks is trying to share his experiences of loneliness with Lennie. In addition, Crooks also reminisces about when he was a child, reflecting on how the company of his two brothers affected his happiness. Crooks dreamily recalls, “Had two brothers..always near me, always there” (73). His nostalgic tone and view of the memory demonstrates how he associates happiness with companionship. Another scene that reveals Crooks’ loneliness occurs after Candy enters the barn to tell Lennie what he figured out. After Candy persuades Crooks that George, Lennie and him will be able to get their own place, Crooks hopefully asks, “If you...want a hand...why I’d come an’ lend a hand” (76). By inquiring about accompanying Candy, Crooks contrasts his loneliness on the ranch to his dreams of friendship. Multiple occurrences have clearly shown the characteristic of loneliness by Crooks. Although Crooks is lonely, he also displays aloofness in his personality.
Living as an African-American stablehand, Crooks often combats his unequal treatment with aloofness.

While teaching Geroge about the ranch, Candy briefly mentions Crooks. As George looks at his bedding, Candy remarks, “boss gives him hell when he’s mad. But the stable buck don’t give a...about that” (20). The reaction of not reacting to the boss’s treatment demonstrates Crooks’ aloofness. Another scene in which we see this trait of Crooks is when he reminds Slim about his tar being heated. After patiently waiting for a good opportunity, Crooks murmurs to Slim, “Mr. Slim...I can do it if you want” (50). In the demeanor of respectfully waiting and calmly asking for Slim, Crooks exhibits aloofness by asking if Slim would like him to do the work himself instead. One final example of his aloofness is when he is sitting in his room and notices Lennie peering in. As Lennie approaches Crooks attempting to be friendly, Crooks sharply retorts, “Nobody got any right in here but me...you ain’t wanted in my room” (68). In his acknowledgment of Lennie’s potentially amiable prospect, he responds in an aloof way. As a result of the numerous encounters both by and about Crooks, it is indicated that Crooks is an aloof

man.
Consistently throughout the novel the inconspicuous character of Crooks proves to have the qualities of loneliness and aloofness. By reminiscing fondly about his childhood with brothers, and showing how Lennie was lucky to have George, he displays a strong sense of loneliness. Consequently, various interactions between Crooks and other characters have firmly established a feeling of aloofness as a facet of his personality. While he is seen as nothing more than a worthless, filthy “nigger”and measly stablehand, Crooks clearly demonstrates the characteristics of loneliness and aloofness frequently in the story.