Of Mice And Men Crooks Character Analysis

In the story “Of Mice And Men” Crooks is a character who is introduced once the main characters reach the ranch and get hired. Crooks lives in a small bunk next to the animals and is african american. He is treated terribly by the other members of the ranch and isn 't invited when they go out into town. Crooks is insulted horribly by the other characters in the story whenever they so much as refer to him. In this way crooks is faced with what almost every black american was faced with in the 1930s, Prejudice.

In the 1930s oppression based upon one 's color and gender was a big issue in america and black people (especially black women) were heavily discriminated against with segregation. They were not given a fair chance in life which

In the story “Of Mice And Men” there is an african american worker who works on the ranch that the two main characters are hired at. This man 's name is crooks and when he is first introduced we learn that he is victimized because of the color of his skin and that he is handicapped in that his back is crooked, hence the name crooks. Even the woman on the ranch, (curley 's wife) puts him down, he is used as a punching bag by everyone on the ranch. “She turned on him in scorn. "Listen, Nigger," she said. "You know what I can do to you if you open your trap?"Crooks stared hopelessly at her, and then he sat down on his bunk and drew into himself”(Steinbeck ch.4). The fact that he is handicapped doesn 't help Crooks’ case because it only sets him apart more form the other men on the ranch. This perfectly depicts the somewhat average working african american man. Other people push him aside for his differences and think that he is a lesser person because of something that he cannot control. All the other white men on the farm sleep in the bunkhouse in the ranch but crooks has a separate sleeping quarters that is located next to the animals pens. This is essentially stating that crooks is not looked at as a human and more like an animal. Effectively, this can be applied to how many white people in america look at african americans during this time when prejudice is just a part of the

All of the prejudice that crooks faces throughout the story is not retaliated by him in any way . In the scene where the characters are in crooks’ bedroom he is very timid and is questioning the characters presence as its unusual for them to be there."Why ain’t you wanted?" Lennie asked.

"’Cause I’m black…"(Steinbeck ch.4). This is the only time that we see crooks discussing how everyone on the ranch degrades him and discriminates him. Crooks is so oppressed by the society that he lives in, that he starts to opress himself and he seems to be depressed. Crooks never talks back to any of the ranch workers when they call him racial slurs to his face. Crooks either has a strong will to keep working here, or, he knows that he has no other choice than to go out alone and starve.

In conclusion, Crooks’ life is the definition of oppression during the 1930’s. He has poor living conditions and is oppressed by every person he so much as breathes the same air as. He sleeps next to animals instead of sleeping with all of the other men on the farm in the bunkhouse. Crooks’ character can be compared to the african american race during this time because of the great oppression that he faced, much like most other african americans, he was not going to fight back, as it was a war he knew he could not win