how steinbeck presents crooks
How does Steinbeck present Crooks in the extract? What is the importance of crooks in the novel as a whole?
Of Mice and Men is a powerful and moving portrayal of two men striving to understand their own unique place in the world. Drifters in search of work, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie have nothing in the world except each other - and a dream. A dream that one day they will have some land of their own. Eventually they find work on a ranch, but their hopes are doomed, as Lennie - struggling against extreme cruelty, misunderstanding and feelings of jealousy - becomes a victim of his own strength.
The novel does many things which include: tackling universal themes, friendship and a shared vision, and giving a voice to America's lonely and dispossessed; and in this essay about this poignant novel I will explain how 'Crooks' a key character in this book is presented, and also show his importance to the novel as a whole.
In 'Of Mice and Men' Crooks is a black man and is disfigured because of his crooked back. Because of these two things, he is treated as a second-class citizen. We can see that he is treated this way by looking at this extract:
"Crooks, the negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness-room; a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn. On one side of the little room there was a square four paned window, and on the other, a narrow plank door leading into the barn. Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw, on which his blankets were flung."
From this extract, we are told many things about crooks. Firstly, in the opening sentence of the extract, we are told that Crooks is a "negro stable buck". We know straight away that he is different because of the fact that his colour was mentioned; none of the other characters in the book were described by the colour of their skin, showing that crooks has been separated from them based upon his colour.
Crooks has his own bunk in the harness room, where the tacking for the horses is kept. The idea of the harness room is important because Crooks, like the rest of the characters, are literally in harness to the job on the ranch. They work like the animals until they have outlived their usefulness. Crooks, more than the rest, is seen as animal-like because of the colour of his skin.
His living space is also second-class to the bunkhouse. We can see this because the room is said to be no more than "a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn". This shows that his living space is very small and not meant for a person to live in.
The room that he lives in is of poor quality, "a narrow plank door" and the fact that his room has a door, which leads onto the barn further prove that he is being treated like an animal. His room is ill equipped for living in
"Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and the horses".
This show that he has been deprived of a simple human necessity; storage. Even though Crooks is a more permanent worker, he has to resort to an apple box to put his possessions in. In addition, Crooks keeps the medicine for the horses with as well has keeping his own medicines in the same box. He sees himself s other people see him; equal to animals.
By looking at Crook's personal belongings, we can ...
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"Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and the horses".
This show that he has been deprived of a simple human necessity; storage. Even though Crooks is a more permanent worker, he has to resort to an apple box to put his possessions in. In addition, Crooks keeps the medicine for the horses with as well has keeping his own medicines in the same box. He sees himself s other people see him; equal to animals.
By looking at Crook's personal belongings, we can get a greater insight into what sort of person he is. In Of mice and men, the possessions in his room are said to "scattered about the floor" because
"being a stable buck and a cripple, he was more permanent than other men, and he had accumulated more possessions than he could carry on his back".
From this, we get a keys fact : One ,Crooks is different from other people because unlike the migrant workers, whose job can only last for a season and are dependant on crops, Crook's job is dependant on the horses, which are needed all year round. This makes him less likely to have to look for work elsewhere; the ranch is more dependant on him than the migrant workers. Two, because his belongings are strewn on the floor, you can begin to assume he does not have many visitors.
The next paragraph tells us in detail of Crook's possessions, among which are "a tattered dictionary and a "mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905". The books indicate that he has been well educated, as many people in the 1930's were illiterate. Both the dictionary and the civil code book are said to be severely worn, and this indicates he takes a great in interest in knowing his rights. He has read these books so carefully so as to be treated fairly and equally as possible, and even though the book is several years old, he has to make do with what he's been given.
Crooks is a proud man, and does not mix easily with the other ranch hands: "He kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs". Memories from the past could be the reason behind this; Crooks used to be welcomed by his white friends when he was younger on his dad's farm, but he soon became aware of racial prejudice when he became a teenager. He understands that he is not wanted on the ranch, and he also used to express the men's the racial hatred when they "go after" him when they fight.
We can tell that crooks is not well nourished :"his lean face lined with deep black wrinkles", but if we read on we also know that he is in pain "pain-tightened lips". The cause of his pain seems to be his back injuries. Steinbeck describes how he is rubbing his spine with liniment when Lennie goes to see him.
"In one hand he held a bottle of liniment, with the other the rubbed his spine. Now and then he poured a few drops of the liniment into his pink-palmed hand and reached up under his shirt to rub again. He flexed his muscles against his back and shivered."
As readers, we empathise with Crooks because he is not treated equally with dignity, and we know from this that Steinbeck believes in equality and fairness. The other men are not cruel to him, but he is aware of their racism and resents it:
"They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black."
A key moment in Steinbeck novel is when Lennie goes to see Crooks. It's appropriate that when we see him in his own environment of the harness room he is defensive of his environment, telling Lennie that if he is not allowed in the white men's area, then they are not allowed in his. But unlike the rest of the ranch workers, Lennie sees no reason why he should not visit Crooks' room. Lennie's childlike mind does not recognize the idea of racial segregation, so seeing Crooks' light on, he decides to call in.
We soon learn that the other men never visit Crooks. Although he grumbles at first about Lennie being there, he soon invites him to sit down and talk. For once, Crooks feels important and he talks freely to Lennie about his life on the ranch. We learn that Crooks was not "a southern negro". When he says this to Lennie it is to show he has status, he was not a slave from the south; he was born and treated as a child equally
"The white kids come to play at our place ,an' sometimes I went to play with them, and some of the was pretty nice"
We notice how Crooks begins to pour out his personal feelings to Lennie because he believes that Lennie doesn't really understand him, and because, "A guy can talk to you and be sure you won't go blabbin". He justifies his speaking to Lennie by saying "This is just a nigger talking...So it mean nothing see?"
It is just after this point that we come to understand just how lonely Crooks is, his need for socialisation and his deprivation
"I seen it over an over an over- a guy talking to another guy and it don't make no difference if he don't hear or understand. The thing is they're talking or they're settin or they're settin and still not talking. It make no difference, no difference."
We can see what Crook's main need is - companionship. Just to be able to talk to someone- even if they're not listening is all he wants. Because of this deprivation its seems as though he tries to make the most of having an audience by cruelly teases Lennie, suggesting that George will never come back.
"S'pose George don't come back no more. S'pose he took a powder and just ain't coming back. What'll you do then?"
Crooks is envious of Lennie and George's relationship- they have everything that Lennie wants; a companionship. He repeats this question to Lennie several times, trying to see how strong George and Lennie's bond is only to have Lennie reply:
"He won't do it" "George wouldn't do nothing like that. I been with George a long time. He'll come back tonight..."
Crooks, delighted by this reply continues to bombard Lennie with the same question. This however, is too much for Lennie compute; we know Crooks has gone too far , by asking this same question repeatedly Lennie can only think that something has happened to George. He relies on George so much- Lennie is only the animal part of their relationship; George is the mentally alert aspect.
Lennie is shown to react in an animal-like manner: " Lennie's eyes centered and grew quiet and mad". It is at this point we know that Lennie's strength is overtaking him, and this scene gives an idea of what is to come in the future.
There are several similarities between Crooks and Lennie. They are both outsiders ;neither Crooks nor Lennie were invited to town that night. They both have great difficulty socialising with people, Lennie because he is not mentally able to, Crooks because of his colour. Another similarity is, no matter what, we know that both of them will never fulfil their dreams. Like all of the characters in the film, their dreams are unrealistic.
Crooks is important in the play because like all the other characters he is isolated and lonely and he, at first, laughs at Lennie's dream. This feeling of disbelief and scorn makes the reader feel that maybe George and Lennie's dream is really only nonsense, as Crooks tells Lennie:
"Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody never gets no land. It's just in their head ."
Crooks sums up the dream and reality of migrant workers- they dream of independence, to be owned by no-one and have no-one to answer to but themselves ; but no-one ever realises their dream. This is an important part of the novel, because Steinbeck has used this point to sum up the rest of the book; none of the characters will realise their dreams.
Now it is Crooks turn to invite another person into is bunk; it is at this point that Candy enters in this chapter. It is difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure because now, he has found another person who is willing to talk to him, and possibly treat him equally. Although the author doesn't explicitly tell us that he is enjoying talking to the two men, it is clear that he longs for a more sociable and humane existence. Candy too brings up the idea that Lennie was talking about earlier :
"I got it figured out. We can make some money on those rabbits if we go about it right."
Crooks says again that their dream is impossible. Candy however, refuses to believe this and goes over in detail their dream. This is the turning point for Crooks, because Candy's determination and the amount of belief he shows in this dream is enough for Crooks to begin to think that the dream could be possible, and even though he understands that Lennie's dream is impossible, he becomes captivated by the dream. He too is swept away by the dream of living off the "fat of the land".
" If you...guys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why I'd come an' lend a hand. I ain't so crippled I can't work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to."
The three men are disturbed by the arrival of Curley's wife. She too has been left behind. She seeks out company but the men sense trouble and are unfriendly towards her. When she turns on Crooks, making thinly veiled threats and calling him a "nigger", it reminds him of his low status on the ranch. Her words bring him back down to earth and make him realize that the dream is useless: he will never be treated as an equal.
The ending of Chapter Four contrasts bleakly with the earlier optimism and enthusiasm of the three men, before the arrival of Curley's wife. Perhaps the author intends the reader at this point to share Crooks' cynicism about the dream and realize that it will come to nothing.
All of the characters have expectations that are sometimes called the 'Great American Dream'. This refers to the idea that people saw America as a 'land of opportunity' where ambitious people could fulfil their dreams. Throughout the novel, Steinbeck seems to be giving us 'clues' to tell us that things will go wrong and George and Lennie will never get the life they desire. The reality for people like Crooks, Candy, Lennie and George is summed up in a single line of the poem To a mouse ;from which the title of this poignant novel is taken : "The best-laid schemes o mice an men, Gang aft agley" (English: "Often go awry"
