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How Does Steinbeck Present Crooks In Of Mice And Men

1171 Words5 Pages

In John Steinbeck’s award winning novel, Of Mice and Men, there are many characters, and they all have different personalities and backstories. One character Crooks, is presented on page 76 of the novella. Steinbeck uses various writing techniques in this extract, five of which I will be looking at in depth. Steinbeck uses negative adjectives such as dirty; mauled; tattered and battered to describe Crooks’ possessions. It is possible to infer that this is due to the fact Crooks is a black man, and black people were disliked in that specific time. It is because of this that the reader may think his items are pre-owned and that these items are given to him in place of new items, such as the pulp magazine Whit owns, owing to a racial prejudice. Alternatively, it is possible to infer that Crooks has owned these items for an extended period of time. Steinbeck has previously stated that Crooks has stayed at the ranch longer than anyone except perhaps Candy. This is since he is a cripple and also as he has his own room. The reader can deduce that Crooks takes care of his items and makes them last long, as they are meaningful to him. One item namely being …show more content…

Steinbeck uses various counts of symbolism on page 76. As we just discussed, the California civil code is a symbol of hope for Crooks. It reminds him that although people may still treat him differently, in the future, they may come to see him as an equal. On the other hand, he could be oppressing himself, if he himself dislikes himself. His numerous worn possessions indicate they have been used over and over, maybe due to Crooks’ loneliness and he keeps them to remind him of the fact that he may never be loved. A symbol of self-hatred. The adjectives used to describe things could also be symbolic. The depth and intensity of his eyes may be symbolic in the sense that he has seen a lot in his life and some things may have stayed with him. A symbol of

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Steinbeck characterizes each of them through loneliness which can be seen as a neutral emotion in each of them. Candy, Crooks, and Curley’s wife express the outcast of privilege and power throughout the novel. Although they all share similar experiences, Crooks and Curley’s wife will suffer way more discrimination in the

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Comparing Crooks In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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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.

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How Does Steinbeck Present Crooks In Of Mice And Men

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Power Of Crooks In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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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.

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Of Mice And Men Rhetorical Analysis

604 Words | 3 Pages

Even though Crooks puts in an equal amount of effort on the farm, he is treated poorly because of his skin tone and his physical disabilities. Imagery is one of many ways Steinbeck utilizes to convey the theme. Second, anaphora is used to convey the greater message of the evils of prejudice and segregation. On page 66 it says, “Crook’s bunk...”, “Crooks had...”, and “Crooks could...”. By continuously using Crooks’s name at the beginning of the sentences, it shows ownership to him.

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How Does Steinbeck Present Places In Of Mice And Men

1287 Words | 6 Pages

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The Role Of Desolation In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

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How Does Steinbeck Present The Theme Of Loneliness In Of Mice And Men

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