The name Crooks was given to him due to his disability which is him having a crooked back. This is an example of prejudice because they don’t refer to his name because of a particular disability. An example of racism in the novel is when George refers to Crooks as a “nigger” who is a “stable buck”. Steinbeck uses the technique of referring to Crooks as a “nigger” in order to portray racism and how people of an African American decent were seen. In my opinion Steinbeck shows the average life of a black man during the period of the 1930’s in the great depression showing a dream that was unbelievable. Friendship is shown intensively as the reader is shown by Steinbeck how desperate and willing Crooks is in order to get a friend. The emotion portrayed by Crooks shows his feeling and the way he chooses to deal with the circumstances.
In chapter four crooks suffers from segregation and isolation. An example of this is when Crooks says “S’pose you didn’t have nobody. S’pose you couldn’t go into the bunk house and play rummy cause you was black”. Steinbeck uses the technique of repetition enabling the reader to put themselves in Crooks shoes. This is a good use of words chosen due to suppose meaning think or assume about a statement being true or false. This enables the reader to think about it from Crooks point of view and experience the range of emotions he is going through.
The description of Crooks room shows how he was treated although it was fairly neat and clean the other characters didn’t want to be seen with him in the sense of not wanting to share a room with him due to the fact that he is a “stable buck” and a “nigger”. His room reflects on his personality and a long stream of emotions. An example of this is his tattered dictionary which shows he may be articulate. He had a few dirty books. These may have been pornography due to the fact that he wasn’t allowed into the cat house. The room gives us an idea of how crooks was treated giving him a apple box as a bed and a “range of medicine bottles, both for him and the horses”. This gives an idea to the reader how he was forced to sleep segregated away from others and with animals.
This also shows us how the other characters think of him. Steinbeck in the novel refers to him as crooks unlike the other characters that refer to him as “nigger”. Steinbeck uses this technique enabling us to see how by calling him a “nigger” removes his personality and identity this is also a metaphoric term which seems to have crippled crooks.
Due to all the segregation and Crooks being use to being lonely he prefers to be by himself in order to remain and keep his dignity limiting the chances of being discriminated any longer. But later on in the novel the reader sees crooks showing the thirst for friendship due to the emotion effects of being segregated and alone all of the time. Steinbeck describes crooks as being a depressed character. An example of this is when Steinbeck described his appearance as “His eyes lay deep in his head and because of their depth seem you glitter with intensity”. Steinbeck uses exaggeration in order to show Crooks thoughts and feeling. This shows the reader and makes them imagine the pain Crooks is going through both emotionally and physically.
As Crooks has been so beaten down by loneliness and prejudice treatment, he is now suspicious of any kindness he receives. An example of this is when Lennie approaches Crooks the act of friendship is seen very out of space action causing Crooks to become irritated with his company saying he has “no right” to be in his barn. This is the first sign of authority shown by Crooks toward another character enabling him to speak out for himself due to the barn being his territory. This act of Authority shown by Crooks causes him to act toward Lennie how he has been treated. This shows the reader that Crooks has not lost all form of self esteem.
Crooks segregation and isolation because of his race has been found to impact on his emotional and physical well-being most likely leading to depression, which is a serious health issue.
