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How does steinbeck use crooks to present attitudes to black people in the 1930's

Lennie14!

Please help, I'm so bad at English and I really need some guidance with this essay.

In Of Mice and Men

Original post by Lennie14!

Please help, I'm so bad at English and I really need some guidance with this essay.

Hope this helps -

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/of-mice-and-men/character-analysis/crooks

Reply 3

Macaulayyy

I'll list a few points which can be subheadings that you can expand on, if you need any more help then PM me.

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Crooks' loneliness (Relate to those of different backgrounds and ethnicity being lonely in that time)

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Crooks' Disability (Relate this to the view that blacks were seen as inferior and disabled, bare in mind he is supposed to be working on a ranch and fitness is required. He was also given the nickname crooks from his crooked back. What does this show?)

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The attitudes from the other ranchers that crooks has to face, particularly Candy's when crooks was introduced to us.

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Crooks bad or good and how this is shown.

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Angry or happy.

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Clever

Spoiler

I think Crooks is one of the easiest characters to talk about so you're lucky! :smile:

You could mention how he's a microcosm of society and how a lot of black people felt isolated (this being represented by him being alone at the ranch) and how although he was smart and educated (this being shown through his collection of novels I believe) he still was classed 'lower' than the other men on the ranch.