How Does Steinbeck Present Crooks Living Conditions

John Steinbeck reflects on the context of 1930’s America in his novel entitled ‘Of Mice and Men’. The public would perceive Afro-Americans solely by their physical features and society would segregate them as a result of their racial distinction. I will be exploring how Steinbeck presents Crooks and his development through literary devices, and hence, how he changes depending on the characters he is interacting with.

When Lennie comes into Crooks’ bunkhouse, Crooks vents on how he is never allowed to be in the bunkhouse with the others. He then says, “This is just an *expletive* talking, and a busted back *expletive*. So it don't mean nothing, see?”(Steinbeck 71). Crooks shows how he knows that although he has the same rights as the others, he will never be seen as an equal due to his race. Adding on, this makes him seem less important than the others due to the color of his skin.

Crooks is a literate black man who tends horses on the ranch. He has long been the victim of oppressive violence and prejudice and has retired behind a facade of aloofness and reserve, his natural personality deadened and suppressed by years of antagonism. Crooks is the only black man in the novel. He has a cynical intelligence and a contemptuous demeanor that he uses to prevent others from inevitably excluding him because of his race. This sign of intelligence is conveyed when Steinbeck describes Crook’s bunkhouse:

Crooks, alone, lived in the barn and did his work by himself: “And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about” (Steinbeck 66). Because Crooks is African American, he is separated from everyone else in the bunkhouse simply because of his race, which illustrates the historical context and time period of this novel which further explains why Crook is the typical outcast. Since he is isolated from everyone, it is clear that he does not often socialize with the others which explains his loneliness. Crooks yells at Lennie when he first comes into the barn to talk because Crooks is not used to friendliness in the others: “Well, I got a right to have a light. You go on get outta my room.

Crooks was a very out of place person, he was said to work in the barn with the mules making sure they were okay, he even had his own room. Steinbeck 66. Most of the time, Crooks felt lonely. The whites/workers on the farm thought that Crooks stunk, but Crooks thought the same about

John Steinbeck develops crooks through his loneliness because of his unableness to fit in the farm. Crooks has trouble fitting in because of his race, on the farm he feels left out because not everyone is expecting with him. Crooks has a difficulty with everyone on the farm because he is different from everyone and he can’t do the same activities with them. Crooks has no one on the farm that accepts him and it is hard for crooks not to alone. One time Lennie looked for a dog and went into Crooks room “You got no right to come in my room”. Crooks isn't used to anyone being in his room and when people do he gets annoyed, but this one time when Lennie walked in Crooks allowed him to stay because he wanted to have company and felt comforted with Lennie with him. Crooks can't be with any of the other farmers , and has always been lonely. Many of them don't spend time with him which caused him to be depressed, “Maybe you guys better go. I ain't sure I want you in here no more. A colored man got to have some rights even if he don't like 'em"Pg 90. All the men on the farm don't give the same rights to crook sas the other

Character Lennie who experiences being alone is Lennie. First ”Lennie pleaded, ‘Come on, George. Tell me. Please George. Like you done before’ ” (13).

In the novel Of Mice and Men Written by John Steinbeck, Steinbeck uses hopelessness to show how lonely people can be. Crooks Who is a black stable buck is mistreated because of his skin color. Steinbeck shows loneliness and hopelessness in the novel by putting crooks in the position that he is, for example Crooks isn't allowed to be with the others to play cards, and he also isn't allowed to stay in the bunkhouse, he stays in the barn with the horses.

The character of Crooks is used to symbolize the social standing of the black community occurring during the time at which the novel is set. Crooks is a lonely African American on the farm that feels out of place. As George and Lennie explain their dream to Crooks he brushes them off and says that no one around here can implement their dreams. This realism gives the reader an impression that Crooks has absolutely no hope. However, Crooks may be pessimistic, but yet even he has a dream, which is the hope of one day experiencing the joys of his childhood again. Crooks' character is portrayed as very lonely in the novel, this is evident when Crooks explains, "A guy needs someone." (Mice 77). Crooks is telling the reader the need of human interaction. This realism that Steinbeck uses shows the reader the harsh realities of the black community during the time of the depression in the 1930's

One night when George goes out with the other men he leaves Lennie alone to play with his pup when he wanders into Crook’s room. Even though the majority of the time Crooks plays mind games with Lennie he ends up expressing his dream of equality. At this time period black people are still heavily discriminated against which effects how others treat him and how he accepts others. "'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me." (Steinbeck ___). Even though Crooks is just like all the other men on the farm he is still viewed in a negative way because of his skin colour. Afterwards, Crooks begins to describe his child hood discrimination does not exist and giving him a sense of

Chapter 4 of the ‘Of Mice and Men’ novella introduces a character named Crooks. Crooks isn’t shown as a main character of the story, but is given much light in this chapter. Crooks is a black man set on a 1930’s ranch, working as a stable buck. Steinbeck presents the Character of Crooks to us as he wouldn’t of been considered during the times of the ‘Great Depression’ and shows us the negative stereotypes of black people in an American 1930’s society.

In the novel “Of Mice and Men”, the character of Crooks is used by John Steinbeck, the author, to symbolise the downgrading of the black community occurring at the time in which the novel was set. Crooks is also significant as he provides an insight into the reality of the American Dream and the feelings of the people in the ranch; their loneliness and need for company.

Even though Crooks, a black stable hand, has been around the Ranch longer than most people and he is still probably one of the most lonely. This lack of contact with other people has made him severely bitter especially when people enter his personal space. He creates his personal space with books because it helps him cope with the loneliness. So when Lennie tries to befriend him he freaks out by exclaiming, “You got no right to come in to my room. This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in her but me.”(68) In addition to Crooks being lonely he is also segregated from all the other workers. He lives in the barn with the animals instead of the bunkhouse with the others. It’s also very hard for Crooks to associate with the others, because during the time period blacks are seen as a lower class of people. When Crooks states, “Guys don’t come in to a colored man’s room very much.”(75) It shows how little contact he has with the others because of how segregated he is. This segregation mirrors the Jim Crow laws that were active during this period. Crooks’s treatment on the ranch represents the racial discrimination against blacks in

Crooks brings into perspective the loneliness experienced by all the characters in "Of Mice and Men" by saying "a guy gets too lonely, an' he gets sick." He is telling of the need for human interaction, the need for company and the need for someone to care and provide security. The oppression Crooks experiences in living in a barn and not in the bunkhouse where he could play rummy as one of the group leads him to this desperate plea to be realised as equal. Just because when he cuts himself, the blood he bleeds is looked upon as different from a white perspective, this does not mean he is not entitled to benefit from human nature. John Steinbeck is portraying here the feelings of Americans of his day and age: their aloneness and their salvation - in the American Dream.

In Steinbeck’s novel, when individuals feel like someone doesn’t belong with them, their instinct is to treat that person cruelly. Crooks is a black stable buck that is discriminated against throughout the book because of his race. The other men believe that Crooks doesn’t belong because of his skin color, so they make him sleep with the horses. As a result of the torment they put him through, Crooks becomes a very bitter person. When he is talking to Lennie in the stable Crooks tells him, “They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.” (68) Their intentions are cruel. They treat Crooks like he is an animal. They feel uncomfortable around him, so they just ignore him completely. Crooks gets fed up with all of the negative treatment and his heart hardens. He feels like he is doesn’t fit in with the others on the farm. People have told Crooks that he is different throughout his life. He starts to believe