How does Steinbeck present the characte
How does Steinbeck present the character Crooks in Of Mice and Men?
To what extent do you sympathise with him as a character?
Steinbeck represents the character, Crooks, by showing the effects of discrimination. He is referred to as the ‘black’ stable buck and is named Crooks, due to the crook in his back, which was a result of being kicked in the back by a horse. The character is shown as reasonably literate, due to the possession of his books, which he uses as compensation to his loneliness. The reader would have a lot of sympathy for Crooks, as he is treated unfairly and acts very lonely, showing he doesn’t have anyone to comfort him and to talk about his problems to.
The racism is carried out by most of the men on the ranch, as crooks is the only black man and racism was very common at the time of which ‘Of Mice and Men’ was set – 1930’s. He is isolated by his colour and in insulted with the use of the word ‘nigger’. With this comment the men are dehumanising Crooks and it shows that they do not hold a lot of respect for him.
The discrimination is also stretched to an extent of him not being allowed to enter and socialise with the white men, in the bunk-house. The reader would sympathise greatly with this, as Crooks is being secluded from everyone. The unacceptance that he receives has led to him becoming very lonely and in need of company. This is shown by his quote – “s’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you were black…A guys needs somebody – to be near him…I tell you a guy gets too lonely an’ he he gets sick.” His feeling of loneliness drives him to play a cruel trick on Lennie, which may lead to the reader to reduce their sympathy towards Crooks, as he’s taking advantage of Lennie and this means that he is not as innocent as he may seem, although he be acting like this because of his untrusting nature, which had been brought on by most of the men around him.
Crooks wishes for freedom and a
To what extent do you sympathise with him as a character?
Steinbeck represents the character, Crooks, by showing the effects of discrimination. He is referred to as the ‘black’ stable buck and is named Crooks, due to the crook in his back, which was a result of being kicked in the back by a horse. The character is shown as reasonably literate, due to the possession of his books, which he uses as compensation to his loneliness. The reader would have a lot of sympathy for Crooks, as he is treated unfairly and acts very lonely, showing he doesn’t have anyone to comfort him and to talk about his problems to.
The racism is carried out by most of the men on the ranch, as crooks is the only black man and racism was very common at the time of which ‘Of Mice and Men’ was set – 1930’s. He is isolated by his colour and in insulted with the use of the word ‘nigger’. With this comment the men are dehumanising Crooks and it shows that they do not hold a lot of respect for him.
The discrimination is also stretched to an extent of him not being allowed to enter and socialise with the white men, in the bunk-house. The reader would sympathise greatly with this, as Crooks is being secluded from everyone. The unacceptance that he receives has led to him becoming very lonely and in need of company. This is shown by his quote – “s’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy ‘cause you were black…A guys needs somebody – to be near him…I tell you a guy gets too lonely an’ he he gets sick.” His feeling of loneliness drives him to play a cruel trick on Lennie, which may lead to the reader to reduce their sympathy towards Crooks, as he’s taking advantage of Lennie and this means that he is not as innocent as he may seem, although he be acting like this because of his untrusting nature, which had been brought on by most of the men around him.
Crooks wishes for freedom and a