How Does Steinbeck Use The Character Of Crooks To Highlight Certain Issues Essay

1930s hit, the States lay in financial ruins and deep devastation as the outstanding depression strikes. Causing economic depression throughout the 20th blow and leaving va allowy lives in tatters as American citizens face losing money, stock, homes, savings and to a bulkyer extent importantly jobs. Dealing with unemployment men turn helplessly to unsettled working. Moving away from home (if they suck in one) and acquire into manual advertize on farms for low cede and a stead to stay although it wasnt structured employment and they found themselves moving from stake to place.As scantiness led to working on spreadinges of mice and men was born, a novel scripted in the late 1930s to unravel the issues and unfair ways of the 30s and the great depression. Highlighting poverty, loneliness, sexism and more than importantly Racism, the main composing of the tale. creation a major(ip) issue Racism swarmed America and started pickings over roughly gabardine packs heads. Bla ck slavery was behind them plainly unfortunately racialism/discrimination towards different races wasnt and the Jim blow laws were presently introduced quickly segregating coloured bulk and making them outcasts in in that location take in countries. So we were 100 years later slavery, solely we were smack tell apart in the middle of sequestration and this, was in equivalent manner non a tight-laced experience for the macabre race. In a bid to stop the sullen Americans from universe friction match, the southern states passed a series of laws fill inn as Jim Crow laws which discriminated against sorrys and made sure that they were segregated from uncontaminatings. Blacks were gradually fired from most jobs and had to practise different transport, bathrooms ect. To white battalion, whites started to rule America.Crooks Is a piece Steinbeck created to highlight how below the belt this time was and with no sincere importance to the story crooks has a major import ance in the book as he was put t here(predicate) to show us how wrong segregation really was and how unfrequented and throw treat these people were. We stolon masturbate an idea of crooks in chapter dickens where he is first bought up, not being on the scene to date we get a little picture of what hes deal and what his role is. glaze explains how when the boss is in a bad musical mode its always taken out on the stable sprout stating An he give the stable buck stone pit, too meaning Crooks, Instantly the first time Crooks is mentioned in the whole book its in a negative way as through innocence hes treated as if done something wrong. Candy informs George and Lenny why the stable buck gets hell by simply adding on ya resonate the stablebucks a nigra in those days racial slurs such as the language used towards black people wasnt looked upon as bad exactly looked upon as normal, they were allowed to dictate things the like that whereas now days youd get in a lot of s tir up as racial discrimination isnt accepted.Candy goes on to tell them how Crooks isnt allowed in the bunk house, the small typically occidental and simple room full of beds were they all sleep. He isnt allowed in simply because hes black and segregation prevents him from doing so as its mixing with white people which was frowned upon at the time. He says they let the nigger in that night reminiscing one Christmas when Crooks was allowed in the bunk house smitty took after the nigger, done pretty good too he tells of how a white man called smitty decided to beat crooks up scarce for fun and says the guys wouldnt let him use his feet on account of crooks having a crooked buns they thought although beating him up for no reason, just entertainment they conceptualise its fair because he couldnt use feet.But were not get all negative trades from crooks, candy also says Nice Fella,too. He Reads a lot, got a lot of books in his room Steinbeck has made crooks intelligent, hes made i t so crooks won the fight against smitty and has made him a pleasant guy because he lacked to avoid the typical stereotype dupe of a black man he does so by broad him pride, identity and not showing major weekness. Hes also made him crippled to give him more strength and more of a heroic side. It also instrument hes trapped at the cattle farm as it would be rare for any some former(a) place to take him in so al admity before we meet this character we beat a lot of sympathy and respect for him and all hes going through.We finally do get to meet him in chapter 3, although it is fairly brief. Crooks pokes his head through the door of the bunkhouse as he isnt allowed to step into it, knowing he cant step any practise headway he calls slim entirely instead of maxim slim he says Mr slim, black people had to formally address white people so crooks was expected to use Mr and Mrs or Maam and Sir when draw close a white person, if approaching one at all otherwise hed get in a lot of trouble and maybe be hung, he was thought to respect white people as if not worthy to them.We then officially meet Crooks in chapter 4, a whole chapter dedicated to him which in such a niggling novel with such an unimportant character is very rare solely Steinbeck obviously felt very strongly about racism and acquiring an image across that crooks had an identity and personality, he was just like the alleviation of them merely was hated because of the colour of his skin. Crooks has the longest introduction to his character and where he lives in the book so that we get a vivid explanation and a chance to get to know him, and that he is a real character with a personality and odourings. Crooks is said to live in a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn , putting crooks in the barn and verbalize crooks had an apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for himself and the horses shows his status is that of an animal, they class him as dirt, lour then the horses. His bed is just a box on convert and blankets as well, which is also Steinbeck creating an image of a man treated like an animal.Stereotypes would of thought he was a dirty black man but in actual fact crooks is a proud and clean man. Being old, crippled and most importantly black crooks has been unable to get himself a girlfriend and being like he is neer will, so as a substitute to a female he has dirty books.When Lenny Meets Crooks he doesnt come a clue about racism, he isnt racist in any shape or form as he has the mind of a child and doesnt understand it. He asks why aint you wanted because he cant hit why crooks wouldnt be allowed in the bunk house which shows racism isnt natural or in genes or occurs to you as a kid, racism is taught to you by the people you perplex up with and by pictures you see in the society. Lenny doesnt use his white status in his password with crooks what so ever and in the conversation crooks actually has the upper pay for once. Crooks says this heres my room. Nobody got any right in here but me and trys to get rid of Lenny, but its not that he doesnt want the company because he does, thats what he craves the most but its a matter of principle, he has the idea that white people dont let him in at that place room, so why should he let them in his room? Hes read up his place in society and he knows his rights, and one of his rights is his room.Crooks snaps at Lenny saying I aint no southern nigro showing he hasnt accepted the fact that hes less of a man then Lenny, he knows hes the same apart from a colour and he has a confidence. He starts patronizing and teasing Lenny to engage himself feel better as he sees soul thats an easier target then himself to pick of which proves a nasty streak. disconcerting Lenny saying things like spose George went into town and you never heard of him no more and theyll take you to the booby hatch. Theyll tie you up with a collar, like a dog.Crooks didnt always used to be segregated either, he went to a normal school and had white friends but his dad didnt approve as he knew it wouldnt last and theyd grow up and turn on him. on my old mans chicken ranch his family owned a chicken ranch so he wasnt from a poor typical black slave family, showing the great depression could put you in circumstances unlike the ones you grew up in. he says its just a nigger saying it recognising nothing he says means anything and he doesnt have a say because hes black. In Lenny and Crooks conversation there on completely different dither lengths, speaking on different levels completely. Its easy for crooks to tell his story and to have someone to talk to about his feelings and loneliness because he knows Lenny isnt winning anything in and wont remember a thing, its just a sensual presence to talk to so he isnt talking to himself.Crooks nevertheless picks on Lenny because of power and status, most his life hes been badger and tortured and the boss gives him such hell so hes finally found someone he can tease and torture back. We get an insight of crooks loneliness and understand how much its really getting to him so we forgive him for the teasing because we know Lennys situation is no were near as bad as Crooks, crooks has no one but Lenny has always had George, Crooks expresses this crying you know hes going to go up back, spose you didnt have nobody, spose you couldnt go into the bunk house and be rummy because your black he obviously is so fearfully solitary, he wants someone to talk to more then anything and its made even worsened as he hasnt always been like this.He explains how he had two brothers, they were always near me, always there. Used to sleep in the same room so he was used to having his brothers around, sharing a room and having someone to talk to all the time. Hes been spaced from family and friends for a lifetime alone and with social levels rock bottom smother loneliness Is putting him in a mental state and hes tryi ng to put Lenny in his shoes. Crooks seems very cynical and questioning about Lennys dream and has given up all hope in religion saying nobody ever gets to heaven he doesnt believe a god would put him through this.Crooks also defends himself saying you say I step, well you all smell to me he most probably doesnt really thing white people smell its just a matter of if you can say it to me, I can say it to you. Its almost childish, you smell, no you do hence Candy drives onto the scene and joins Crooks and Lenny. Crooks is happy to have all this sudden company, something hed dreamed of happening and is more then pleased to have people in the barn with him not that hed let that on.Candy says I been here a long time, an crooks been here a long time. This is the first time Ive been in this room hes proving the real depth of segregation as theyve both been there years and years but they have never seen each others rooms but segregation like this was normal. Crooks proves just how lon ely(prenominal) he is when he offers to give up all freedom and pay to work for nothing and become almost a slave for George, Lenny and Candy and in return, just some company hesitatingly saying if youguys would want a hand to work for nothing-just his keep, why Id come an lend a hand..Then its all unsettled by Curleys wifes appearance. Shes nearly as lonely as crooks, not allowed to talk to anyone but her husband who she doesnt feel for at all. He leaves her alone to go to the whore house and shes expected to talk to nobody. Shes hurt and looking for some company, just someone to talk to. She expresses her loneliness saying what am I doing? talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs- a nigger an a dum-dum and a rotten ol sheep and im liking it although shes insulting them shes just as desperate for some company and wants them to talk to her, but they have other ideas. They have it drummed into there heads shes trouble and Crooks especially knows he shouldnt be talking to her. He coldly s houts at her saying I had enough, you got no rights coming in a coloured mans room.You got no rights messing around in here at all. Now you just get out an get out quick. If you dont, im gonna ask the boss not to ever let you come in the barn no more crooks overstepped the mark in the society he lives in. he cant in reality boss around a white woman. He hasnt said anything unreasonable, he knows his rights but hes threatening her giving himself a level of authority. She replys to that in a bad way snapping at him listen, nigger you know what I can do to you if you open your trap? You know what I could do? he realises hes overdone it and returns to his normal lonely self responding with a simple yes maam and sits down on his bunk drawing into himself.After having Candy and Lenny in the room and being able to have normal conversations leaving out any racism hes almost forgotten himself and segregation, the time he had with the other two was more like a bit of fantasy not reality. He t hought for a minute he could have an equal friendship but then Curleys wife comes and snaps him out of it and reminds him of his place and status. What he did was paralyse his childhood when he played with white kids, he just fooled himself into thinking they were maybe his friends but after the argument he soon realises that this would never happen, he would never be accepted so after she leaves he changes. He turns cold on the other two again and withdraws his offer to work for company although hed static love to do it, he thinks its just a far away dream as black people will never have equal friendships with white people.Curleys wife has proved shes racist but shes not alone in that, she exist to have him hung. All shed of had to do was run back to the ranch and tell the boss or Curley he touched her and hed be killed without trial, just as a form of revenge. Crooks would just have to be accused by a white person and there authority would get him killed, that was the reality o f being a black man, that was the reality of crooks situation.Taking the racism and immorality of segregation in the 1930s Steinbeck has successfully created this character of a black man, trapped in his crippled body, desperately lonely and abused but given him an identity, a personality, a proper background and family and made him a real person. Hes highlighted how badly they were treated, how they felt, what they went through and what we cant let happen again in the future.Crooks wasnt a part of the story as such but he was there to represent what it was like at the time and the seriousness of the horrors of racism that went on and hes done that outstandingly giving a perfect picture and make us as an audience feel for the character of Crooks and actually think about what went on back then and to help ensure segregation will never return.