Curley is used in the novel as the complete opposite to Slim. He is nearly everything bad a person could be. He is the character who represents some of the most horrible qualities in human nature. He shows how violent and difficult people can be. He deliberately causes trouble and tries to find any reason to be angry with anyone. He is always trying to pick a fight with anyone he can. In the novel, John Steinbeck shows how hateful he is to Lennie just because of his size – ‘Curley’s like a lot a lot of little guys, he hates big guys.’ Curley’s wife in the story expresses how lonely she is with only Curley - ‘Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?’ - and this causes jealousy on the part of Curley. On the final time when he is searching for his wife, this jealousy mixed with his unjustified hate for large men finally causes him to lose his temper and attack Lennie for no apparent reason. When ‘Lennie was still smiling with the delight at the memory of the ranch’ Curley demands ‘what the hell you laughin’ at?’ This shows that Curley at once tries to shout at Lennie for anything. John Steinbeck also writes that Curley ‘stepped over to Lennie like a terrier.’ This suggests that Curley immediately advances towards Lennie as if preparing to pounce and attack viciously, implying how eager Curley is to take his anger out on Lennie. Lennie’s misunderstanding response of ‘huh?’ seems to infuriate Curley even further although it is said ‘blankly’ to display that Lennie in fact is unaware of the dangerous situation at that moment, showing his innocence. Finally, Curley’s ‘rage explodes’ indicating that he grows so angry that like a volcano he tries to release all his rage on one subject at once. This shows how short-tempered people can be. On the other hand, John Steinbeck forwards an interesting point how every person, even if they seem to have nothing good about them whatsoever, will still have the potential for good. At the end of the novel, Curley ‘looked down at Lennie, and then looked back at George. ‘Right in the back of the head,’ he said softly.’ The word softly shows that someone like Curley, who is established throughout the book to be the most villainous person possible, understands the sorrow George feels and feels sorry for him.
Crooks is a very good representation of a victim of one of the worst qualities in humans – racism. He also represents how some people may react to such mistreatment. He shows how the cruelty to victims can change them and cause them to feel lonely and sometimes angry in Crooks’ case. ‘I can’t play because I’m black.’ This shows how racist people exclude him from activities and such like just because he is black in colour showing racial prejudice. Crooks also expresses the intolerance shown towards him by other people when he says ‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it.’ Another example of the discrimination is when Candy compliments his room and crooks replies in the tone of sarcasm, ‘Sure, and a manure pile under the window.’ His living conditions also show the lack of respect towards Crooks – his ‘ bunk was a long box filled with hay.’ Although Crooks has to live in this way, John Steinbeck writes how he takes it and gets on with it. ‘He kept his distance and demanded that other people kept theirs. Crooks also shows his loneliness – Sometimes he gets thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so.’ This shows how he, unlike Lennie, has no one to talk to or share thoughts with, no one to express his feelings to or ask a question. Crooks also displays his loneliness and longing for company when he invites Candy in although he tries to ‘conceal his pleasure with anger’ but finds it ‘difficult’ to do so. When all this intolerance affects him, John Steinbeck writes how the anger builds up inside Crooks and finally he tries to release it all when he finds someone he feels superior to- Lennie. Here he shows the ugly side of human nature that can come out of the suffering of prejudice. Crooks uses the supremacy he feels compared to Lennie and tries to scare Lennie by telling him something bad has happened to George. This suggests how some people will try to make someone else feel the pain they are suffering in order to relieve them of it.
Steinbeck uses Slim as the virtually perfect person while using Curley as a complete contrast to that as just about the worst possible person but also makes the strong point how even someone so horribly bad as Curley can have the potential for good. He also uses Crooks as a representative of a victim of the bad qualities in life and how that can cause a person to in turn show their bad side. I learnt how some people can be so pointlessly violent and heartless while some people can be peaceful and kind. How everybody can be good yet some people may on purpose show the worst side of a person but others may simply be provoked into losing their temper. How victims of discrimination can became lonely and ultimately become discriminators themselves.
