How Crooks is presented in Of Mice and Men
Our first proper introduction to Crooks is at the beginning of Chapter 4 when Lennie sees Crooks’ light on when looking at his puppy and goes to investigate. This is a very significant point in the novel because it is the first real point of contact that any of the white ranch hands, maybe apart from Slim, have had a proper conversation with him apart from during work, when he is referred to as a “nigger”.
This is hinted at when Crooks says to Lennie “You got no right to come in my room.” which shows that the social divide, even after the abolishment of slavery, was still present in America and this even meant that white people could not go into the room of a “nigger”. This would probably have been a shock to some white people, as they were used to being obeyed when they spoke to a black person, not told what they were and were not allowed to do.
Crooks seems to be a man who has an enormous amount of self pride and this shows in the fact that he has “several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock and a single-barreled shotgun”, which could hint at the fact that he still wants to be able to defend himself if he needs to.
The shoes raise a different point. As Crooks is a cripple who struggles to walk, it seems odd that he keeps several pairs of shoes in his room when he probably is not going to use them, but they could be a representation of his freedom. He also keeps “a mauled copy of the California civil code for 1905”, and “a tattered dictionary”, which could symbolise the fact that he regards himself as a civilised person, as well as the stable buck that he is at work. He could also want to retain his dignity and by reading the ‘rule book’ as it were, it might help him to retain some of the dignity he still has.
The Term Paper on How does Steinbeck present the character of Crooks
In the novel “Of Mice and Men”, the character of Crooks is used by John Steinbeck, the author, to symbolise the downgrading of the black community occurring at the time in which the novel was set. Crooks is also significant as he provides an insight into the reality of the American Dream and the feelings of the people in the ranch; their loneliness and need for company. Steinbeck presents Crooks ...
As he keeps “a pair of large gold-rimmed spectacles” in his room, we are led to presume that he is able to read. This suggests that he is very intelligent as he was able to teach himself to read, as most black people would not be taught to read and write due to the social divide.
The “broken harness in (the) process of being mended” and “trace chain” might symbolise the fact that he is effectively still a slave, as if he left the ranch he probably would not be able to find work at another. This is because most of the ranches would already have their own black workers and they did not need or want another. The way they are living, they are effectively slaves but they actually are not. Conditions might well be worse for black workers after the abolishment of slavery.
This was due to the fact that it was in the owner’s best interest to keep their slaves in good condition, as the slaves were bringing the owners in money but the owners did not have to spend much money on them. However, after the abolishment of slavery, the black workers were still bringing in the ranch owner money but, the ranch owner had to pay them for their work on top of the money they would be spending on the black men and women if they were still slaves.
When Lennie first comes into Crooks’ room, the first thing we hear from either of them is Crooks saying sharply “You got no right to come in my room”. This implies that no ranch hand has ever come into his room before. He is also probably a bit shocked that a white man, that is not the boss, has actually come into his room. However, as he becomes more acclimatised to Lennie’s presence he seems to relax more. We can see this when he says, “Set down, Set down on the nail keg.”
The Essay on George And Lennie Crooks Steinbeck Extract
An Extract Demonstrating Steinbeck's Style In Of An Extract Demonstrating Steinbeck's Style In Of Mice And Men The extract I have chosen is from the beginning of chapter four and stretches from page 71 to page 73. This extract gives a detailed description of Crooks, his room and his possessions. The entrance of Lennie into Crooks room and the development of their relationship throughout the scene ...
It seems that when Crooks is not being bullied, he can be the bully very easily. This is glanced upon when “Crooks pressed forward some kind of private victory”. He might also want to try to intimidate Lennie and he uses the one thing that Lennie holds close to him – George. This ‘affection’ is shown when Lennie cries “He won’t do it” in return to Crooks teasing him about George not returning. This shows the fact that Lennie trusts that George will stick to his word and come back, although it does seem that Crooks makes him doubt George for the first time during the novel as Lennie asks Crooks “Don’t you think he will?”
It seems that this is the first time that Lennie has ever had to think about life without George and from the way he reacts it is fairly clear that he does not want it to happen. This might make the reader think that Crooks is a bad person, but although he seems to like to play the bully, he is just a lowly ranch hand just like Lennie and George. There is only one difference: their skin colour. This seems to put Crooks down, as when ever he is able to, he appears to copy what others have done to him and do it to others when he gets the brief chance every now and then.
