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Essay on the novel of mice and men by john steinbeck
Of mice and men curleys wife and crooks
Essay on the novel of mice and men by john steinbeck
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Crooks (named crooks after being kicked in the back by a horse) is a very controversial character as he is the only black member of the farm and doesn’t actually feature to much in the book. When he is in it though most of what we find out is when Lenny walks into his room. From the start its clear that crooks is a very abused and defensive because he says “You got no right to come in my room” as soon as he notices Lennie stood in his room even though Lennie doesn’t really see any difference between skin colour and doesn’t understand why this is happening. Most of what can be known about Crooks is from the items in his room. His room is actually connected to the barn showing they do not value him as a person but only as a stable buck.
Crooks and Curley’s wife are both main characters in the story. Although they both repel each other's characters, both of them highlight the prejudice which Black people and Women suffer in the 1930’s society. During the 1930’s, black people from the south were excluded from white people activities, which then forced them to leave and travel north and west in hopes of a better life. In the same time period,women still faced discrimination in workplaces, households and suffered in the great depression. Steinbeck uses this era of isolation to illustrate the segregated society which the characters live in, and allude their personality to racial attitudes and
In the book “of Mice and Men”, Crooks works as a stable buck on the ranch. Crooks is an older man as textual evidence states “His lean face was lined with deep wrinkles”,pg.67, paragraph 3. I can surmise he is an angry man because on page 73, paragraph 3 it states ‘A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe reading books or thinkin’ or stuff like that! Crooks is a very lonely man out in the barn. Based on pg.74 paragraph 1 Crooks states ‘’ Your nuts I’ve seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’’ on ranches, with their bindles on their back on that same damn things in there heads.
‘’ (Steinbeck 20). This quote emphasizes the harsh and unfair treatment Crooks faces not just because of his race, but also because of his disability.
Of Mice and Men “listen, nigger,” she said. “you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?” (pg.80). This shows how the word “nigger” is used to control a black person. In the book of Mice and Men the word “nigger” is used quite often but towards crooks, since he is the only black person in the book.
1. The following suggests that the old man could’ve lost his hand as when “he pointed with his right arm, and out of his sleeve came a round stick-like wrist, but no hand (18).” An accident could’ve occurred on the ranch but instead of leaving, he stayed because he felt like he would’ve been treated fairly at the ranch than at any other. 2a. Crooks gets a crooked back because of an incident “where a horse kicked him (20)” which caused damage to his back.
"You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?"..... Crooks seemed to grow smaller, and he pressed himself against the wall. " Yes, ma'am. " "Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny” (Steinbeck 80) Basically, when Curley’s wife (albeit quite un-tactfully) tells the men she wants someone to talk to, and proceeds to make conversation about rabbits and broken hands Crooks attempts to tell her to leave his room and leave them all alone.
In today's world people still get mistreated by their race. In the novel of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Crooks is getting mistreated by other workers on the farm and making Crooks act mean to the other workers. Crooks gets mistreated by his race so that makes him act mean to everyone else, Crooks is being mean to the other workers because he is getting mistreated and makes him feel why should I be nice to the other workers. People on the farm think that Crooks is a horrible man because he is a black man. For example, Crooks is not allowed to hang out with the other men in the bunk house.
People, over their lives, develop in certain ways. Their bodies change, as well as their brain. They get smarter, they know how the world works around them and they know how to interact with the people living beside them. Loneliness is a worldwide epidemic. It causes people to practically go insane, many people going touch starved if they are placed in an empty room for an hour or two.
Contrasting Crooks’ somber attitude with Lennie's undying innocence makes it clear where Steinbeck stands on the matter. For example, Crooks is temporarily seduced by the idea of Lennie and George’s farm, but is almost immediately brought down by reality, and Curley’s wife. She brings him back to the reality of a black man at the time, saying: "Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny" (39). After this event occurs, Crooks disregards his rare idealism, saying that he “wouldn’ want to go no place like that” (41).
In the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, the word nigger is used to develop the complex personality of Crooks. The story is centered around two migrant farmers; Lennie, who has a mental disability, and George, who watches over and protects Lennie from getting into any trouble. Crooks is a black man who works on the same ranch as these two men. Crooks is constantly discriminated against by his fellow workers because of his darker skin color. This unjust division has oppressed Crooks’ emotions, bringing forth a lack of confidence and strength within him.
Crooks and Curley’s wife felt differentiate with others and they felt like they were useless and isolated. I believe that this novel has deepened our understanding by how Steinbeck gave warning to readers on how the characters felt through being discriminated in the 1930’s.
My father, Chingachgook, my brother, Uncas, and I were visiting our friends on the Frontier. Life on the frontier was hard, and days were constantly filled with fear and hard work. People living on the frontier grew their own food, and lived in log cabins. The French and the Indians constantly would attack because they wanted everyone to fear them. While we were on the frontier, we learned that John, the father of the frontier families, did not want to volunteer in the war because he feared Indians would attack his family.
“I don’t think we should go in there,” Brad said cautiously. “C’mon Brad, would you rather drink the nectar from the flowers in the same boring field like always, or here in this massive garden with a huge variety of flowers that we’ve never even tried?” Bruce asked. The two best friends were resting at the entrance of the marvelous flower garden while the other bees from the hive went to the same field like they always did.
Crooks is a black man who has been given the nickname because of his crooked back. He is another character in the novel that is discriminated against. Similarly, as Lennie and Candy are discriminated because of their weakness, Crooks is discriminated because of his race. For example, he says how he “ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse… can’t play [cards] because I’m black” (68). His race causes him to be separated from everyone else and be isolated in his own room.
