“I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse.”
Steinbeck tells us that Crooks came from a rich family with a chicken ranch. We also know that he was born in California instead of Southern America.
“I was born right here in California.”
This tells us that Crooks was not born in a place where black people were used as slaves but in California were Blacks were respected. He also tells us that when crooks was young did mingle with white kids.
“The white kids come to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them.” This shows us that Crooks wasn’t always treated as badly as he is being treated in the ranch. He once had a respected family and led a normal life with his friends. We also know that Crooks had a close family,
“When I was a little kid, had two brothers. They were always near me, always there.”
“Used to sleep right in the same room, right in the same bed-all three.”
This is evidence to the fact that Crooks had brothers that loved and cared for him. They were always there for him no matter what happened and they always were together.
The book makes us realise the Crooks life on the ranch was a hard one. He was treated very differently from the other workers.
“Had his bunk in the harness room.”
This shows us that Crooks had different accommodation from the other workers because people didn’t like him because of his colour. He was not wanted there, so he had to live somewhere else. He was excluded from everything that normally the people in the ranch did.
“They play cards there, but I can’t play because I’m black.”
This shows that all the people in the ranch regarded Crooks as an outcast. They didn’t want him to be part of their group. He was alone in whatever he did and people made fun of him.
“They say I stink”
People tortured him and made him feel like he isn’t wanted there. Because he had been distanced from the people he is all alone by himself. He is lonely and friendless.
“Crooks was a proud, aloof man. He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep there’s.” He was so used to being alone that he wanted everyone to keep his distance from him.
His loneliness went so far that whenever someone wanted to be close to him he became angry towards them. This is what happened to Lennie. When he tried to approach him Crooks was very defensive as if he didn’t trust Lennie.
“But on raising his eyes he stiffened and a scowl came to his face.”
This shows us that Crooks didn’t trust Lennie even though he didn’t mean any harm was because he wasn’t used to people approaching him. He thought that Lennie was going to make fun of him as the others did.
“You got no right to come in my room. This here is my room. Nobody got any right here but me.”
This tells us that in the past people have approached him and have made of him and when he suddenly saw Lennie standing in his doorway, he thought that he was going to do the same. He was so hurt that he thought Lennie was a threat.
“Don’t come in a place where you are not wanted.”
He said this to Lennie because he was so hurt that he wanted to make him realise how it is like not to be wanted. Because he was mentally wounded he felt the pleasure of what it is to like to say to someone that they are not wanted.
Crooks knew that Lennie depended on George to do everything. Crooks took advantage of this situation and tortured Lennie about George.
“I said s’pose George went into town tonight and you never heard of him no more.”
“Crooks face lightened with pleasure.”
This explains that Crooks was so deeply hut that he found pleasure in torturing Lennie.
Crooks took all his anger out on Lennie because of what happened to him. He made him realise of how it felt if George wasn’t with him.
Steinbeck shows the similarities between Crooks and Lennie. Lennie dependant on George and would be nowhere if George wasn’t with him. Lennie would be lonely and helpless without George. Crooks is in similar situations but has already lost his family. His family were the people that he was dependant upon. Now when he is alone he has no one as a friend.
I think that Crooks is quite an arrogant man but I think it isn’t his fault that he is this way. The atmosphere that he is in has made him a man of hate. He has come to the point where he calls himself a ‘nigger’. This is because he has lost all the self-respect that he had for him. People have called him named for so many years that he has accepted them.
“If I say something. Why it’s just a nigger sayin’it.”
People have not listened to him for so many years now that he has accepted the fact that no one is going to listen to him because of his race. I also think that it’s quite sad that he had to tell all his sorrows to someone who doesn’t even understand it. He himself surrenders for a fact that a person goes mad without a companion. “I guy goes nut if he ain’t got nobody.”
This shows us that he was miserable and alone maybe Steinbeck wanted his readers to show sympathy towards him. But I think he went a step too far when he told Lennie that George had gone.
“S’pose he took a powder and just ain’t coming back.” Even though I understand why he tortured Lennie but I still think that it wasn’t the right thing to do because Lennie doesn’t understand the pain and problems he is going through and so shouldn’t have been made miserable. I also think that Crooks is a man of great intelligence and knowledge which is shown when Steinbeck mentions about his collections of books.
The character Crooks in this book is a person that Steinbeck wanted his readers to have sympathy for. He wanted them to realise how black people were being treated during that time. Steinbeck uses Crooks background to really give the readers a clear picture of what actually happened to him and many others. I think Steinbeck’s idea of making Crooks disable would earn more sympathy from his readers. He really shows how different Crooks is by his unique character. His work status and education also makes him different from the other workers on the ranch.
By Nidhia Babu
