Crooks essay

Crook’s is the only black character in the novel discuss his significance.

The author John Steinbeck is an artistic Writer. His greatest achievement of being an author was the compelling story Of Mice And Men. This is an immense story based on two American ranch workers dream to own a house in the 1930’s. The novel was set in Soledad in southern California. In several of his fiction works, including Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck illustrates how grueling, challenging, and often unrewarding the life of migrant farmers could be. Just as George and Lennie dream of a better life on their own farm, the Great Plains farmers dreamed of finding a better life in California. Steinbeck himself was born there in 1902, and went on to experience the Great Depression in the heart of the land that so many left their homes to find. This time in America's history was marked by bread lines, soup kitchens, unemployment, and the daily hope for a low paying job that would last longer than a few days. Historically, this was a dream of many people in California during the Great Depression, most of whom never saw it come to pass. The story shows the harsh and cruel circumstances of the many who were so poor but balances the desperation with the hope and desire for triumph. The novel is about two inerrant workers, called Lennie and George. They work on a ranch with other workers. The main theme in this novel is “The Dream” Historically, this was what many people in California strived to achieve during these hard times; to one a piece of land, most of whom never saw it come to pass. The story shows the harsh and cruel circumstances of the many that were so poor but balances the desperation with the hope and desire for triumph.

Discrimination can take many forms, from racial to physical to gender, Crooks is set apart because he is the only black man on the ranch moreover, he has a physical disability. In this novel Crooks possesses the majority of loneliness and injustice. Steinbeck’s perception of Crooks in the novel is very accurate during this period, he uses Crook’s to symbolise the marginalisation of the black community occurring at the time in which the novel is set additionally Crooks brings into perspective the loneliness experienced by all the characters. Steinbeck’s relates his knowledge to the novel and most substantially Crooks.

Crook’s is the only black character on the ranch and is first established in Chapter 2. He is segregated from the rest of the men on the ranch. He has his own room in the barn, “...A little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn”. We can see how isolated he is in this room because he needs to surround himself with his own personal possessions; “For being alone, Crooks could leave his things about..." He is referred to as a "Nigger" by almost everybody on the ranch, “She turned on him in scorn. ‘Listen nigger’…” Steinbeck’s use of language, such as the term “Nigger” started out as a dismissive term used by whites to describe blacks, and it didn’t even necessarily have racist connotations. But when the 19th century started ‘nigger’ was a term used by white people to express their anger and furthermore degrade blacks. Steinbeck used Curley’s Wife In this quote to indicate her own personal opinion on what she perceives Crooks to be, internally what white people on a whole thought blacks were. Not only did he use this quote to express her anger towards Crooks but also he used this quote to show how Crooks had a lack of importance. He was not recognized or called by his name, Crooks. He was not awarded dignity because he was looked upon as being inferior. Everyone on the ranch was called by his or her name except Crooks, which made him irrelevant to people on the ranch. The message conveyed by Steinbeck is therefore that Crooks was racially and socially differentiated from white people by this racial term “Nigger”. On the other hand The Old Swamper thinks positively about Crooks when he first tells George about him. “Yeah nice fella…Ya see the stable bunk is a nigger” Even though The Old Swamper referrers to Crooks as a nigger, which was properly because it was recognizably used to refer to him as, he looks behind their racial difference, and judges Crooks on his personality.

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The beginning of Chapter 4 is the setting for Crooks room where he lives in alone. He owns many possessions strangely more than other workers. “Crooks possessed several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock…” His room reflects his character “…was swept and fairly neat, for Crooks was a proud, aloof man” This quote not only suggests that Crooks keeps his room clean but that he is a well-kept man. He is mostly in his room and wants his room to reflect himself as a person, who takes pride in his room. He also has “…A tattered dictionary…copy of the California civil code…a few dirty books” He has educational possessions in his room, which shows he is well educated and takes an interest in reading. He obviously knows his rights as a black man, because he reads the California civil code so knows what he is entitled to do. Crooks puts all of these things on a “special shelf” to show that they are important to him.

The condition of his skin suggest that he is aged “deep black wrinkles” There’s a contrast between his youthful eyes with the rest of his face. Having his own room meant he was detached from the ranch workers, which suggest he experiences racial segregation due to being black. This discrimination against black people in the 1930s was enforced by Steinbeck into Crooks to give an insight on prejudice.

When Lennie enters Crook’s room out of curiosity, Crooks asserts his human rights stating, “This here’s my room. Nobody got any right in here but me” This form of retaliation against Lennie is down to Crooks being isolated all the time. Crooks is clearly stating his right to privacy, it is safer for him to remain isolated. It is strange for him that Lennie is communicating with him; not being used to it, so when Lennie does enter his room, Crooks manages to hold his delight by pretending to be annoyed. "It was difficult for Crooks to conceal his pleasure with anger.” He feels the need to protect his room because of his “protective dignity of a Negro” This quote reflects on all black people of this time, who were made to protect themselves because they lacked the social skills they needed to be able to communicate with others without feeling the need to protect themselves. He tries to hide is pleasure through irritation, but he realizes that he wants Lennie’s company. Not only because he is lonesome but because he knows Lennie is naive and lacks knowledge of life in general.

The mode during Lennie’s visit to see Crooks was a very unwanted mode at first. Once Crooks realized Lennie wasn’t looking for any dissatisfaction, Crooks eased up a little. One quote which observes “…Lennie’s disarming smile defeated him. ‘Come in for a while…” He lets his defensive barrier down to Lennie “His tone was a little more friendly” Crooks can’t help but respond to Lennie; conversation is what he craves for. Crooks has got a indulgant heart, he just chooses to hide it through anger and displeasure considering that’s the only way he knows how to express his feelings. He would not naturally be distant towards people if he were not racially segregated from others. We therefore see that being around someone for once has brought out his true personality. Crook’s is envious of Lennie’s relationship with George. George takes care of Lennie and they have a companionship. Deep within him he wants the warmth of togetherness in his life, relising lennie has this creates a burning streak of jealousy inside him. He uses Lennie’s lack of knowledge to his advantage by taunting Lennie about George leaving him. “‘S’ pose George don’t come back no more” His misery and envy brings out his cruelty. He is trying to inflict his personal pain of being a lonely black man onto Lennie. Crooks then reveals his own need “Maybe you can see now. You got George… ‘S’ pose you didn’t have nobody…I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick.” This illustrates that Crooks pities his own circumstances and vulnerability. "I didn't mean to scare you" shows that Crooks did not deliberately picked on Lennie he just wanted him to know how it felt to be alone all the time. He expresses this through his bitterness. He realizes himself that bullying Lennie will not change his belonging in society he will still remain unimportant. Crooks' loneliness is part of Steinbeck's microcosm of the world. Multiply Crooks a million times, and Steinbeck is pointing out the barriers and artificial obstacles people and society build against each other.

Whenever the American Dream is mentioned he dismisses it "Nobody never gets to heaven and nobody gets no land." He lacks the optimism and hopes that George and Lennie share. This brings us to believe that Crooks has absolutely no hope in achieving this dream. He has lost faith in the dream; maybe being a black man has caused him to think there could be no realisation of him being happy in his life. He links going to heaven and owning your own land, suggesting going to heaven is equal to owning a land. This sparks reality that during this period of the great depression it was rare that people working on ranches could ever own a land. Lennie and George have determination and hope that one day they will own a land, even though deep down George knows it’s unrealistic. Crooks seems like he has given up a long time ago on the dream, mostly because his concealment from everyone else has infused this judgement into his mind.

When Curly’s wife enters Crook’s room all the men dislike her presence, she knows full well that Curlys not in Crook’s room but just like Crook’s she is eager for attention. “Any you boys seen Curly” This is what makes Crook’s and Curlys wife so similar. Their life is full of shattered dreams, discrimination and loneliness. Crook’s tries to stand up to Curlys wife, but being a white woman means she has a controlled power of Crook’s being black. She belittles him saying “…you keep in your place then, Nigger I could get you strung up” He reverts back to the majestic, stubborn man he was in the beginning. She dehumanises him straight away. “Crook’s had reduced himself to nothing. There was no personality, no ego…” Crooks built up this ego and bravery to stand up to Curlys wife when he was for the first time given attention socially by Lennie and Candy entering his room. It may have been a lot for him to take in, after being made to feel like he is not welcome because of his colour all the time. So when Curlys Wife insults them, this new ego and bravery gives crooks the idea that he can assert his rights to Curlys Wife. She soon puts him in his place, making him realise the substantial difference between them, racial wise. She knows how to use the unfairness of life to her advantage, which becomes disturbingly clear when she dangles the threat of crying rape in front of Crooks. She knows that as a black man he would be lynched if she told the others that he'd even tried to rape her, and she wields this power to her advantage. Ultimately, though, she is revealed as frightened of her husband as she sneaks off to her house. Curley's wife has been trapped by life and however brazen and manipulative she may be, she is ultimately one of the comparatively powerless figures in the novel. She is therefore, perhaps, an object of the reader's sympathy.

The characters in the book begin to merge, by this happening we soon start to realize they are quite similar. “Crooks laughed again. 'A guy can talk to you and be sure you won't go blabbin… George can tell you screwy things, and it don't matter. It's just the talking. It's just bein' with another guy.'” Crook’s thoughts in this quote reflect the ideas of all the outcasts in the novel. Just like George, Candy, and Curley's Wife, Crooks longs for human companionship; he simply wants another person to acknowledge his existence. Likewise, George thinks that he and Lennie are different from all the other lonely migrant workers because they have each other. George's actions mirror Crook’s words, George knows that Lennie isn't listening to him most of the time, but he like Crooks simply wants someone to hear him. Similarly, Candy is willing to invest his life's savings in strangers' dreams so that he can spend the last years of his life with others. His one companion, his dog, is now gone. Finally, Curley's wife is willing to risk the fury of her abusive husband just for human conversation. Her behavior with Lennie is exactly like Crook's conversation with Lennie; she does not care that Lennie doesn't understand her.

In Chapter Four, the contrast between Crooks, Curly’s Wife, Candy and Lennie becomes marked. Firstly the three mentally or physically impaired "outcasts" of the farm - discuss their dream of living "of the fat of the land" one can sense a strong whiff of socialism. For a moment, they imagine a life of freedom from prejudice and racism, in which each man works for "just his keep" regardless of color or disability. Steinbeck cleverly brings the outcast into contact at the end of the chapter which subverts the idea of crooks being the only character who suffers from loneliness and shattered dreams. Crook’s race is the reason for his isolation, just as Candy's age and handicap isolate him, and Curley's wife's gender forces her into a solitary life. Because of his race, he must live outside of human contact, he no longer trusts that dreams can come true. Steinbeck devotes all of Chapter 4 to Crooks to illustrate how completely isolated the stable hand truly is because of his race. All characters enter Crook’s room, on top of the social hierarchy, however they slowly start to correspond to Crooks. Lennie and Candy wanting to grab that much loved American dream, while Curly’s Wife is in need of company. Steinbeck uses Crooks to reveal the hidden desires of the other characters, Steinbeck show that although Crooks is considered the outcast of the book, he in no doubt brings them all as one; equal as the strive to achieve the same hopeless goal.

Subsequently, Chapter 4 opens with Crook’s being a “proud and aloof man” to having racial superior over Lennie to finally having nothing. His dream of living with the other men is shattered by Curlys Wife putting him in his place. I think Steinbeck feels compassion for Crook’s being the only black character on the ranch. Even though he is bitter and cruel Steinbeck is aware he has been racially picked on which caused his behaviour. Even though Crooks is not made relevant throughout the book he holds a special significance in the book. He is a victim of an individual type of loneliness. Crook’s does not ask to be isolated from everyone. He was unfortunately caught up in the racial war.

Therefore Crook’s is a vital character in Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck not only illustrates him as a representation of division of colour in this time period but also shows that through Crooks other outcasts in the book have been discovered to want and need the same things that people just like Crooks deserve. He has had a cruel life and been very badly treated, which had caused him to become so bitter. Steinbeck made him into this character to show how people like crooks must have felt in this period of racism. Being treated different from everyone else and not having the same rights as fellow human beings, this would have made them really frustrated. Steinbeck gave an insight on injustice by inventing Crooks. Which overall made him so significant.

Maseray Leigh

Bibliography: Steinbeck, John, Of Mice and Men, Thomson Gale, 2005-2006