8/3/2019 Jack Crooks

1/2

John Steinbeck presents the character of Crooks -the stable buck- in 'of mice and men' as a

outsider, because of his situation of being a coloured man in with a crooked spine, which is why

he is called crooks, in a all white ranch in southern America during the 1930's. This was

common in many ranches at the time due to the great depression. In the 1930's In California

there was segregation and racial abuse against black men was common place. In this

controlled assessment I will examine how John Steinbeck presents crooks and i will referclosely to the text to support my views.

Crooks is presented as an outsider who is isolated with no friends. Lennie walks into crook's

room and crooks says you got no right to come into my room. This here's my room. Nobody got

a right here but me.' This demonstrates how Crooks is dismissive of Lennie although Lennie has

not done anything to him; throughout the book Lennie has been displayed as a childlike person

by John Steinbeck, his father son relationship with George creates this child persona, this

dismissal of him has more of affect on the reader because its Lennie. This suggests that crooks

is isolating himself from people.

why lennie

Candy the old swamper is the first person to speak to George and Lennie when they first reach

the ranch. He tells them that the Boss was angry because they got to the ranch late, Candy

says 'I guess the boss'll be out here in a minute. He was sure burned when you wasn't here this

morning. Come right in when we was eatin' breakfast and says, " Where the hell's them new

men?" An' he give the stable buck hell, too.' George replies 'Give the stable buck hell?' since he

doesn't understand why the boss should give the stable buck hell because candy hasn't given

any reason for him to. Candy replies 'Sure. Ya see the stable buck's a nigger' This explains why

crooks has been isolating himself from people in his room as the result of discrimination towardshim from the boss. The fact Candy thinks that crooks being a nigger is a acceptable reason for

him to be beaten and George doesn't object to this, shows that the majority of whites on the

ranch consider blacks as below them and it doesn't matter how they're treated. This gives the

reader the mens view on crooks in the ranch before he is introduced to the story.

The loneliness of Crooks becomes apparent after he tells Lennie he ain't wanted in the bunk

house and Lennies not wanted in his room, Lennie doesnt understand this so he asks why

aint you wanted? Crooks retaliates with Cause I'm black. They play cards in there, but I cant

play because I'm black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to me. This

demonstrates the oppression crooks experiences in living in his room and not in the bunk house

were he could play cards as one of the group, also it shows how he is discriminated by whites inthe ranch. The lines Books aint no good a guy needs-to be near him. He whined, A guy goes

nuts if he aint got nobody. Dont make no difference who the guy is, Long's hes with you. I tell

ya, he cried,I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an he gets sick. is his desperate appeal to be

realised as a equal. The words he cried and he whined are used by Steinbeck so the lines are

emphasised to the reader and they transform it to a appeal about himself. This makes the

reader feel sorrow for Crooks.

8/3/2019 Jack Crooks

2/2

neil

They are many clues to indicate Crooks intelligence in the book. The fact he can read

considering hes coloured with poor education because he was coloured is a achievement and

shows his determination in life. The copy of the California civil code for 1905 that he owns

shows how crooks researches what whites are allowed to do to him on the ranch . This wouldrelate to the boss who Candy has already explained; when the bosses mad he gives crooks

hell, taking his anger out on him , using him like a punch bag. The fact Crooks is researching

into this establishes how the discrimination towards him at the ranch. Crooks goes on about his

rights as well to Lennie, Lennie says to him Just came to look at my puppy. And i seen your

light Crooks replies Well, I got a right to have a light. Crooks seems to take offense from what

Lennie says, even though there was nothing to take offense from. The full stop after I got a right

to have a light is used by Steinbeck to make what Crooks says is a statement. He may be

allowed to be beaten, discriminated, lonely, but he knows that he has the right to own a light.

John Steinbeck presents crooks as a lonely, depressed man due to discrimination against

Himself, however, Steinbeck presents him sympathetically and not in a racist way. What

contradicts the view at the time in the 1930's when it was published, when racism was common

He makes crooks a rounded character that had dreams and has worked hard in life, to learn

how to read was a example of his intelligence. Steinbeck tries to make the reader feel sorrow for

Crooks with Crooks appeal to be looked at as a equal by everybody the words cried

emphasised this. The character of crooks is used by steinbeck as a objection towards this

racism in the time the sympathy felt by the reader towards him makes his treatment seem

wrong.