Hashim Dayah 1108
‘Of mice and men’ by John Steinbeck- Consider the character of crooks. How does he contribute to our understanding of the society in which he lives?
This essay will answer the question above. I will be looking at the character Crooks and the society and the racial issues at that time. I will also look into the ‘American dream’ of the majority. John Steinbeck was born in 1902 in Salinas, California, and many of his novels are set in this part of America. Before his career as a writer began, Steinbeck worked as a construction labourer and a caretaker. His first novel ‘Cup of Gold’ was published in 1929. ‘Of Mice and Men’ was published in 1939. He died at the age of 66 in 1968.
In this paragraph, I will describe the character of Crooks and some of the difficulties faced by the racial minority. Crooks is a Black-American who stands out to the other ranch-men. He has a crooked back, where he has been kicked by a horse. He is known by many names, like ‘the stable-buck negro’ or ‘nigger’. In the time where Crooks was living, Americans treated the Black-Americans very differently because they were ‘niggers’. The black people where not allowed in white areas, even though it wasn’t a law, it was made this way, but there where laws of the segregation of the black and white people. In the ranch, it was exactly the same, Crooks wasn’t allowed in the other ranch people’s bunk house to play blackjack or rummy “I ain’t wanted in the bunk-house and you ain’t wanted in my room” (page 72). He just had to sleep in the barn by himself; he had no rights, except the choice of invitation of his room. He is only allowed to play horse shoes with the other ranch workers because he is so good at it. Although C1``rooks is part of the lowest chain of respect, he knows himself as a proud ‘aloof’ man; he doesn’t care what the others say about him.
