Mice And Men-Crooks Essay, Research Paper

I believe that every character in this book is lonely in their own way and has certain needs that they will inevitably never fulfil. I also feel that Crooks is the loneliest character in the book, this is because of the extremely racist and volatile environment on the ranch. He is not allowed to sleep with the other men in the bunkhouse:

Crooks, the negro stable buck, had his bunk in the harness room that leaned off the wall of the barn.

Crooks is never allowed to eat with the other men nor is he allowed to go to the whore-house in town with them, he had to stay with Lennie, Candy and Curley s Wife the other three people who are separated from those around them.

Most of the men on the ranch are prejudice towards Crooks referring to him with derogatory terms such as nigger. The only people who are not so prejudice towards him are Lennie as he is too simple to understand the racism and Candy the old swamper who says:

The stable buck s a nigger Nice fella, too.

Crooks is a victim. We are told by Candy that the boss takes his anger out on Crooks even though he does nothing wrong:

The boss gives him hell when he s mad.

Candy also tells about an incident which shows just how violent and racist the men in the bunkhouse are. Candy tells us that they let the nigger come into the bunkhouse last Christmas to fight with a skinner called Smitty, they tied Smitty s feet together and it was much to Crooks credit that he won. Candy remembers Smitty saying that if he could have used his feet:

He woulda killed the nigger.

Crooks has no status within the ranch, like the boss and Slim for example. He is very sub-serviant.