In Of Mice and Men write about two characters who are weak, and how they are presented.

        Another of her weaknesses that is shown when Crooks ask her to leave is her insecurity and poor morals.  She turns on Crooks and threatens to get him ‘strung up on a tree so easy ain’t so funny’ the punishment for attempted rape – in order to assert her authority. Steinbeck might have done this to turn us against Curley’s wife so we could see the trouble she could cause by her female status, and it has the effect on the reader of making us lose any sympathy for Curley’s wife.  Although there is always a sense that Curley’s wife is slightly evil, Candy calls her a tart at the beginning of the book: ‘Curley’s married a tart ‘and Steinbeck brings her onto the scene when Crooks is opening up, and makes things turn sour and then finally when she dies Steinbeck seems to show that she is at peace: ‘the meanness and the planning’s and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face, and finally time stops/slows down as though there is peace’  Throughout the rest of the book however and after this Steinbeck makes everything very dramatic, with all the animals reacting ‘The horses stamped and snorted …and they clashed their halter chains’ and every thing happening in such a short space of time; Steinbeck might have done this to have the effect on the reader of thinking that this was the right thing to happen, and had happened according to fate similarly to how he twists fate to make it seem that what George did (shooting Lennie) was right by making it happen at sunset when opportunities are closed and later having Slim, a Godlike figure, condone the killing.  Also by alienating Curley’s wife the reader is not particularly upset by this event.

        A feminist however, might react completely differently to the portrayal of Curley’s wife and think that she is portrayed unjustly and that women are victimised in this book.  I think that it is just symbolic that Curley’s wife is a girl to isolate her from a society, which at that time was male orientated, and fit in with her part, and it does not dictate in any way how women should be treated today.

The idea that Crooks is shown being slightly crippled, accentuates his weakness, also he is coloured and shown as being completely independent, and not particularly interested in getting involved with other members of the ranch, with the exception of the odd game.

        Crooks main problem is that he is depressive.  He is stuck in his ways, and does not have the motivation or is too weak to break out of his bonds.  Steinbeck shows this very effectively using structure by introducing him rubbing his spine with liniment, and leaving him rubbing his spine with liniment, trapping him in this fixed routine.  Even when Lennie and Candy come to his rescue, he doesn’t have the drive to pursue what they suggest after being humiliated by Curley’s wife.

        In addition to this he is not ambitious and has a very low ego, and thinks dreams to be futile, and so attempt to torment Lennie, and put down Candy’s aspirations, and this makes the reader slightly wary of him, and not very trusting; he is also shown as being slightly evil Crooks, ‘face lighted with pleasure in the torture’

        A weakness Crooks shares with Curley’s wife is that he is isolated/has no support ‘there ain’t a coloured man on this ranch’ and apart from Lennie who is controlled by George, Crooks is seen by Everyone to be lower than them on account of his colour, and for this reason he withdraws into his room as a place of security, and then his bunk when his room is invaded.  Crooks also finds it hard to communicate with people, partly because he is shy and humiliated which makes him feel lonely, and maybe justifies his insecurities and depression.

        The presentation of Crooks fits in with racist the pre-second world war depression Steinbeck is describing, where dreams are futile as poverty is extreme, and a common dream is shared.  The American Dream’ of a piece of land and independence but rarely achieved, and is probably why he is presented like this.