What Crook's Room tells us about the Scene Set in Of Mice and Men

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Of mice and men - What does the scene set in crooks's room tell us about

the life on the ranch?

What does the scene set in crooks's room tell us about the life on the

ranch?

Crooks scene is a key point in the novel "of mice and men", as the

themes that are touched upon in this scene apply to the whole novel,

and we learn a lot about life on the ranch for example segregation of

the black community and the isolation that is faced while working on

the ranch.

We come across crooks's scene towards the middle of the novel. The

main characters in this scene are Lennie, Candy, Curley's wife and

obviously Crooks.

From the start we soon realise there is mistrust within people on the

ranch. "Slim looked through George and beyond him. "Ain't many guys

travel around together, " he mused, "I don't know why. Maybe

every'body in the whole damn world is scared of each other." "

At the beginning of the scene we get a detailed description about

Crooks's room and his way of life. From the very beginning of the

scene we know Crooks is a Black slave working on the ranch. " Crooks,

the Negro stable buck…" (Page 66) We also know that Crooks has been on

the ranch for quite some time and will be there for many years to

come. "…he was more permanent then the other men, and he had

accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back."(Page

66) we also know he is crippled, "His body was bent over to the left

because of his crooked spine…" (Page 67) Which is probably where his

name originated from for having a crooked spine.

Crooks is black and this is established early on in the scene, because

of this insignificant he is segregated from the other men on the ranch

and is marginalized. During the 1920's black people in America were

treated very harshly just because of the colour of their skin.

During the Crooks's scene we learn a lot about the various characters

in the novel. From the very beginning of the novel we know Lennie is

mentally challenged, "…Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and

all…"(page 5), however he also seems oblivious the world around him

and the hurdles that some people have to overcome to get through life

like Crook's. "…I ain't wanted in the bunk house… why ain't you

wanted?… Cause I'm black…" (Page 68).

Crooks and Curleys wife may seem completely different which is true

but in some ways they are both very similar.

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