Crooks Analysis Crooks is a black man in a racist society. His back

is crooked because he was kicked by a horse. ‘His

body was bent over to the left by his crooked

spine, and his eyes lay deep in his head, and

because of their depth seemed to glitter with

intensity. His lean face was lined with deep black

wrinkles, and he had thin, pain-tightened lips

which were lighter than his face.’ The fact that he

is given the name ‘crooks’ by the others on the

ranch suggest that they feel they have dominance

over him

Quotes ‘Crooks' bunk was a long box filled with straw’ – Animal imagery. Shows how bad black people were treated in 1930s America

Crooks’ possessions:

‘single-barrelled shotgun’ – Shows how racist 1930s America was as crooks feels he has to

protect himself

‘a tattered dictionary and a mauled copy of the California civil code for 19O5’ – ‘mauled’

suggests he has read them again and again. This shows he has an interest for education. The

California code is out dated. This shows he is destined to no never become anything.

‘A pair of large gold-rimmed spectacles hung from a nail’ – Spectacles have connotations of

inelegance and education. The fact that they are ‘gold rimed’ suggests that crooks values his

education. However, the fact that they are hung up on a nail suggests he never gets to use his inelegance because of the racist society he lives in.

‘The boss gives him hell when he’s mad’ – Shows racism and discrimination. He is a victim

“They let the nigger come in that night. Little skinner name of Smitty took after the nigger.” – He is

seen as a form of entertainment

‘He kept his distance and demanded that other people keep theirs.’ – He is very isolated.

‘Crooks said sharply, "You got no right to come in my room. This here's my room. Nobody got any right in here but me."’ – Very protective and keeps himself to himself

"S'pose George don't come back no more. S'pose he took a powder and just ain't coming back.

What'll you do then?" And ‘Crooks' face lighted with pleasure in his torture.’ – He is enjoying

tormenting Lennie. This could be because of the way he is treated.

“A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody.” And "I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an' he gets sick." –

Crooks is expressing his emotions to Lennie. This is the first time we hear about how Crooks feel.

Steinbeck does this to show how in the 1930s in America black people came behind white people.

“If some guy was with me, he could tell me I was asleep, an' then it would be all right.” – Crooks is lonely. He wants a friend

‘The stable buck went on dreamily, "I remember when I was a little kid on my old man's chicken

ranch. Had two brothers. They was always near me, always there. Used to sleep right in the same

room, right in the same bed- all three. Had a strawberry patch. Had an alfalfa patch. Used to turn the

chickens out in the alfalfa on a sunny morning. My brothers'd set on a fence rail an' watch 'em- white chickens they was."’ – He wasn’t always sad. He once lived happily

‘"Come on in. If ever'body's comin' in, you might just as well." It was difficult for Crooks to conceal

his pleasure with anger.’ – He enjoys company

“why I'd come an' lend a hand. I ain't so crippled I can't work like a son-of-a-bitch if I want to.” – He buys into George and Lennie’s dream. Like candy, Crooks sees this as a way out.

“I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain't even funny.” - Curley’s wife is mean to Crooks and uses society’s prejudice to put him down.

"'Member what I said about hoein' and doin' odd jobs?" "Yeah," said Candy. "I remember." "Well,

jus' forget it," said Crooks. "I didn't mean it. Jus' foolin' – He really wants the dream but because of

how racist the society is, he doesn’t think he would make it.