(1) Crooks explains to Lennie how he differs from other ranch hands; the other ranch hands forbid Crooks from entering their bunkhouse, he cannot “go into the bunkhouse and play rummy ‘cause [he is] black…[he has] sit out here an’ read books. Sure [he] could play horseshoes till it got dark, but then [he] got to read books.” (72). Crooks admits to Lennie that because the other ranch hands exclude him from their bunkhouse and card games, he finds himself lonely. The white ranch hands fraternize with each other and keep each other company, while excluding Crooks, which forces him to lead a lonesome lifestyle. (3) Crooks reveals to Lennie that every man must maintain friendships and if they do not, then “a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick” (73). Crooks parades his depressing life on the ranch to Lennie in hopes that Lennie will sympathize with him. Crooks wants Lennie to realize that without friends, a man cannot live a normal …show more content…
I never knew till long later why he didn’t like that. But I know now” (70). Crooks now knows what he failed to realize as an innocent child: whites and blacks could not mix in his society. Crook’s dad wanted to prevent Crooks from fraternizing with white children because the general population frowned upon the mixing of races. (11) Curley’s wife complains to Crooks, Lennie, and Candy about her husband, how he “Spends all his time sayin’ what he’s gonna do to guys he don’t like, and he don’t like nobody. Think I’m gonna stay in that two-by-four house and listen how Curley’s gonna lead with his left twict, and then bring in the ol’ right cross?” (78). Obviously, Curley’s wife did not marry Curley because she loves him, but most likely she may be running from someone or something in her life. The unsatisfied wife endures Curley just so she can live in