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Of mice and men symbolism essay
Of mice and men symbolism essay
Racial discrimination in 1950
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Of mice and men symbolism essay
Of mice and men symbolism essay
Racial discrimination in 1950
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Recommended: Of mice and men symbolism essay
In 1963, the case of Gideon V. Wainwright was presented to the Supreme Court. The case focused on Clarence Gideon, a drifter who was accused of robbing and vandalizing a pool hall in Florida. No witnesses could definitively confirm that Gideon committed the crime but, they could place him in that area near the time of that the robbery occurred. After Gideon was arrested and put on trial, he asked for an attorney because he could not afford one. The judge denied his request because Florida, at the time, did not provide attorneys for those who could not afford it unless, it was a capital crime.
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.
In the words of Richelle E. Goodrich, “Vengeance is a monster of appetite, forever bloodthirsty and never filled.” Arthur Miller recognized this sinful inclination as it commonly circulated during the anti-communist, “Red Scare.” He corresponds this period to the 1692, Salem Witch Trials, another frightening occasion where wicked accusations loomed over civilians. At least 200 people were thought to practice witchcraft and around 20 were executed on account of this. Without a doubt, both incidents prove how quick someone can act upon bitter motives, specifically by spreading unscrupulous lies for the sake of getting even.
In the story Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, the author emphasizes a main character, Lennie, as unworldly and ignorant. Throughout the book Lennie gives the impression through his unobservant innocent acts as a childlike character. For example, Lennie endeavors to create friendships as though a child and does not know how to make friends in the manner of an adult. When Lennie tries to make friends with Crooks, Steinbeck describes Lennie smiling at Crooks in attempting to be friends.
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.
1. The following suggests that the old man could’ve lost his hand as when “he pointed with his right arm, and out of his sleeve came a round stick-like wrist, but no hand (18).” An accident could’ve occurred on the ranch but instead of leaving, he stayed because he felt like he would’ve been treated fairly at the ranch than at any other. 2a. Crooks gets a crooked back because of an incident “where a horse kicked him (20)” which caused damage to his back.
Crooks is a character, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. This man is portrayed as a crippled African-American stable buck that lives
Imagery is used “Crooks’ bunk was a long box with straw, on which is blankets were flung,” to show Crooks hierarchy, giving the idea crook was treated as an animal. The word “flung” is significant; it shows Crook has been a victim of bullying therefore has no care for life. This is a contrast to the other characters – they have ambitions; Crook has already given up. In the 1930s, racism was still prominent. Steinbeck uses ‘Crooks Room’ to show how black ranch workers were treated compared to the whites.
In Mice and Men, John Steinbeck demonstrates how racism and sexism can isolate a person and make them act in destructive ways. Crooks sequesters himself in his room and treats Lennie poorly because of the racism he experiences and the loneliness it brings, which has made him cynical and jaded. When Lennie comes to his room, he immediately tries to throw him out, saying “ ‘You got no right to come in my room... I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room’ ” (68).
Crooks is excluded and abused, because he is African American. Candy is continuously rejected, and made to feel helpless and unworthy, because he is old and only has one hand. These traits have singled out Crook and Candy, and left them in a state of hopelessness and misery. The awful way that these characters are treated on the ranch embody how those who are different are treated in a uniformitarian society. Steinbeck exposes the horror of a exclusive society through the heartbreak that his characters go through.
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.
Steinbeck displays through the dialogue and characterizations that these characters experience isolation because of both social barriers and personal choice. Crooks being an African-American on the ranch, full of whites, struggles racially which causes his withdrawal from the society. Crooks explains to Lennie his when he’s accompanied by him “ A guy goes nuts if he ain 't got nobody. Don 't make no difference who the guy is long’s
However, Steinbeck also uses light and darkness to show the hidden sides of neglected characters such as Crooks. Crooks, the negro stable buck, is portrayed to have died from the inside and is living merely as a breathing corpse. Not because of the fact that he could not achieve the American Dream or live a lavish life. But, simply because of the fact that he is a negro who is surfeited of being ill treated and discriminated. “His eyes lay deep in his head, and because of their depth seemed to glitter with intensity.”, give the impression that inside Crooks is full of anger and indignation.
Even though John Steinbeck's book Of Mice and Men focuses on loneliness, the book also weaves in much of the racial discrimination around the 1930s. One character, Crooks, was a different race than all the other men, and he was treated very differently because of the fact that he was black. When the white characters talk about Crooks they portray ownership over him. Being black in the 1930s was a difficult time for them to have a decent living. Crooks was not allowed to even live in the same place as the white men.
They say I stink. Well I tell you all of you stink to me.” ” (65) Crooks was shunned because his physical appearance and wasn’t treated the same as the rest of the men. This makes Crooks a key character that informs us of the social injustices that where prominent during the time period of the novel.