Crooks In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men
The Character of Crooks is shown as a seemingly minor character in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”, however being the only black man in the novel and through all the attitudes shown towards him, he plays a major role in representing how ‘coloured’ men were abused and discriminated during the Depression-era by racism. Due to the racist behaviour towards him we are shown that he is the lonliest of characters. Also, throughout the novel we are shown different sides of him by the author to develop our impressions.
From the first time we are introduced to Crooks through Candy, he tells George ‘He [the boss] was sure burned when you wasn’t here this morning. Come right in when we was eatin’ breakfast and says, “where the hell’s them new men?” …show more content…
From this Steinbeck makes us feel sorry for the black stable buck as he has to put …show more content…
There are many thing that can be presumed from the description given. For Instance, ‘Crooks’ bunk was a ling box filled with straw’ this illustrates the image that crooks is treated no better than an animal because his bed is actually a box with straw filled in it, another quote which implies the same meaning is ‘range of medicine bottles, both for himself and the horses’. As well as that he has his bunk in the harness room, rather than the bunk room with the other hands, which is a ‘little shed leaning off the wall of the barn.’ This as well as exhibiting that he is respected as much as an animal, also emphasises his lonliness and isolation. As well as showing the bad points of him living alone we are shown the advantages such as, he was able to leave his things about. While explaining the possessions ‘he had accumulated’ we are reveled other parts of his personality for instance he is an intelligent man, as we have already been told by Candy because he reads a lot, we are able to prove this because we are told he has ‘a tattered dictionary,’ ‘battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special self over his bunk’ however the ‘dirty books’ could also be suggesting that they are dirty books that he reads because he is unable to go with the other hands to the whorehouse, but they could also just be dusty and old books. He is also shown as someone who knows his place at
From the first time we are introduced to Crooks through Candy, he tells George ‘He [the boss] was sure burned when you wasn’t here this morning. Come right in when we was eatin’ breakfast and says, “where the hell’s them new men?” …show more content…
From this Steinbeck makes us feel sorry for the black stable buck as he has to put …show more content…
There are many thing that can be presumed from the description given. For Instance, ‘Crooks’ bunk was a ling box filled with straw’ this illustrates the image that crooks is treated no better than an animal because his bed is actually a box with straw filled in it, another quote which implies the same meaning is ‘range of medicine bottles, both for himself and the horses’. As well as that he has his bunk in the harness room, rather than the bunk room with the other hands, which is a ‘little shed leaning off the wall of the barn.’ This as well as exhibiting that he is respected as much as an animal, also emphasises his lonliness and isolation. As well as showing the bad points of him living alone we are shown the advantages such as, he was able to leave his things about. While explaining the possessions ‘he had accumulated’ we are reveled other parts of his personality for instance he is an intelligent man, as we have already been told by Candy because he reads a lot, we are able to prove this because we are told he has ‘a tattered dictionary,’ ‘battered magazines and a few dirty books on a special self over his bunk’ however the ‘dirty books’ could also be suggesting that they are dirty books that he reads because he is unable to go with the other hands to the whorehouse, but they could also just be dusty and old books. He is also shown as someone who knows his place at