How does John Steinbeck use the character of (Character) to reflect on American society in the
1930s?
Point, Quote, Analysis, Technique, Supporting Quote, Analysis, Historical Context
Crooks
Introduction
· The book “Of Mice and Men” is set during the 1930s, a time of major problems, such as
racism and the great depression.
· Steinbeck uses the character of Crooks to represent Black Americans in the 1930s, and
how they were discriminated and segregated by white people. They suffered racial-
prejudice. Crooks is the only black person in the book, and so is ostracised by the other
characters in the book. He is introduced to have a ‘crooked back’, being disabled.
Segregation
· “Had his bunk in the harness room, a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn”, “for
himself and for the horses”. Start 4
· Lives next to the horses, so is on the same level as animals, has objects for animals, is
an animal.
· Has to live separately from the other ranch workers because he’s black.
· Shows Californian laws preventing black and white people from marrying or going to
same school.
· “I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to
me.” 4
Pronoun ‘I’ is separated by ‘you’ emphasising segregation.
· Says “you stink” as retaliation but also to show that they are no different and equal; they
all stink.
· Not the case in reality in 1930s, Crooks is not allowed in the bunkhouse because he’s
black.
· Demonstrates segregation in California at the time.
· “I was born right here in California” 4
· Despite being local, still ostracised and segregated.
Racism and Discrimination
,· Candy says Smitty “woulda killed the jigger” and “paused in the relish of the memory” 2
· Smitty threatening Crooks’s life for “fun”, as he is black, has inferior status
· Candy, an innocent old man thought of it as a positive event, showing how racism was a
common conception at the time.
· “Jigger” repeatedly used to describe Crooks, acceptable to dehumanise a black person
at the time. “Jigger” now a derogatory term.”
· Steinbeck refers to Jim Crow Laws in California which relegated black people to an
inferior status.
· “Crooks stood up” for himself to tell Curley’s wife that she had “no rights comin’ in a
colored man’s room.” Curley’s wife said “Listen, jigger… I could get you strung up on a tree
it ain’t even funny.” 4
· After feeling rebellious, Crooks was immediately silenced by Curley’s wife, who
threatens to lynch him by lying about a crime he did. Like Crooks, Curley’s wife is at the
bottom of the social hierarchy, but still has power to death threaten Crooks, reminding him of
his place in society.
· Steinbeck is referring to vigilante groups such as the Klu Klux Klan who would lynch
black people because of their beliefs of black people
.· Crooks is described to have “ a crooked back where a horse kicked him” 2
· Crooks is disabled, and has to work harder than the other ranch workers yet receives no
help. He was injured by a horse shows how he is on the level of an animal.
· “Cripple”, “held a bottle of liniment”, “rubbed his spine”. 4
· Constantly in pain from his crooked back.
· Steinbeck could be using this as a metaphor; black people are in pain wherever they go.
· Being black at the time was seen as a disability.
· Steinbeck is reflecting on how there was no state-wdie welfare system during the time,
so disabled people received no extra aid, resulting in people like Crooks having to support
themselves, despite being in pain.
· Not given a real name, only called “Crooks”, shows how he was not respected.
· Crooks owned “a mauled copy of the Californian Civil Rights Code”.
· Wants to know his rights, “mauled” meaning attacked by an “animal”, shows how he is
an animal and took his anger out on the book as it is unjust, and does not really allow him
any rights.
, Isolation
· Crooks owned “a number of personal possessions” because he was “alone” and tells
Lennie “a guy gets too lonely”4
· Crooks, only black person on ranch and segregated, is ostracised and isolated from the
others.
· Becomes crazy “I seen things out here”, Slim said men ‘get mean’ if they are lonely for
too long; this is true for Crooks; “Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture.” when
taunting Lennie about George abandoning him. 4
· He is mean to Lennie, as he has been lonely for so long; makes him bitter and angry.
Reveals the negative side of Crooks; he’s not all nice.
Steinbeck could be indicating that racism is always wrong, despite one’s flaws. A time
before the civil rights movements meant prejudice and racism.
· Steinbeck is outlining how the economic crisis during the 1930s led to isolation. The
dustbowl which led to 600,000 farmers becoming bankrupt along with The Great depression
caused by the wall street crash and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff meant that jobs were scarce,
and so workers were itinerant; rich employers lost lots of money and had to sack their
workers. Workers moved from ranch to ranch and could not develop friendships meaning
that they were lonely and isolated. Crooks had to work with white men, away from his family,
not only isolated as an itinerant worker but segregated for being black. Crooks is another
character in the book who demonstrates one of the book’s main theme; “Soledad”, meaning
loneliness..
American Dream
· “Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.” 4
· Initially, when Lennie told Crooks about their American Dream, Crooks was cynical of
Lennie achieving it.
· After hearing how close Candy describes they are to achieving it, Crooks gets his hopes
up and asks if he could join them; “why, I’d come an’ lend a hand”.
· His hopes up, with confidence from a new relationship and the American Dream, he
rebels against Curley’s wife, who then threatens to kill him and reminds him of his place in
the social hierarchy. He then tells Candy to “jus’ forget it”. He realises that he will never be
able to achieve the American Dream.
· Steinbeck shows that the American Dream which taught people that if you worked hard
you would become wealthy was not the case, especially not for Crooks due to his skin
colour. Shows how hard life was for black people during the 1930s; the main source of hope
at the time for Americans was impossible to believe in for black people.
Conclusion
1930s?
Point, Quote, Analysis, Technique, Supporting Quote, Analysis, Historical Context
Crooks
Introduction
· The book “Of Mice and Men” is set during the 1930s, a time of major problems, such as
racism and the great depression.
· Steinbeck uses the character of Crooks to represent Black Americans in the 1930s, and
how they were discriminated and segregated by white people. They suffered racial-
prejudice. Crooks is the only black person in the book, and so is ostracised by the other
characters in the book. He is introduced to have a ‘crooked back’, being disabled.
Segregation
· “Had his bunk in the harness room, a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn”, “for
himself and for the horses”. Start 4
· Lives next to the horses, so is on the same level as animals, has objects for animals, is
an animal.
· Has to live separately from the other ranch workers because he’s black.
· Shows Californian laws preventing black and white people from marrying or going to
same school.
· “I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink. Well, I tell you, you all of you stink to
me.” 4
Pronoun ‘I’ is separated by ‘you’ emphasising segregation.
· Says “you stink” as retaliation but also to show that they are no different and equal; they
all stink.
· Not the case in reality in 1930s, Crooks is not allowed in the bunkhouse because he’s
black.
· Demonstrates segregation in California at the time.
· “I was born right here in California” 4
· Despite being local, still ostracised and segregated.
Racism and Discrimination
,· Candy says Smitty “woulda killed the jigger” and “paused in the relish of the memory” 2
· Smitty threatening Crooks’s life for “fun”, as he is black, has inferior status
· Candy, an innocent old man thought of it as a positive event, showing how racism was a
common conception at the time.
· “Jigger” repeatedly used to describe Crooks, acceptable to dehumanise a black person
at the time. “Jigger” now a derogatory term.”
· Steinbeck refers to Jim Crow Laws in California which relegated black people to an
inferior status.
· “Crooks stood up” for himself to tell Curley’s wife that she had “no rights comin’ in a
colored man’s room.” Curley’s wife said “Listen, jigger… I could get you strung up on a tree
it ain’t even funny.” 4
· After feeling rebellious, Crooks was immediately silenced by Curley’s wife, who
threatens to lynch him by lying about a crime he did. Like Crooks, Curley’s wife is at the
bottom of the social hierarchy, but still has power to death threaten Crooks, reminding him of
his place in society.
· Steinbeck is referring to vigilante groups such as the Klu Klux Klan who would lynch
black people because of their beliefs of black people
.· Crooks is described to have “ a crooked back where a horse kicked him” 2
· Crooks is disabled, and has to work harder than the other ranch workers yet receives no
help. He was injured by a horse shows how he is on the level of an animal.
· “Cripple”, “held a bottle of liniment”, “rubbed his spine”. 4
· Constantly in pain from his crooked back.
· Steinbeck could be using this as a metaphor; black people are in pain wherever they go.
· Being black at the time was seen as a disability.
· Steinbeck is reflecting on how there was no state-wdie welfare system during the time,
so disabled people received no extra aid, resulting in people like Crooks having to support
themselves, despite being in pain.
· Not given a real name, only called “Crooks”, shows how he was not respected.
· Crooks owned “a mauled copy of the Californian Civil Rights Code”.
· Wants to know his rights, “mauled” meaning attacked by an “animal”, shows how he is
an animal and took his anger out on the book as it is unjust, and does not really allow him
any rights.
, Isolation
· Crooks owned “a number of personal possessions” because he was “alone” and tells
Lennie “a guy gets too lonely”4
· Crooks, only black person on ranch and segregated, is ostracised and isolated from the
others.
· Becomes crazy “I seen things out here”, Slim said men ‘get mean’ if they are lonely for
too long; this is true for Crooks; “Crooks’ face lighted with pleasure in his torture.” when
taunting Lennie about George abandoning him. 4
· He is mean to Lennie, as he has been lonely for so long; makes him bitter and angry.
Reveals the negative side of Crooks; he’s not all nice.
Steinbeck could be indicating that racism is always wrong, despite one’s flaws. A time
before the civil rights movements meant prejudice and racism.
· Steinbeck is outlining how the economic crisis during the 1930s led to isolation. The
dustbowl which led to 600,000 farmers becoming bankrupt along with The Great depression
caused by the wall street crash and the Smoot-Hawley Tariff meant that jobs were scarce,
and so workers were itinerant; rich employers lost lots of money and had to sack their
workers. Workers moved from ranch to ranch and could not develop friendships meaning
that they were lonely and isolated. Crooks had to work with white men, away from his family,
not only isolated as an itinerant worker but segregated for being black. Crooks is another
character in the book who demonstrates one of the book’s main theme; “Soledad”, meaning
loneliness..
American Dream
· “Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land.” 4
· Initially, when Lennie told Crooks about their American Dream, Crooks was cynical of
Lennie achieving it.
· After hearing how close Candy describes they are to achieving it, Crooks gets his hopes
up and asks if he could join them; “why, I’d come an’ lend a hand”.
· His hopes up, with confidence from a new relationship and the American Dream, he
rebels against Curley’s wife, who then threatens to kill him and reminds him of his place in
the social hierarchy. He then tells Candy to “jus’ forget it”. He realises that he will never be
able to achieve the American Dream.
· Steinbeck shows that the American Dream which taught people that if you worked hard
you would become wealthy was not the case, especially not for Crooks due to his skin
colour. Shows how hard life was for black people during the 1930s; the main source of hope
at the time for Americans was impossible to believe in for black people.
Conclusion
