In the book, Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck criticizes racial discrimination in the work environment through the portrayal of Crooks. Crooks’ skin color is the reasoning behind him being secluded from everyone else on the farm. Crooks is isolated from everyone on the farm and no one ever comes into his room or do anything with him on the farm. He works alone tending to the horses inside the stable. Crooks is a great example of how difficult it is to achieve the long sought after american dream. The american dream is to be able to get enough money so that you can make it out of the workforce and own your own land. This is so difficult, especially during the great depression, because there is already limited work. Once you did find work, it was often …show more content…
Racial discrimination is a huge issue within the work force because it stops african americans from achieving their dreams. This does not mean that it is impossible to achieve their dreams, but the road is going to be much more difficult. Racial discrimination is mainly difficult because usually there is a white landowner who could be racist and when there is a african american worker the landowner would not allow the worker to do much on the land. Crooks was left in the stables alone and no one ever messed with him. The book took place during the time of the great depression, which was also a time of racial discrimination. The great depression was already a huge cause of job loss, but if you were african american, it was even harder to find a job. Crooks was working on the farm for a very long time, and he was not used to anyone coming into his room. In …show more content…
I feel that african americans should strive to get a good education and use their minds instead of doing physical labor. This way they do not have to worry about the racism within the labor work force. If they use the education, they can get good jobs and work for themselves rather than a white man who owns the farm. It would be very difficult to do this, but it would much better because they will have a better shot at achieving their dreams. Crooks was actually a very intelligent person. I feel that he would have had a very good shot at using his brain rather than doing physical labor. Crooks knew that because of his skin color and how he was not going to move up on the farm that he would not have a good shot at the american dream. When Lennie was in Crooks room, there was a conversation about how Candy, Lennie, and George wanted to come together and buy land. Crooks talked about how their idea was dumb and would not work. He stated,“You're nuts, I seen hundred of men come by on the road and on the ranches, bindles on their back and that same damn thing in their head. Hundreds of ‘em. They come and they quit and they go on. And every damn one of ‘em got a little piece of land in their head. And never a goddamn one of ‘em gets it. Just like heaven. And nobody gets no land.” (Steinbeck 49) Steinbeck is try to show the faith that Crooks has and shows that he is only working on the
words, Crooks, a character from "Of Mice and Men," shows his pride for being the son of a landowner instead of a slave of the South. However, living in California does not liberate him from the clutches of racial prejudice during the Great Depression, the era in which "Of Mice and Men" was written by John Steinbeck. His novel depicts Crooks, an African-American farm worker, as a man threatened by the racism of the 1930s. Steinbeck describes the effects of discrimination on Crooks, including his loneliness, crushed aspirations, and bitter attitude, to illustrate the hopelessly bleak situation for African-Americans during the Great Depression.
One night when George goes out with the other men he leaves Lennie alone to play with his pup when he wanders into Crook’s room. Even though the majority of the time Crooks plays mind games with Lennie he ends up expressing his dream of equality. At this time period black people are still heavily discriminated against which effects how others treat him and how he accepts others. "'Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I can't play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me." (Steinbeck ___). Even though Crooks is just like all the other men on the farm he is still viewed in a negative way because of his skin colour. Afterwards, Crooks begins to describe his child hood discrimination does not exist and giving him a sense of
Chapter 4 of the ‘Of Mice and Men’ novella introduces a character named Crooks. Crooks isn’t shown as a main character of the story, but is given much light in this chapter. Crooks is a black man set on a 1930’s ranch, working as a stable buck. Steinbeck presents the Character of Crooks to us as he wouldn’t of been considered during the times of the ‘Great Depression’ and shows us the negative stereotypes of black people in an American 1930’s society.
Crooks has the dream of having a friend and being treated as an equal. Being black, Crooks was born with a disadvantage in achieving the American Dream. Crooks race makes him oppressed, he’s seen as inferior to the white race. “‘If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it […] This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see?’” (70/71). Crooks is clearly bitter about the fact that he doesn’t have basic human rights like the other white men on the farm, simply because he’s black. Secondly, because of his skin color, he’s isolated to his barn with no one to talk to. “‘A guy sets alone out here at night, maybe readin’ or thinkin’, an’ he got nothing to tell him what’s so an’ what ain’t so. Maybe if he sees somethin’, he don’t know whether it’s right or not. He can’t turn to some other guy and last him if he sees it too. He can’t tell. He got nothing to measure by. I seen things out here. I wasn’t drunk. I don't know if I was asleep. If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an’ then it would be all right. But i jus’ don’t know.’” (73). Crooks longs to have someone be by his side, so he doesn’t have to keep imagining things. Finally, Crooks has a bad back, which makes working thoroughly and affectively much
Back in the day, around the 50s and 60s, racism was an enormous issue all over the world. Decades ago and to this day, racism may have been thought of as one person being less than another. For example, a human may have been considered less because of his/her skin color, religion and beliefs, or language. Despite the reality, none of those ideas show whom that person really is. In “Of Mice and Men,” Steinbeck has the characters use very racist actions toward the stable-buck, Crooks. It is evident that the men in this story are extremely racist because of the racial slurs used towards the black man, no one seems to care what he has to say or what he does, and Crooks is being separated from everyone else in the bunkhouse.
Discrimination plays a big role in Of Mice and Men, since it takes place during the Great Depression. Racial segregation, gender rights, and handicap vulnerability are all problems in Of Mice and Men that reflect the society at the time. Curley’s wife, Crooks, and Candy are discriminated against on the ranch just like they would be in society.
Some characters in this novel are alienated by mainstream society because they do not fit society’s ideal image of a person. And they are all not accepted as human beings. Throughout John Steinbeck’s novel, Of Mice and Men, the social injustice of how people were treated during the Great Depression is explored through the characters Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Lennie, to show that society actually needs to become stronger than it really is.
The character of Crooks is used to symbolize the social standing of the black community occurring during the time at which the novel is set. Crooks is a lonely African American on the farm that feels out of place. As George and Lennie explain their dream to Crooks he brushes them off and says that no one around here can implement their dreams. This realism gives the reader an impression that Crooks has absolutely no hope. However, Crooks may be pessimistic, but yet even he has a dream, which is the hope of one day experiencing the joys of his childhood again. Crooks' character is portrayed as very lonely in the novel, this is evident when Crooks explains, "A guy needs someone." (Mice 77). Crooks is telling the reader the need of human interaction. This realism that Steinbeck uses shows the reader the harsh realities of the black community during the time of the depression in the 1930's
The novella, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck , is set in California in the 1930s. The story revolves around and Lennie and George, two workers who travel together. They find their way to Salinas Valley, where they hope to begin work. They hope to make it big, get rich, and buy some land for themselves. However, they encounter some challenges that could possibly be a roadblock to their dreams. One of these challenges is discrimination because not everybody in the novella is treated equally. Discrimination is displayed in many ways in the book, especially with the characters of Lennie, Crooks, Curley’s wife, and Candy. Lenny is discriminated against because he is mentally disabled, Crooks is black, Curley's wife is a woman, and Candy is old.
John Steinbeck develops crooks through his loneliness because of his unableness to fit in the farm. Crooks has trouble fitting in because of his race, on the farm he feels left out because not everyone is expecting with him. Crooks has a difficulty with everyone on the farm because he is different from everyone and he can’t do the same activities with them. Crooks has no one on the farm that accepts him and it is hard for crooks not to alone. One time Lennie looked for a dog and went into Crooks room “You got no right to come in my room”. Crooks isn't used to anyone being in his room and when people do he gets annoyed, but this one time when Lennie walked in Crooks allowed him to stay because he wanted to have company and felt comforted with Lennie with him. Crooks can't be with any of the other farmers , and has always been lonely. Many of them don't spend time with him which caused him to be depressed, “Maybe you guys better go. I ain't sure I want you in here no more. A colored man got to have some rights even if he don't like 'em"Pg 90. All the men on the farm don't give the same rights to crook sas the other
Of Mice and Men is a novella written by John Steinbeck. This novella is set in the 1930’s during the Great Depression. During this time period racial discrimination was very common. The character, Crooks, in Of Mice and Men was discriminated and the way he was nicknamed are examples of Crooks being an archetypal character. In the novella Of Mice and Men the author portrays Crooks as an archetype character.
He sent his resume into many businesses and was unable to get a job. He then dropped the S from his name to conduct his experiment. “Joe” Zamora sent his resume into the exact same businesses and started getting call backs immediately. Jose’s story is discouraging as an indication of race relations, and all too common. He hypothesized that a “white” name would help him find a job, and he was right (Vail). An individual 's race is on of the most major factors in determining whether or not they will achieve the American Dream. This idea is exemplified by Crooks. Crooks wants a better life for himself. After talking to Lennie Crooks gets excited about living in a different place, having friends. Soon after he gets his hopes up they are crushed. He remembers he is black, and wouldn 't get his dreams because of it (Steinbeck 76-81).
Almost all the characters symbolize a certain type of discrimination but the strongest characters that portray discrimination in society is Candy and Candy’s dog, Crooks, and Curley’s wife. Candy is an old man that worked on the ranch until he had his arm cut off and was incapable of doing any heavy work and his dog was too an old, smelly dog who couldn’t do any work because of his age. Candy and his dog are a symbol of how the old, disabled, or infirmed are not valued in society nor are they wanted. Just like Candy’s dog can be replaced by a new, young pup, Candy can be replaced by a younger, stronger, and more capable worker. Crooks is a negro stable buck and represents discrimination of race. Crooks has his own corner of the stable where he sleeps and puts all his things in because the other men don’t want him in the bunkhouse because he is black. “‘Why ain’t you wanted?’ Lennie asked. ‘’Cause I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, all of you stink to me.’(68)” White people have power over him so if he makes any mistake he can be easily cut off and canned. This is shown when Curley’s wife shuts him down in a conversation, “Listen nigger. You know what I can do if you open your trap?” There is also Curley’s wife who represents discrimination of gender. Curley’s wife is a sweet, young girl who lives on the ranch with Curley where there are no other women but her so she tries to talk to the men. But since she is married she isn’t allowed to talk to anybody but Curley or she’ll be accused of being a flirt or a “tart”. Not only does
Margaret Atwood said, "There is only one race, the human race.” Racism is the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race. The book, Of Mice & Men, written by John Steinbeck, takes place in California during the Great Depression. Prejudice and segregation in the Great Depression was displayed through the discrimination of the character, Crooks. Crooks is the stable hand who takes care of the horses, and is the only black man on the ranch. The social issue of racism is shown in Of Mice & Men through the discrimination of Crooks. Despite the absence of racism, shown through the election of a black president, the issue still persists today, as shown by the Charleston Church shooting.
In chapter 4, Steinbeck is make social commentary about racism in America with the situation with Crooks. In the scene where Lenny comes into Crooks room Crooks said “Why ain’t you wanted? Lennie asked. Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black(68)”. Crooks represents black Americans at the time and how they’re segregated even in California, a state that is seen as forward compared to the rest of America and especially the south. This is shown when Crooks said “I ain’t a southern negro, he said. I was born right here in California… He laughed. If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it(70)”. The segregation is viewed by Crooks having his own room and not being able to play horseshoe with the other