A Character Analysis Of Crooks In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Mice and Men Character Analysis Many characters are alone in some way in the novel “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. The character of Crooks is a black man on a ranch of white men in the 1930’s so naturally he finds himself separated in most ways from the other men. Crooks resents his isolation but tries to overcome his loneliness by sharing his feelings with Lennie. Steinbeck immediately makes it clear that Crooks has grown spiteful of his isolation from the other men. Very soon after introducing Crooks, the author directly characterizes him as a man who “kept his distance and demanded others to keep theirs” (Steinbeck, 67). In this quote Steinbeck hints that Crooks might be resentful of how the other men are treating him, and he retaliates with hostility towards them as well by insisting people keep away from him. Crooks’ hostile attitude is displayed again when upon being visited Lennie in his segregated living quarters he responds with “I ain’t wanted in the bunk house… you ain’t wanted

As he explains to Lennie that the ranch men don’t let him near them, Crooks tells him,“They play cards in the bunk house but I can’t play because I’m black” (68). Crooks uses cards as an example of one of the many things he is not allowed to do on the ranch. The fact that he isn’t even able to participate in leisure activities such as card games shows just how alone he is on the ranch. After that Crooks begins to talk more about his solitude and how “a guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody… [He] gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” (72-73). Crooks is explaining that although he’s used to being alone like this he is frustrated and bitter because of his loneliness. Steinbeck shows Crooks’ frustration with the other men by writing that Crooks “whined” these words (73). This description, as well as the actual dialogue, demonstrates the depth of the character’s