Of Mice And Men Crooks Selfish

The Stable Buck Loneliness is a complex feeling everyone has felt at one point in their lives, some experience it for a longer period of time than others, and others their entire lives. It’s the 1930’s, with one black man working as the stable buck on a ranch in Salinas, California. He doesn’t socialize with the other working white men, and always keeps himself in the stable. Racism was very strong during this era, and he sadly suffered from it. Being left out, admitting his problems, and acting resentful. Crooks, the stable buck, is the loneliest person on the ranch, mainly due to racism, and based on the way he acts. Crooks is the loneliest person on the ranch. One main reason for this is because of racism. Lennie comes into his room uninvited,

They can play cards there, and I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink” (Steinbeck 68). It’s the 1930’s in the US, so discrimination against black people was prevalent. Crooks are purposely segregated from the other white men. He’s never been invited to social hangouts like playing cards or any outside games because of his skin color. They all look down on him, and don’t want to associate with him. He also has his own room alone due to not being allowed in the bunkhouse with all the other white men, since they all think he smells and is worth less than them because of his skin. So Crooks has his own room in the stable, with the animals and their manure instead, which is a very derogatory place to sleep, and probably very humiliating for Crooks. Another reason why Crooks is the loneliest person on the ranch, is that he shows it based on how he acts. He acts very bitter and admits to being lonely. While Lennie is still in his room, Crooks taunts Lennie by saying George will not return to him, and finds satisfaction in his distress. He also rambles on why he has so many books, and how they’re not enough for a man. “Crooks face lightened with pleasure in his torture” and “Books ain’t no

Don’t make no difference who they guy is, long’s he with you” (Steinbeck 71-73). Crooks was very resentful towards white men since they always left him out and made him feel alone, so he took it out on Lennie, a white but intellectually weak man. He knew Lennie would feel miserable if anything happened to George, so he used that to torment Lennie. He found joy in seeing Lennie suffer, and felt superior for once, inflicting the pain he had felt onto someone weaker than him. Later, when Lennie slightly calms down, Crooks starts to ramble and asks him how he would feel being the only black man, and only having books as his companions. He whines about how books are not enough, and how a man needs an actual person to not go crazy. Crooks acts this way because of his lack of companions, he turned to material items to compromise for it, but what he really needs is an actual person to be his friend. He doesn’t care who it is, as long as it’s someone who’s willing. Crooks, the stable buck, is the loneliest man on the ranch due to racism, and based on the way he acts. He is the only black man on a ranch full of white men, and it’s the 1930’s where discrimination against anyone of his race is