There are also many other important issues and problems brought up in the book that were linked directly to the real life social problems in rural California which Steinbeck brings to life in a variety of techniques and language styles. The first and most obvious issue involved with inequality is racism, because crooks is black, he is looked upon in a typical and prejudice way, which was normal and socially acceptable in the 1930’s. His views and opinions are seen as worthless, “Why its just a nigger saying it.” Crooks is socially outcast in the ranch, he lives and sleeps alone, no-body had ever entered his room or decided to discuss things with him until the conversation he has with Lennie. I think it is ironic in the way that crooks dismisses Lennie as being the same as all the other white men, “You got no right to be in my room, Nobody got any right in here but me.” Considering Lennie to be racist is being racist himself. I also think it is very ironic that the most unintelligent person on the ranch is the only one who ignores the very unintelligent social hierarchy of racism, which the other supposedly better educated workers take part in.
Harlam and the family move to Arizona and leaves Grampa in Mississippi alone with all of the racism. Dad really has a hard time letting Hiram go back to Greenwood and getting a head full of grampa’s Southern nonsence. Hiram Hillburn is the main character and is the narrator. Hiram at first didn’t know what the fight between his dad and his grampa was until he returned back to Mississippi from Arizona. Hiram did not remember much from Mississippi when he returned.
He has a very old dog, and the boys at the farm want to shoot it. Candy thinks that just because someone is old doesn’t mean they’re useless, and would they shoot him too? They always think he’s unable to do things because he’s old, even though he can do it. Throughout the novel, he is often by himself, away from others, because he is discriminated against by the others. As the end of the novel approaches, discrimination leads towards Lennie’s harsh
Questions on Section 4 1. Why does Steinbeck present Crooks to have a room of his own in the barn and does not sleep with the other men in the bunkhouse? In Chapter Four, Steinbeck gives Crooks a thorough introduction, particularly in describing Crooks himself and his living quarters. Since Crooks is black, he is forced to live apart from the other white workers; clearly, racism was part of this culture and era. Crooks lives/sleeps in a shed attached to the barn.
Schneider 1 Natalie K. Schneider Mrs. B English 1 H, P2 2013,1,22 Just another casualty Mercy killing is a very taboo, controversial subject. In the novel of mice and men by john Steinbeck George and Lennie are each other’s only family so they always travel together. George is a small but smart man where Lennie is a big stupid man. They both go to work at a new farm after an incident in their old town caused them to go find work in a new town. Lennie has always caused them trouble but this time it’s serious, he killed the bosses son, Curley’s, wife and Curly is out for blood.
We are first introduced to Candy when George and Lennie arrive at the ranch. George is unsure what to make of Candy as he ‘worked up a slow anger’ based purely on suspicion and distrust. However, we see that the
Then there’s Candy an older man maybe late forty’s early fifties. A man that had lost his hand worker on that very same ranch they have been worker at during the story. As an older man he couldn’t work like Leinne and the rest of the men. He was a Swamper so old about to lose his job he tried to work with George and Lennie into going in with them on their dream farm
“…The negro stable buck…” The term ‘negro’ denotes black and Steinbeck defines Crooks by his race before bringing in his profession. Viewed in a very animalistic light, Steinbeck highlights the disrespect the ranch has for him, “…Crooks’ bunk was a long box filled with straw…” Unlike the bunkhouse where they were privileged with a blanket, Crooks’ bed was more primitive than the ranch hands, ‘a long box’, equivalent to when you want to ship an animal to somewhere they’d often be put in a long box with straw, again demonstrates the disrepute of the ranch to Crooks. Contextually, through this Steinbeck accentuates the idea that during the 1930s, black people were considered as a sub-species. “…Crooks had his apple box over his bunk, and in it a range of medicine bottles, both for him and his horses…” Often in literature, the location of items are to be considered, as in this case the detail that his apple box with his medicine was above his bunk expresses that his disability takes over his life, which is
The two men have something that many of the men on ranches in the 1930’s wish they all had; a partner. In saying this, by George bringing a tragic ending to the novel, George is ruining the idealistic friendship that can only be described as
helohhb kdbdjd dfnf fdnSteinbeck only uses one chapter on Crooks, however he has fully described him and helps the reader to understand his life at the ranch; Crooks is a ânegro stable buckâ who lives all by himself in the harness room, a little shed that leans of the wall the barn. His bunk is a long box filled with straw, with blankets on it. He had his apple box over his bunk, in which he had a range of medicine bottles, both for him and the horses. Being alone, he had a lot a number of âpersonal possessionsâ scattered around. This signifies his singleness because the fact that he lives all alone in room which he has all to himself, which not only allows him have as many possessions as he wants but gives him privacy, contrasting with