Explore the way crooks is presented in of mice and men
Explore the ways Crooks (a minor character) is presented in Of Mice And Men
John Steinbeck created the character of Crooks in order for him (Crooks) to embody the marginalisation of the black community during the 1930s. Crooks is a minor character, but this does not stop Steinbeck using him to bring attention to the racism of the time and the reality of ‘the American Dream’.
When we first see Crooks it is apparent that he is very lonely “had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn”. He is isolated from the rest of the ranchers, the white male ranchers. They all bunk together whereas Crooks has to live in a tiny room by the stable, where the animals live. This signifies the fact that he is treated not as a rancher, but as an animal. We also see another example of this when the room is being described, “Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and the horses” the fact that his medicine is kept with the animals medicine illustrates further that he is equal to the horses. “And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about” This clearly shows that crooks is lonely due to the fact he has had to live by himself, without company, for too many years.
After a lonely description of Crooks, when we first see dialogue with him, he appears to be a very grumpy, bitter man. “This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me” But why is he so bitter? He is probably bitter because of the way he is treated, the way he is isolated and not allowed to go into the bunkhouse or to play rummy with any of the other ranch men. He is bitter because he is not taken seriously by anybody, and never has been his whole life no matter where he travelled. “If I say something, why It’s just a nigger sayin’ it” Although this does show us how and why he is bitter, we also see some sense of self-pity in this and the fact that
John Steinbeck created the character of Crooks in order for him (Crooks) to embody the marginalisation of the black community during the 1930s. Crooks is a minor character, but this does not stop Steinbeck using him to bring attention to the racism of the time and the reality of ‘the American Dream’.
When we first see Crooks it is apparent that he is very lonely “had his bunk in the harness room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn”. He is isolated from the rest of the ranchers, the white male ranchers. They all bunk together whereas Crooks has to live in a tiny room by the stable, where the animals live. This signifies the fact that he is treated not as a rancher, but as an animal. We also see another example of this when the room is being described, “Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and the horses” the fact that his medicine is kept with the animals medicine illustrates further that he is equal to the horses. “And scattered about the floor were a number of personal possessions; for, being alone, Crooks could leave his things about” This clearly shows that crooks is lonely due to the fact he has had to live by himself, without company, for too many years.
After a lonely description of Crooks, when we first see dialogue with him, he appears to be a very grumpy, bitter man. “This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me” But why is he so bitter? He is probably bitter because of the way he is treated, the way he is isolated and not allowed to go into the bunkhouse or to play rummy with any of the other ranch men. He is bitter because he is not taken seriously by anybody, and never has been his whole life no matter where he travelled. “If I say something, why It’s just a nigger sayin’ it” Although this does show us how and why he is bitter, we also see some sense of self-pity in this and the fact that