What role does crooks play in the novel?

Category: books and literature fiction
4.9/5 (153 Views . 16 Votes)
Character Analysis Crooks
Crooks is the stable hand who takes care of the horses and lives by himself because he is the only black man on the ranch. Along with Candy, Crooks is a character used by Steinbeck to show the effects of discrimination. He has his own place in the barn with the ranch animals.



Consequently, how does Steinbeck present crooks in Chapter 4?

Crooks is presented to us an intelligent man despite his race. On page 67 of chapter 4, the description states “a mauled copy of the California Civil Code 1905.” This is proof that Crooks is able to read, which suggests his intelligence, but also shows us he is aware of the rights he is entitled to as a black man.

Subsequently, question is, why is crooks called crooks How does this reflect his personality? Crooks gets his name from the injury of his spine. He looks crooked and disfigured which is the orgin of his nickname. This reflects his personality such in a way of the sterotypical hunched persona; a bitter man whose life's intent is figured and only thought of.

Secondly, how is Crooks presented in the novel?

Crooks is a black man set on a 1930's ranch, working as a stable buck. Steinbeck presents the Character of Crooks to us as he wouldn't of been considered during the times of the 'Great Depression' and shows us the negative stereotypes of black people in an American 1930's society.

Why was crooks dream important?

Crooks dreams of having company and belonging somewhere where he is wanted. Crooks wants to belong. He is the African-American stable hand. Because of his race, he is ostracized by the ranch hands.

26 Related Question Answers Found

What is the theme of Chapter 4 in Of Mice and Men?

Other major themes in chapter 4 include social hierarchy, autonomy, equality, and opportunity. In this chapter, all of the field hands have gone to visit a brothel. The only ones left behind are what Curley's wife calls the "weak ones," the men who belong to the bottom level of the ranch hierarchy.

Why is Curley's wife nameless?

Quick Answer. Curley's wife is never called by her own name as a way of depicting her lack of independence. By only referring to her as Curley's wife, her identity is confined to the limited, dependent role she must play in her marriage.

How does crooks represent loneliness?

He lives by himself because he is the only black man on the ranch. Crooks is bookish and likes to keep his room neat, but he has been so beaten down by loneliness and prejudicial treatment of that he is now suspicious of any kindness he receives.

How does crooks fill his loneliness?

We see here that Crooks' loneliness is eating him alive. He says a little later that it is making him crazy. Crooks' chief method of coping with loneliness and the other pain he carries is to try to crush any illusion he has that things will get better.

Why does George dislike Curley?


"We'll live off the fatta lan." His wife was always walking around the men. Why did George dislike Curley at their first meeting? Because, Curley pick on Lennie and talked to Lennie rudely.

Who is crooks describe his living space?

Crooks is the “lean stable buck.” He sleeps in the harness room because he is black, and in those days during the Great Depression, segregation was the norm. Crooks lives and sleeps alone, and in the description of his home it says he “could leave his things about” because he lives alone. However, he is often lonely.

Why did Curley's wife marry Curley?

Because her mother restricted her from pursuing her dream, she decided to escape from her any way she could. That is the reason she gives for why she married Curley. So I married Curley. Met him out to the Riverside Dance Palace that same night."

What chapter does crooks get introduced?

Crooks, the stable buck, is introduced in Chapter 2 when George and Lennie are being shown around the bunk house by the old man referred to later as "the old swamper." We learn that Crooks is the only hand on the ranch who is African-American and that he is victimized because of it.

What is Curley's wife's name?

She is defined by her role: Curley's wife or possession. George and Candy call her by other names such as "jailbait" or "tart." She wears too much makeup and dresses like a "whore" with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Lennie is fascinated by her and cannot take his eyes off her.

What type of character is crooks?


Crooks is a lively, sharp-witted, black stable-hand, who takes his name from his crooked back. Like most of the characters in the story, he admits that he is extremely lonely. When Lennie visits him in his room, his reaction reveals this fact.

Is crooks a round or flat character?

Crooks is a round character because he is a fully developed character. The author dedicates an entire chapter to Crooks. The author describes Crooks as proud and aloof but he is only aloof due to loneliness. Earlier in the second chapter Candy says He keeps to himself and he reads a lot.

Why is crooks a proud aloof man?

Due to his race and physical deformity, Crooks lives by himself in the ranch's barn. He is described as proud and aloof, but readers get the sense that Crooks acts aloof due to aching loneliness.

What do crooks glasses symbolize?

The Rabbits
In a world about power and strength, Crooks's gold-rimmed glasses, which are used for reading, symbolize his intelligence and mental abilities.

What do these things reveal about crooks character?

The description of the room that Crooks inhabits in Of Mice and Men indicates that he is a man of some education and higher level thinking, he is fairly organized, and he has personal pride. His room is both workroom and living quarters, a place where he has lived in isolation for some time.

Why is crooks so mean to Lennie?


Crooks is lonely because he is the only black person on the ranch and they discriminate against him. Crooks is rude to Lennie because he is the only black man on the ranch and he feels left out. He is angry and takes it out on Lennie.

What do crooks possessions say about him?

Expert Answers info
several pairs of shoes, a pair of rubber boots, a big alarm clock and a single-barreled shotgun. And he had books, tooand a mauled cop of the California civil code for 1905battered magazines and a few dirty books. A pair of large gold-rimmed spectacles..

Why is Carlson confused at the end of the novel?

At the end of the book, Slim and George are walking away. They are sad because of Lennie being killed. Curley and Carlson watch them go and Carlson says "Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?" To me, the meaning of this is that Carlson has no feeling for the emotions of other people.