Similarities Between Curley's Wife And Crooks

The Shackled Dreams of Segregation

“You've got a broken heart, not a broken life. You've got a broken dream, not a broken future” (Unknown).

Everyone has a dream. A life without hope is not only boring, but it’s a waste of potential. Many of the characters in the 1938 novel Of Mice and Men battle to hold fast to their slipping dreams during the great depression. John Steinbeck makes readers feel true empathy for his characters in Of Mice and Men by describing the impact of segregation and dream restricting factors through Curley’s wife (a young newlywed yearning for company) and Crooks (a hardworking, African American, man whose dream is to someday be free and treated equally). These two insightful characters have many similarities, such as

Although both Crooks and Curley’s wife are victims of discrimination, Crooks has to aggressively hide the effects of racism, while Curley’s wife flirtatiously conceals the effects of sexism. Like most African Americans during the 1930’s, Crooks deals with the heavy oppression of racism on a daily basis. The white men call him a ‘nigger’ as well as a ‘negro’. He’s not only verbally bullied, but he also isn’t allowed the same privileges and leisure time activities as other men. He “can’t play [cards] because [he’s] black” and he can’t be in the bunk house because they say he stinks (Steinbeck 67). He is in such a low social class that he is below women. This is seen when Curley’s wife scorns him to “keep [his] place then, Nigger” and Crooks “reduces to nothing” in response (Steinbeck 79). On the other hand, Curley’s wife must deal with the sexism from being the only woman on her father-in-law’s property. The man speak poorly of her by providing disrespectful labels. They say “she’s got the eye”, “she’s a jail bait set on the trigger”, and that she’s “a tart” and a “looloo” (Steinbeck 28; 50). Steinbeck also demonstrates this sexism by only referring to her as “Curley’s wife” showing that she is no longer an individual, but is now a prize belonging to Curley. The guys don’t want her around. They say that a “ranch with a bunch of guys on it ain’t no place for a girl” (Steinbeck 51). No one wants her around and they view her as a sex object to distract them instead of as an actual person. Although Crooks and Curley’s wife are both alone and want someone to talk to, they act differently around people. Crooks tends to hide his pleasure when Lennie comes to set, whereas Curley’s wife is straightforward and tells Lennie that she wants to talk to someone. When Lennie sees a light in Crooks room and comes in to chat, Crooks reacts very aggressively and tries to kick him out. As he