• ‘Stable buck’
• ‘Nice fella too’
• Racism is a habit e.g. often use term ‘Nigger’
• ‘Got a crooked back where a horse kicked him’
• Two disabled characters suggest how rough ranch life is.
• The employees that are crippled are symbols of the violence of the place.
• ‘Crooks’ known by his nickname reflects lack of respect for him and his low status. • ‘He reads a lot’ symbol of his intelligence.
• Symbol of Segregation on the ranch, and segregation in 1930’s USA
Chapter 4 – Stable
• Crooks: Black, crippled, represents black segregation in 1930’s USA. Has his own room within the stables so he’s away from the white workers. He reads - implies he is intelligent/ educated. Joins games of the white people but on their terms. • ‘Long box filled with straw with his blankets thrown down’ – implies he has treated like a animal, in the barn with animals.
• ‘a broken harness in the process of being repaired’
• ‘medicine bottles… both for himself and the horses’ – shows he cares for animals • ‘single barrelled shotgun’ – prepared to defend himself
• ‘California civil code’ – interested in knowing about his rights.
• He also has a dictionary, tells us he’s intelligent
• ‘Crook’s was a proud aloof man’ – implies he has his self respect and dignity and knows that’s how it will lead to the others to respect him in the future.
• ‘Kept his distance and demanded other people keep there’s’- method of self defence to protect his dignity
• ‘His eyes… glitter with intensity’ implies he’s full of knowledge and observing skills are immaculate
• ‘In one hand he held a bottle of liniment, in the other he rubbed his spine’ when he sees Lennie he puts it away as if to hide what he was doing.
• Steinbeck presents Crooks as a character that should be admired, he has noble qualities, appearing better educated and with more pride than the white men but yet he is black so is treated worse then everyone else. Steinbeck is thus showing 1930’s racism (not advocating it.)
• Crooks segregates himself ‘ its jus a busting black nigger speaking.’
• Crooks realises G and L can at least escape loneliness because they got each other ‘its jus bein with another guy’
• Crooks represents Loneliness / isolation due to racism.
• Crooks wants Lennie to empathise with him.
• ‘Like a dog’ animal imagery ‘growled’
• ‘Suddenly Lennie’s eyes centred and grew quiet, and mad. He stood up and walked dangerously toward Crooks.’ Hints at his power and destructiveness.
• ‘ a guy needs somebody to be near him’ – Crook’s loneliness
• Crooks is fearing for his own sanity
• Crooks is cynical or even realistic - thinks that no ranch worker will ever get their American dream ‘Nobody never gets to heaven. Nobody never gets no