The Black Crook

Lennie to prevent other men from killing him in a vicious way. Crooks is the stable buck at the farm but is discriminated against because he is black. He sits lonely in his room in the farm, away from the bunkhouse where the other men live. Crooks shows how lack of friends creates loneliness because everyone needs a friend with whom to talk about life and the American Dream depends upon the time and place in which one lives. Crooks keeps to himself spending most of his spare time reading books in

agism, and sexism. Crooks, the male Black-American stable buck, demonstrated power over Lennie, who had a mental disability. Because Crooks showed power over a mentally challenged person, it showed that he was feeling anger and loneliness. Even though Crooks is a Black-American, he showed that he had power over Lennie because of his wit. The location of where Crooks lives demonstrates that there is an emphasis of power of racial segregation. Curley’s wife demonstrated power over Crooks because she is

of white supremacy. White supremacy implies black inferiority” (Nelson Mandela, 1964.) During the time period of Of Mice and Men, rights of black men and women were not urgent in society, especially in white-dominated southern California. Although Crooks may have shared the same gender with other men at the ranch, his skin color put him underneath all the others there, including Curley’s wife. With lack of representation and Crooks being the only black man on the farm, he is forced to settle with

Crooks, the only black stable hand on the ranch, loved to read and because he was so lonely he liked to clean to occupy his time (Steinbeck 67). He was named Crooks because his back became crooked after he had been kicked by a horse (Griesbach). The fact that he was the only Negro on the ranch; he was forced to be isolated (Steinbeck 66). He understands that he gets treated differently because of his skin color (Steinbeck 68). No one ever comes in his room or invites him into theirs, he’s not allowed

character of Crooks in the novel so far John Steinbeck introduces the character Crooks in the novella, Of Mice and Men, by presenting his character through his possessions and through the little description of his appearance. At the beginning of chapter four, Steinbeck presents Crooks as a “negro stable buck,” then begins to show the readers what Crooks are like through his possessions. Steinbeck introduces Crooks to the readers in this way, so the readers have an idea of what type of life Crooks had lived

He is the only black character we are introduced to in the novel and is the only one on the ranch. Steinbeck has described his character’s personality, personal history, social class and appearance each time we see him in the novel. This can all be reflected to some bigger aspects of American society in the 1930s. Our first personal meeting with Crooks in chapter 4 is particularly interesting and important to the novel. Here, we see Lennie, a white man coming into Crooks’ room, Crooks says to Lennie

character of Crooks is used by John Steinbeck, the author, to symbolise the marginalisation of the black community occurring at the time in which the novel is set. Crooks is also significant as he provides an insight into the reality of the American Dream and the feelings of all the ranchers: their loneliness and need for company and human interaction. The reader has to decide whether Crooks deserves sympathy, or if he is just a cruel, bitter and gruff stable-buck. Crooks is a black man, but at the

romance between a black woman Thebedi and Paulus, the

What Do We Learn About Crooks in Chapter 4 of “Of Mice and Men”? This essay will uncover information about the “Negro Stable Buck”, named Crooks in of Mice and Men. The essay will analyze information regarding crooks, in link to themes such as the unattainable American dream, themes of racial discrimination , as well as themes such as loneliness and isolation. An understanding of the character of Crooks requires an understanding of the status of black people in the West during the time of when the

all are very familiar with one concept: loneliness. The character most familiar with this concept is Crooks. In Of mice and men, John Steinbeck creates the isolated characterization of Crooks by describing how he looks, what he says, and his actions to emphasize the theme of loneliness and how it can make people harsh and sad that occurs throughout the book. Steinbeck describes Crooks as black and harsh. In this time period, being a different color than everyone else was not a benefit. The color