Steinbeck shows the reader that black people are looked down on in the ranch even before we have met Crooks, “smitty took after the nigger”, from this we know that he is looked as to the other ranch men as a toy, when they want to fight him they can, and when they want him to do their dirty work they can. Furthermore we know that crooks was looked down on as the ranch men used the term “nigger” which signals to the reader that black men like Crooks were constantly degraded both verbally and physically by whites. The boss also treats Crooks like a toy, “the boss gives him hell when he’s mad”, crooks is literally a boxing bag when the boss is mad he’ll take it out on Crooks, as if he has no felling’s. feelings
Crook’s experiences on the ranch are typical of those of a Black man’s in the 1930’s, in the 1930’s the American society was racially segregated. This is shown through crooks standards of living, he is separated from the other men he can’t “go in the bunk house and play rummy” because he is black. Crooks has his own room, with his own belongings. Crooks has been affected by this racial abuse, so when anyone comes into his room he immediately turns them away “you got no right to be in here”, he wants them to feel the same way he feels. This shows that Black men in the 1930’s would rather be alone and isolated from society then be with other people’s company.
There are very few opportunities for Crooks to dream and black people to dream in the 1930’s this was because they never had the freedom or choice to even try. When Lennie comes into Crook’s room and tell him about the dream, he straight away says how it will never happen, “nobody gets no land” this shows that black people never dream as they know they’ll never be able to achieve or attempt to have one as they’ll be shot down straight away, however when crooks realises that they’ve got enough money to actually do it he wants to be a part of it “If you guys want a hand to work”, however later on when Curley’s wife comes in the room , he knows his status in the ranch and he knows he can’t have a dream, “jus’ forget it”. Steinbeck puts Crooks through that to show how hard it is for black people to dream and when they do it goes in an instance.
In conclusion Steinbeck uses Crooks to convey his ideas about race in the 1930’s America by showing the terrible way he is treated because of his colour, and showing the reader that when he dreams, his situation is hopeless.
