The Role Of Racism In John Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

Crooks himself says, “This is just a nigger talkin’, an’ a busted-back nigger. So it don’t mean nothing, see? You couldn’t remember it anyways. I seen it over an’ over” (Steinbeck 71). His words show the prejudiced and unsympathetic opinions of society towards blacks. Nobody cares about what he says, simply due to his skin color, revealing an external conflict between Crooks and white society. In addition, Crooks further explains his treatment on the farm: "'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, all of you stink to me'" (Steinbeck 68). He is denied entertainment and the company with the fellow farm workers. "They say I stink" refers to their disapproval of Crooks, likely due to his race. However, Crooks shows his own negative feelings towards others on the farm when Lennie tries to talk to him, saying “‘Well, I got a right to have a light. You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room’” (Steinbeck 68). Since the whites on the farm physically isolate Crooks, in return, he dislikes any of their attempts to enter his room. For Crooks, his internal and external conflicts stem from racism, and the suffering that results is described

Discrimination if often based on many qualities and abilities. Some of the most clearly shown examples in John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice and Men are gender, age and racial discrimination. The victims of these types of discrimination are Curley’s wife, who is unhappy and bitter about her life, Candy, the old, disabled swamper and Crooks, the black stable buck. Throughout the novel, these three characters face many hardships because they are harshly judged and often misunderstood.

In ‘Of Mice and Men’ most of the characters are subjected to discrimination and prejudice. The prejudice can be seen most in the characters Lennie Small, Crooks and Curley’s Wife.

Crooks is marginalized because he is black and he’s the only black man at the ranch so people treat him differently than the other guys. While Crooks and Lennie are talking, Crooks says “They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black” (Steinbeck 68). Crooks can’t do most of the things the other men do because he has no friends. Crooks always has to stay in his room because they don’t like him. When Lennie tried getting in Crook’s room, Crooks says “I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse and you

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.

This is shown in the following text evidence, “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. They say I stink” (68). Crooks isn't given a fair chance to show his capabilities, society automatically segregates him from the game because of his skin color. Not only was he not given the chance to interact in simple games with white people, he was ridiculed when he conversed with them. This is evident in the following text, “There wasn't another colored family for miles around. And now there ain't a colored man on this ranch an' there's jus' one family in Soledad. He laughed. If I say something, why it's just the nigger sayin' it” (70). At the end of this quote is obvious that the ranch hands and the boss mock Crooks because of his race, he is undoubtedly outcasted. Crooks is aware that he is a misfit at the ranch, the reader gets a sense of this when Crook says, “You go on and get outta my room. I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain't wanted in my room” (68). This quote suggests that Crooks was segregated at the ranch, he is not even comfortable with people in his room due to his separation from white people. The deciding factor that makes Crooks an obvious social outcast in this period, is his race, causing discrimination against him, his segregation from the ranchers, and others mocking him, leaving him as a social outcast

Discrimination have been happening everywhere in the world and as long as anyone can remember. Discrimination is still a problem today. America just had protests dealing with Black Lives Matter and African Americans feel they are still discriminated against and treated differently. The time that the novel Of Mice and Men takes place in is important because during the Great Depression it was hard to find money, so Lennie couldn’t just stay at home while George had to work. They both had to make money to support themselves. Lennie, Crooks, and Curley's wife all face discrimination which greatly impacts their lives.

As well as Lennie, Crooks receives much discrimination because of his skin color. Crooks is not allowed to be in the bunkhouse because he's black and everybody else is white. Crooks has to sleep in

In addition to a gender divide during the 1930’s, racism was also a prominent issue. The character of Crooks, the stable buck, experiences adversity and discrimination due to his race and his crippled back. Crooks is segregated and forced to sleep separately from the other ranch hands, and

“We do not show the Negro how to overcome segregation, but we teach him how to accept it as final and just” (Carter G. Woodson). John Steinbeck was able to convey this of message of racism in his time- honoured novella, Of Mice And Men. The novella was released in 1937, the setting of the book taking place in California during The Great Depression. During this time, California had an influx of Dust Bowl refugees, who hoped to find employment and create a better life for themselves (CSUN, 2017). From this piece of history, came Of Mice And Men, a novella following the story of Lennie and George, two men travelling during The Great Depression to a ranch in Soledad, California looking for work after their hasty exit from their previous job. Lennie and George, like many of the migrants who have come before them, have their own dreams of buying land however once arriving at the ranch they realize the challenges and the harsh reality of those dreams. Film directors are constantly on the prowl for novels which present potential to be the next movie blockbuster. In fact, over 50% of movies are adapted from novels, however, when turning what’s on paper into a film, a portion of the book is taken out or new scenes are added to either cut down the run time of the film or to satisfy the filmmaker's plans for their interpretation of the novel. So how often are the film director’s attempts to recreate the essence of the ideologies provided by the author of the book successful? And was

Prejudice sets certain people apart from the world or how normal things are. Lennie is related to this because he is seen as different and childish with his disabilities, which make him stand out. George is cruel to Lennie and seems to always be on him for something even if he has done nothing. In the way George does this is because he knows that Lennie will not care and he is not going to lose him. People also talk to him different and can be mean to him easily because he does not understand. Crooks takes advantage of Lennie and his disabilities by saying, “ Sometimes he talks, and you don’t know what the hell he’s talkin’ about”(70), which is talking about George and Lennie’s relationship. This shows he can not understand exactly what people say to him and is not as knowledgeable as other people. Lennie unlike other people who are set different, does not take out his differences and how people think about him on anyone.

Crooks worked around the farm, and takes care of the horses. His skin color differentiated him from others, resulting in Crooks living alone in the barn. Later in the book Steinbeck shows the wall between the races when Lennie attempts to speak with Crooks. “…You go on get outta my room. I ain’t wanted in the bunk house, and you ain’t wanted in my room,” (Steinbeck, 68). By creating this conversation between Lennie and Crooks, Steinbeck reveals another large group of people treated unfairly, African Americans. Eventually, Candy and Curley’s wife enter the room leading into an argument. Finally, Crooks speaks up and says “You got no rights comin' in a colored man's room. You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you jus' get out, an' get out quick. If you don't, I'm gonna ast the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more,” (Steinbeck, 80). Irony pours out of this quote, for blacks were not respected by most white people and did not have the right to speak against them, yet Curley’s wife also is treated with disparity, like most women in the 1930s. All of the characters, now in Crooks room, coax Curley’s wife out. Confrontation with Curley and other characters was a catastrophe waiting to happen and most likely to of occurred if they had not made Curley’s wife leave. In fact, this conversation may have been a key factor

“Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts.” This quote, once said by E. B. White, excellently states what the novel, Of Mice and Men, is trying to clearly state. Of Mice and Men is a profound novel that has many things to teach society. This novel, written by John Steinbeck, reflects many flaws in the world today. It mirrors many of the characteristics that every human possesses. Prejudice is still a common way of thinking in today’s society, and to the people who feel victimized, it can be hard to overcome. Curley’s wife, Lennie, and Crooks all deal with prejudice against themselves different ways.

The main victim of racism in Of Mice and Men, is Crooks. Crooks is a black man and he does not live in the bunkhouse like all the other white ranch workers. This kind of behaviour was very present in the 1930’s. In the Jim Crow law, it shows that white and coloured people should not live in the same area. John Steinbeck portrayed this law very well because in a few quotes, it should how Crooks lives in a separate area. ““I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room”” and ““Why you ain’t wanted?” Lennie asked. “Cause i’m black”” From these examples, it is clear that Crooks lives separately from the white workers. He is forced to live in the stable with the horses instead of with the others in the bunkhouse. The second example of racism is the fact that the other workers always called him names and made him feel worthless. This is how most black men were treated in the 1930’s. “Sure. Ya see the stable buck’s a nigger” In this quote, it is shown how the other workers call him derogatory names used to describe coloured people. “If I say something, why it’s just a nigger sayin’ it” This quote demonstrates how Crooks is aware that his opinions do not matter to the others because he has a different skin colour. Also, he is referred to as “Crooks” because his back is crooked from being kicked by a horse. The third example of racism is about how Crooks had a negative mindset about his goals and dreams. This

In Steinbeck’s novel, when individuals feel like someone doesn’t belong with them, their instinct is to treat that person cruelly. Crooks is a black stable buck that is discriminated against throughout the book because of his race. The other men believe that Crooks doesn’t belong because of his skin color, so they make him sleep with the horses. As a result of the torment they put him through, Crooks becomes a very bitter person. When he is talking to Lennie in the stable Crooks tells him, “They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink.” (68) Their intentions are cruel. They treat Crooks like he is an animal. They feel uncomfortable around him, so they just ignore him completely. Crooks gets fed up with all of the negative treatment and his heart hardens. He feels like he is doesn’t fit in with the others on the farm. People have told Crooks that he is different throughout his life. He starts to believe